How I Became Vegetarian

Exploring creativity, compassion, and the small everyday wonders that make life meaningful.

My journey to becoming vegetarian started five years ago, in 2020.

Like many meaningful changes in life, my shift toward vegetarianism didn’t come from a single dramatic moment. It grew quietly, over time, born of curiosity, compassion, and one unexpected story that landed in my heart and never really left.

Ahhh, 2020—those strange, suspended months of COVID when the world felt both frightening and strangely still. With so much happening outside, I found myself turning inward—reading more, thinking more, paying closer attention to what truly mattered to me. That’s when I discovered a docuseries from the Food Revolution Network, founded by John Robbins and his son, Ocean.

John’s calm sincerity drew me in immediately. His message wasn’t political or pushy; it was simply honest. As I continued watching, my awareness of factory farming deepened in a way I hadn’t expected. I had always loved animals, but suddenly I was seeing connections I had never allowed myself to fully acknowledge. It was as if a portal in my mind flew wide open. It wasn’t guilt that stirred in me so much as clarity.

The moment that truly changed something in me was hearing John’s personal story.

He was the son of one of the co-founders of Baskin-Robbins—yes, that Baskin-Robbins, the iconic ice cream empire. He had been expected to step into the family business, inherit the brand, and continue the legacy. Instead, he walked away from all of it because he didn’t want to build a life around products he no longer felt aligned with. He chose a different path—one rooted in health, compassion, and truth.

Something about that choice—its courage, its simplicity—stayed with me.

I later read Diet for a New America, John’s groundbreaking book, and it gently pulled back the curtain on things I had never fully understood. It wasn’t a lecture. It didn’t make me feel judged or pressured. It simply offered information and invited me to listen to my own conscience. And I did.

Slowly, quietly, I began to make changes.
One meal at a time.
One choice at a time.
One small shift after another.

By the time I realized what was happening, I was already living as a vegetarian—not because I was trying to be perfect, but because I wanted my everyday actions to reflect the compassion I had always felt.

Even now, years later, I think back to that docuseries and to John’s voice—steady, kind, unassuming. John passed away earlier this year, but Ocean has continued his work with such grace and conviction that it feels like the torch was passed exactly where it belonged.

Today, being a vegetarian feels less like a label and more like a quiet expression of who I am. I don’t expect anyone else to follow my path. But I do believe that when something in your heart whispers, “This might be the right direction,” it’s worth listening.

What started as curiosity became a shift in perspective. And that shift became a way of living that feels true to me—gentle, compassionate, aligned.

A Note About Recipes
Occasionally, I’ll share with you a vegetarian recipe that I make and enjoy. While I didn’t create these recipes from scratch, I’ve adapted them over time based on what I’ve learned, adjusted, and preferred. The versions I share reflect my own notes, substitutions, and small tweaks — the ones that finally made the recipe feel just right to me.

With so many versions of any given recipe floating around, my hope is to offer a starting place that feels approachable and tested.

🥕 A Simple Vegetarian Recipe to Try

This is one of the first vegetarian recipes I truly fell in love with — not because it was “vegetarian,” but because it was comforting, forgiving, and deeply satisfying.

Spinach Quiche

Ingredients

½ cup butter

1 small onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained

1 (6 ounce) package feta, plain or flavored, crumbled

1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

salt and pepper to taste

1 deep-dish (9-inch) pie crust

4 large eggs

1 cup milk (I usually use oat milk, but cow's milk also works.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Melt butter in a medium skillet. Add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until lightly browned, about 7 minutes.

Stir in thawed spinach, mushrooms, feta, and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon mixture into pie crust.

Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the egg mixture over the spinach mixture in the pie crust, allowing it to thoroughly combine with the spinach mixture. [Note: There will be more liquid than fits. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the pie crust on it before pouring the egg mixture into the spinach mixture, as there will probably be spillage.]

Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining Cheddar and bake until it is set in the center, 35 to 40 minutes longer.

Allow to cool before slicing and serving, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Thank you for being here as I share this part of my journey.

If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow along and see where this journey leads.