Hi Friends, I’m Alaina, the creator behind Meals By The Mountain and I’m so glad you’ve stopped by. I created this space to share my favorite vegan recipes and provide a little glimpse into what living a vegan lifestyle means to me.
Going Vegan
Moving to the Pacific Northwest almost 10 years ago changed my life. I found the place that calls ‘home’ to me. As my family and I explored the mountains, coastlines, valleys and sometimes cities of the PNW I realized I was starting to fall in love with the outdoors. That was a far cry from my temperament back in the Florida panhandle where I spent many years. The mountains moved me.
As I began to enjoy hiking and exploring more I also started learning more about the environment. It led me to reading about the incredible harm that industrial animal agriculture does to our planet. So I started to eat less meat & dairy. Then I learned the healing power of a whole-food plant based diet. So I started eating less processed foods and incorporating more whole foods into my meals.
Then one day I woke up and realized I can eat all of this incredible, innovative and delicious food without contributing to the suffering and slaughtering of billions of sentient beings. I went vegan for the environment and it led to a moral awakening.
After about two years of cutting back, then vegetarianism I went vegan the day my youngest daughter was born in August of 2019.
Veganism is a way of living that seeks to exclude the exploitation of animals for human consumption as far as possible. There is no “perfect” vegan. Just those of us trying to make for a more peaceful world for all living things with our plates, our product consumption and entertainment.
For me that looks like eating plant based, sometimes whole and sometimes processed, foods. It means connecting with nature by growing vegetables, flowers and herbs. It’s stewarding, enjoying and respecting the beautiful land and planet we are all just visitors on.
Want to learn more?
If you’d like to learn more about veganism for the environment, your health, or the animals I recommend the following books and documentaries.
- Food Is The Solution : What To Eat To Save the World by Matthew Prescott
- Seaspiracy
- Cowspiracy
- Earthlings
- Dominion
- Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and the documentary based on the book. I preferred the book
- Forks Over Knives
- The Game Changers