Eating Vegan with Eat'n Veg'n Blogger Diann Mayer

Diann Mayer is the Austin woman behind the popular blog on eating vegan called Eat'n Veg'n. She became a vegan in 2005 to improve her health, right around the time she learned she had a gluten intolerance.

Diann has always loved to cook and bake, and her blog has followed her progess as a vegan over the years. She posts about the meals she makes for her family and often includes anecdotes about trips to the market, her CSA, and Whole Foods.

Diann includes tons of pictures, showing each step of the cooking process. The Eat'n Veg'n blog shows that eating vegan doesn't have to be boring and monotonous; it can even be spicy and fun.

As a weight lifter, Diann was originally worried she wouldn't get enough protein when she started eating vegan, but has learned to supplement every meal with plenty of beans. She cooks with a southwestern flair and takes advantages of plenty of local produce in Texas.

Diann's stories are incredibly helpful for people who are eating vegan and battling gluten intolerances, as well as for the rest of us who just love to read about her food!

1. You mention that sometimes people ask you about your diet and you love to explain. How do you explain your food choices to them?

What I emphasize in my explanation is that I absolutely love veggies and salads and that’s why I choose to eat them. I do not deny myself anything; I am very happy with my food choices.

I implore my friends to give up fast foods and packaged foods for just a few weeks, because I know when they return to eating unhealthy foods they won’t enjoy it. Those who have followed my advice admit that they literally felt sick when they returned to bad habits and indulged in a fast food burger and side of fries.

2. What obstacles, if any, did you face when you decided to start eating vegan?

I won’t say my father was an obstacle, but he took it personally. Sunday family barbecues were a weekly occasion at my parents’ home, with all the family together and my dad manning the grill. So it hurt his feelings that my son (also vegan) and I wouldn’t eat what he had spent hours preparing.

We asked him to grill us some veggies, and he eventually began doing just that. He would carefully clean the meat off part of the grill and put down foil and make us the best grilled veggies. He even started plating them so I would take pictures and post them on my blog!

3. What major differences have you noticed with your health and otherwise since you started eating vegan three years ago?

I was not overweight or unhealthy before I became vegan, but I did experience pleasant changes. The first thing I noticed was how much better I felt immediately. By that I mean I felt lighter and I felt more clear-headed. I also felt more confident because I was treating my body better.

4. Can you give some tips for other weight-lifters who worry about protein but want to eat a vegan diet?

I am not a bodybuilder, so I don’t think my protein needs are much greater than that of any other regular exerciser.

Protein comes from many plant based sources. I can’t tolerate tofu, but soy products provide excellent protein.

I hardly ever ate legumes before becoming vegan, but now I enjoy many, many varieties of beans. They are such a wonderfully delicious source of protein.

They are also the perfect protein/carb post-workout food. Just a couple spoonfuls within 30 minutes of finishing my workout helps tremendously to reduce the inevitable muscle soreness.

By the way, my trainer’s father, who created my training method, is vegan.

5. Many people have gluten-intolerance, and nowadays there are so many resources to help them find good food. Can you suggest one or two things that have been helpful for you?

I must state that I do not have celiac disease. I am merely gluten intolerant. I have stomach problems when I decide to ignore my intolerance, but I am not damaging my body by ingesting gluten.

With that said, what has been very helpful to me, especially since I love to bake, are the many prepackaged gluten free baking mixes. There is no reason not to make your own treats when you crave them. There are also gluten free pastas available.

Obviously the internet is a great resource for gluten free recipes and information on a gluten free lifestyle. My best suggestion is to remember that simply prepared fresh fruits and produce are always gluten free!

6. I know you come up with some of your own recipes, and others come from other great bloggers and cookbook writers. What are your favorite sources for food inspiration?

I occasionally get uninspired and stuck in a food rut, eating the same foods over and over. That is usually remedied with a trip to an ethnic grocer or gourmet food shop and the discovery of a “new” ingredient to use.

Merely looking at an assortment of fresh veggies and fruits is very inspirational, even if your only inspiration is a salad (which is often the case with me).

Another favorite way to inspire myself is to take a cooking class at Whole Foods. I get to meet a local chef (or occasionally a celebrity chef) and exchange ideas, and then shop in their wonderful landmark store here in Austin.

7. Do you have any advice for people considering moving their family to a vegan diet?

I became vegan overnight and have never looked back. I realize some people need to transition slowly, usually because cheese and butter are too hard for them to give up. Buy some vegan cheese and butter substitutes if you need to. I have had great success using margarine in my baking and vegan cheese on pizzas. I’ve even made my own cheese.

Adapt some of your family favorite recipes – make meat-free pasta sauce and meat-free soup and chili. Bake a Chocolate Crazy Cake which is naturally vegan and tastes fantastic.

Finally, if “turning vegan” sounds too radical to your family, don’t pronounce your new eating habits as “vegan” but rather as healthy or meat-free. Plenty of foods are naturally vegan, such as fresh vegetables, beans, fruits, and whole grains. Begin by eating more of these.

Learn more about eating vegan from Diann on her Eat'n Veg'n Blog.

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