Kenya—veggies make her feel fantastic!

Who are you and what do you do?

My name is Kenya, I am 23 years old and I live in Yorkshire. I have my Twitter page @Ken_02_Mill where I post mainly vegan food and vegan-related content. When I’m not on Twitter I carry out my day job in Finance which I love because I’m a bit of a tight ass when it comes to spending! (Well everything apart from food!)

How long have you been eating plant based foods and what made you get into plant foods?

I first cut out meat back in July 2015 and slowly transitioned to a vegetarian diet then in February of 2018 I went Vegan (yey)! I suppose the reason why I decided to eat a plant based diet was due to the fact that I have always been picky with food, after having a conversation with my Dad about not actually needing animal products in my diet and going plant based I decided to give it a go. I haven’t looked back since and there’s more food that I enjoy eating now than ever before. Since going plant based it has also opened my eyes into the dairy, meat and fish industry, of which I now feel totally different about. Understanding ‘Supply and Demand’ is very important!

Do you like making food and what are your favourite foods?

I love making my own foods, I’d probably say I only really eat out once a month! My go-to meals are anything from chickpea curries, stir fry’s, jackfruit rice & peas to a pie & roast potatoes! Mmmm

3 Favourite Veg -

Kale, Broccoli & Courgette

3 Favourite Fruits -

Bananas, Oranges & Passion Fruit

Describe your day with plant foods.

So to start the day off it’s my go-to breakfast which is porridge, I add chia seeds, desiccated coconut, and bananas to hazelnut milk, sometimes I top with chocolate peanut butter or date syrup.

I’m a real snacker and would no way survive up till dinner (12/1 ish) so snacks can be anything from fruit, cereal bars to breadsticks!

Dinner normally consists of a homemade soup or lentil dahl, mostly something of which I can cook a big batch of at the weekend and heat portions up throughout the week at work.

For tea I tend to switch it up each week but if I was in a rush I’d go for a tofu stir fry with noodles and veggies, sriracha, peanut butter and soy sauce are my staples.

Supper? Of course. Normally something like toast simply with vegan butter!

What’s your favourite kitchen tool/gadget?

I’d say my Nutri-Ninja Kitchen System is my favourite, I use this a lot of the time to either make my hazelnut milk, beetroot burgers or a nice smoothie/soup.

What one food could you not live without and which food do you miss the most since switching to plant-based foods?

I don’t think I could live without rice or pasta, I know that’s 2 things but it’s a tight call. They just help bring a meal together and you can make so many different dishes with them. I’d say that I mostly miss sweet treats such as a nice quality ‘milk’ chocolate.

What do you consider the most important foods in your diet and why?

I would say the most important foods would be fresh vegetables, you can’t go wrong with a good range of veggies. They just make me feel fantastic!

Would you say your look and feel more healthy?

I generally feel more energetic being vegan, before my change in diet I was always tired and unmotivated. That’s definitely changed since, also I feel happier, firstly that I’m helping my own health, secondly, the animals lives and finally the planet!

How has eating plant foods changed you?

I suppose you have to be a bit more creative with your cooking but that’s what I love! I tend to watch a lot of YouTube videos for inspiration and take pictures of foods that I’ve cooked and really enjoyed for future meals.

What advice would you give to someone who is thinking about getting into plant based foods?

I would say, try to stick to your normal foods but veganise them! For example, if you really like milk just swap it for a plant based milk and you may even enjoy making your own version such as hazelnut and almond! Another example would be if you really like eggs, try scramble tofu with some tomatoes, soy sauce and sweet chilli!

Most of all be creative and try new foods, you never know what you might like. Also, think of the animals lives and conditions it may be in, is it really worth their suffering for your meal?! Certainly not.