A few years ago when I began my journey of going meat and dairy-free, I had no idea what to eat besides fruit, vegetables and endless bowls of rice and beans. I quickly became bored and unfulfilled eating the same thing every day and within a week, I reverted right back to eating and enjoying every type of cheese within sight.
At the time, I wasn’t aware of many vegan sources, so the struggle was real. However, when I made the decision to switch to a plant-based diet the second time around, I did my research and re-created delicious meals that I discovered from vegan influencers via YouTube and by using the beloved hashtags on Instagram.
Needless to say, I’ve been about that plant-based life since. Although my family and some friends aren’t vegan, many are curious for different reasons. As a matter of fact, recent data shows that U.S. Google searches for ‘Vegan’ have been increasing over the years since 2004 and hit a huge spike in 2015 as it continues to steadily increase. Thankfully, as veganism continues to grow in popularity, so are the number of vegan social media influencers.
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I’m not here to sway you into becoming a vegan, but, if you’re curious and have no idea where to start, here are some pretty dope vegans to follow on the ‘gram that is serving up some daily recipe inspiration that even non-vegans would enjoy.
@SWEETPOTATOSOUL
Jenné Claiborne is a vegan chef, author, YouTuber, and Blogger. Growing up in Atlanta and nowbased in Los Angeles, Claiborne spent years experimenting and recreating popular soul food dishes and infusing them to fit her plant-based lifestyle.
Besides sharing pictures of her nourishing meals on Instagram, you can also find her sharing some of her recipes on her YouTube channel and in her cookbook, Sweet Potato Soul: 100 Easy Vegan Recipes for the Southern Flavors of Smoke, Sugar, Spice, and Soul.
@TISHWONDERS
Based in London, Tish Wonders shares her plant-based culinary skills with over 23,000 Instagram followers and spews that same knowledge with her YouTube family as well. She accredits her love of local, seasonal and organic produce combined with world herbs and spices as the inspiration behind her colorful and delicious meals.
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@THETHICKVEGAN
If you think all vegan meals requires a lot of preparation andkitchen time, think again. The Thick Vegan uses her Instagram account to post countless pictures of different vegan meals, a lot of which are quick and convenient.
@SHINEWITHPLANTS
This self-proclaimed, ‘planetarian’ uses both her Instagram and YouTube accounts to spread awareness of the plant-based lifestyle. After struggling with feeling sick, overweight, frustrated and wanting to improve her physical condition, Fabiola began her health journey back in 2013 and has since transitioned to living a plant-based lifestyle with her family. She constantly shares colorful photos and recipes of plant-based meals and you can sometimes catch her adorable toddler, Chelsea, in her posts enjoying the dishes as well.
@RACHELAMA_
Another London based vegan, Rachel Ama shares her love for delicious vegan food on both her Instagram and YouTube channel. Her recipes are often hearty, tasty and some conveniently require the use of leftovers. In addition, she also discusses vegan food reviews and recommendations from vegan-friendly restaurants.
Shawna Davis is a wellness journalist and the founder and creator of the wellness lifestyle blog, Flowing and Froing. Beyond the blog, she is a certified yoga instructor, wife, dog mama and is a natural hair enthusiast that’s passionate about health, wellness, and beauty. You can follow her on Instagram @itsshawnadavis.
