On April 9, 1985 I ate my last animal at breakfast. It was a pig - or should I say a part of a pig - pork chops to be exact! I was raised in Detroit and grew up eating soul food because my parents were both from the south. We ate meat at least three times a day…
In 1985, after moving to Los Angeles, I met (my husband) Londale who introduced me to the concept of vegetarianism and compassionate living which extended to all creatures, not just humans. I had never met an African American vegetarian before and did not think anyone could survive without eating meat! Nonetheless, my heart was touched. How could I go on eating God’s creatures if there was a kinder, gentler way to live? Something permanently shifted in my soul between breakfast and lunch on that April day in 1985 and I have not eaten poultry, fish, eggs, or any type of meat since.
The next day I was faced with a question I had NO IDEA how to answer: What do I eat if I don’t eat meat? Through a lot of trial and error (pre-internet!) I developed a system that our family, including our now grown vegetarian-since-birth children Kamaal and Londale Jr., still uses today; combining more than 30 years of experience living a vegetarian (now vegan) lifestyle.
What is “The Vegan System?”
Simply put, Kamaal and I teamed up to write the book I wish I had when I first because vegetarian. That first book, Throwin’ Down Vegetarian Style! was a collection of my favorite dishes growing up – reworked to vegetarian versions. Our latest book, The Vegan System, includes all of those recipes and more, and are now completely vegan.
Our system is to take mainstream, popular dishes and “veganize” them. It’s sort of like “Veganism 101” and is a great starting point for meat-eaters that need help with transitioning to a plant-based diet. In this book we have “cracked the code” and taken the mystery and confusion out of vegan living by providing tips and recipes that are not only healthy but also very hearty and sure to satisfy even the most committed meat-eaters. Our family still uses these recipes and this super simple system EVERY DAY.
THE VEGAN SYSTEM includes:
- 215 Full Color pages
- Over 100 Family Friendly Vegan Recipes
- Meatless Monday 52 Week Meal Planner
- Vegan Shopping Guide with over 150 products
- Tips for Vegan Athletes, Children, Teenagers based upon our own personal experience
- Vegan Transition Tips - shopping, traveling, eating out, and more
- Vegan Nutrition and Protein Information
Our family has benefited immeasurably from this lifestyle so Kamaal and I wanted to share everything we know to help those who are interested. We want to make plant-based living easy for you. And delicious and fun, of course!
I grew up in Detroit and attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, before starting my career as a Certified Public Accountant in Los Angeles. In 1985 I met my husband, Londale, who was a Police Officer at the time, and vegetarian. I didn’t even know African American vegetarians existed! Fast-forward thirty years. We are still married, still in Los Angeles, and have two beautiful, grown, vegetarian-since-birth-children, Londale Jr., and Kamaal, who is my co-author for all three of our books. We enjoy our plant-based lifestyle while both Londales pursue the arts (as actors) and as Kamaal and I enjoy vegan discoveries around the globe through her job as a flight attendant. Visit us at http://www.veggiesoulfood.com/ for more info about how we have fun while maintaining this lifestyle 24/7.
