There are three things you need to know about me.
- I am obsessed with traveling.
- I have been plant-based for nearly 10 years.
- I am a chef.
These three things are incredibly interwoven in my life, and the three work together to inform how I move through the world. I created The Veggie Key because I want to share the incredible food I find through my travels.
The idea took root at a a hostel in Hoi An, Vietnam. I was chatting with two other plant-based travelers, and they told me that they had been mainly living off of bread during their trip through Vietnam because they couldn’t find vegan food. My first thought was “That is so sad. One of my favorite parts of Vietnam has been the food”. My second thought was “I can help them”. I immediately pointed them toward the food I had been eating, and I hope they at least found a nourishing meal.
I’m not going to lie, plant-based travel can be challenging. There are some places where the idea of plant-based cuisine is still a foreign concept. It also raises important questions of conscious travel, gentrification, and sustainability. I will never claim to have all of the answers. Or even the right answer. What I will claim is the ability to offer you honest travel experiences and a guide to the food I eat along the way.
I have been some version of plant-based for over 10 years, whether it was vegetarian or vegan. I have seen the explosion of this market segment, and I have been along for the ride from the days of restaurants only having side salads that could be called vegan to where we are today. I was strictly vegan for many years, but I have found that a diet that is somewhere between vegan and vegetarian works best for me. I still mainly follow a vegan diet, but there are some meals where vegetarian is the best option for my body. I fully respect everyone who comes to this lifestyle in the way that they want to show up to it. This website is for all friends who fall under the umbrella of plant-based.
I’m so excited to have every single one of you here. I can’t wait to take you along on my adventures and I hope this inspires your own plant-based travels.
