Ali.seiter's profile

More About Me

Reasons why I prefer to eat vegetarian or vegan:

Whereas I originally focused mainly on the nutritional superiority of an animal-free diet, my vegan convictions deepened immensely once I finally allowed myself to absorb the true magnitude of the utterly inhumane impact a non-vegan lifestyle has on non-human animals. Essentially, I became vegan for my health, but remain vegan out of a fierce desire to show non-exclusive compassion for all beings, to cause as little harm as possible to the world around me and all of its inhabitants, and to help others on their journey to an enlightenment that our industrialized, profit-driven, meat-centric society constantly works to shroud.

I joined HappyCow Members Community because:

After visiting my aunt in Florence, Italy and worrying if any Italians would accept someone who did not eat Parmiggiano Reggiano, I wanted to inform other vegan travelers about the surprisingly wide array of vegetarian and vegan restaurants, both in Florence and around the world.

Here are some places I've been that I liked... and places that I would like to visit one day:

In the U.S., I love San Francisco, New York, Providence, Northampton, and obviously Madison. In Europe, my favorite country is undoubtedly Italy, with my home base in Florence. I've also greatly enjoyed the isle of Capri and Assisi. My next destinations include Amsterdam, Provence, New Zealand, Spain, Vancouver, Montreal, Boulder, Vermont, and Portland.

Some of my favorite veg*n foods include:

In my opinion, every vegan should have their personal "vegan triad:" their favorite whole grain, legume, and leafy green. My triad is barley, lacinato kale, and chickpeas. I'm also a huge advocate for the "meal salad," complete with a load of mixed vegetables, greens, beans, and a grain. My perfect salad accompaniment is the Liquid Gold Dressing featured in the book Becoming Vegan. I adore any roasted vegetable (especially root vegetables), tofu scrambles, and dried fruits. I love all vegetables except for peppers and kohlrabi and my favorite fruit is good Tuscan canteloupe or a honeycrisp apple.

Here are some books, movies, magazines, and my favorites that I would recommend to other HappyCow members:

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