With only 2% of Americans identifying as vegan, it's no wonder that most people don't feel this lifestyle relates to them. I use Other Brown Vegan to showcase famous and every day vegans who love this lifestyle.

If you're interested in being featured on the blog, send me an email and I'll send over the questions. :-)

This week, Tamara of Glowing Color is sharing her vegan story......

*How long have you been a vegan?  

6 years

*What made you decide to embrace a plant-based diet?

I was really bothered by practices I read about and saw regarding slaughtering animals for food. It then turned into health reasons once I read more about what goes into meat, dairy, etc. and once I realized how much better I felt physically, I was sold.

*What was the hardest food (meat, dairy, eggs, etc) to move away from?  

Dairy! I used to live for cheese, big cereal bowls of ice cream, cake, etc. so that was definitely the hardest to do without. I would be in class, and the professor would order pizza for the class and I would just cry on the inside. LOL. But now that I'm so far removed from it, I don't crave it and I don't even have much of a sweet tooth anymore! When I do, it's satisfied by fruit or something very simple.

*Any advice for new vegans?

Definitely have a meal plan! I didn't know how to cook until I went vegan. You have to cook ahead of time to always have something ready to go during busy weeks because depending on where you live, there may not be pre-prepared vegan meals or fast food that you can readily access and that leads to you breaking down and eating non-vegan food or eating complete junk. I gathered an arsenal of cookbooks and made an Excel sheet of rotating weekly recipes.

*What are some of your favorite books/websites on veganism?  

My vegan resources revolve more around food rather than general veganism. Veganomicon, How It All Vegan, and Vegan Planet were my cookbook staples. Healthy. Happy. Life. is my favorite site for recipes.

*Please share a recipe you enjoy.

Pan-fried tofu cubes (panko bread crumbs, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and chicken seasoning--or your other favorite seasoning sauteed in olive oil) and vegetable rigatoni (zucchini, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, and whatever other veggies you like sauteed in olive oil with rigatoni pasta, diced garlic, and nutritional yeast).

 *How can we reach you? Social media, blog, etc.

glowingcolor.com

Thanks for sharing your story, Tamara!

I'm blogging Mon-Fri this month for Vegan MoFo.