Yum!

Eating healthy, eating vegetarian, eating vegan...it's all been easier than I thought. The key is to be adventurous and not be afraid to cook, really cook, with fun things like mustard seeds and fresh rosemary and fennel bulbs.

You don't have to be a vegan to be healthy and you aren’t necessarily healthy if you are a vegan, but I do think the two things go hand-in-hand very nicely. So whether you're interested in dropping twenty or saving a few cows, this is the place for you. Because, I've done both. Actually, I've dropped over a hundred pounds and saved a whole lot of cows I'd guess.

When I was 14 I went out for hamburgers with my friends after school. I ordered a grilled cheese and they balked. I explained that eating animals felt...strange. I think this had something to do with the puppy I’d gotten for Christmas.

Last year, when I turned 29, I started researching the farming industry in the United States. If you've ever undergone the horror that is reading about the living conditions of pregnant pigs...well, you can understand why I no longer eat animals.

In the years in between I went through stages. I'd eat fish and make sure people knew I was not a "real" vegetarian, but also made sure they knew I did not eat any other animals. I'd each chicken, but claim it was because I needed protein in my diet. I'd have a bite of steak, but only if absolutely no one was watching.

Today, nearly 30 years old, I’m all in. I am simply not willing to contribute to horrific suffering so that I can have bacon with my eggs and turkey on my sandwich. And, frankly, the healthiest times in my life have been when I'm eating the most fruits and vegetables and passing on the sour cream as it comes around the table. I know too much to be anything but animal-free.

I will make mistakes. I will probably cook things that taste terrible. But hopefully I learn a few things and feel good about myself along the way.