Shawn’s grandmother had a pig farm in East Texas. When he was 15, he saw her slaughter one of the animals. That disturbing image bothered him for months, yet he spoke to no one about it since this routine was normal for his family. “It still sticks with me,” he says, ten years after the incident. So Shawn, like most Americans, was a carnivore. He expected meatless meals to be difficult. “That’s not how I was eating, growing up,” he explains about a vegetarian meal. “If it was easily accessible, people would eat more (plant-based foods),” he surmises.
Books and Movies That Impact Us
Siblings Monica Klausner and Mark Fachler can identify with Shawn. They were your average meat-eaters until a little more than a year ago when they read Dr. Colin Campbell’s book The China Study.
“It’s pretty mind-blowing,” says Monica about the fact-based evidence in favor of a vegan diet. “For me, it was about the scientific information,” Monica says about Dr. Campbell’s 20-year study of people in 65 counties in China.
The Cornell and MIT-trained Dr. Campbell was also featured prominently in the movie Forks Over Knives. Film Critic Roger Ebert said of the documentary, “Here is a film that could save your life. What every human being should do is eat a vegetarian diet based on whole foods. Period. That’s it. Animal protein is bad for you. Dairy is bad for you. Forget the ads.”
Monica and Mark were so impacted by the facts that they changed more than their diets. Mark was working as an investment banker in Mexico City. “I used to work 12 to 14 hour days so I ended up eating pizza, and terrible frozen foods full of preservatives.” The Costa Rican native quit his job, moved to Los Angeles, and stopped eating dairy and meat.
Monica, a mother of three, and marketing grad from the University of Texas in Austin joined him in the vegan lifestyle. Together, they opened up Veestro, an all-vegan online bistro that ships organic, non-GMO, preservative-free frozen meals all over the United States.
“A vegan lifestyle doesn’t mean you sacrifice taste. But a lot of people don’t have the options,” says Mark. “There’s nothing for them, so I said I’m going to start something for busy people like me and my sister, and those who don’t have access to healthy vegan food.”
Veestro’s executive chef has 30 years of experience in vegetarian cuisine. He grew up in a vegetarian household in South America. Among the most popular 100 percent, plant-based menu items are Red Curry Tofu with Vegetables and an Enchilada Casserole. Many of Veestro’s customers buy two to three weeks of meals at a time. All the dishes are shipped via Federal Express.
Need Some Help?
To people like Shawn, who may be vegetarian-curious, or uncomfortable about going meatless, Monica gives the following advice.
“Don’t be afraid to cut out a little at a time. It shouldn’t be difficult. And stop worrying about the protein — for sure. Just try it.”
Both the brother and sister vegan duo say they created their business as a quality food line to help make the transition or keep the vegan plates on the table. “It’s worth it. It’s easy, convenient, and affordable.”
For the current menu items, which change periodically, visit www.VEESTRO.com. To find vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Austin, check out VegansRockAustin.com; in other cities, visit VegGuide.org. For a vegetarian starter kit, log on to chooseveg.com and to learn about the inhumane treatment of animals in the meat and dairy industries, visit mercyforanimals.org