About TDIV

My name is Sarah Rose Levy and I’m a passionate food blogger based out of New Jersey. My team and I help readers determine whether or not certain foods and drinks are vegetarian and/or vegan. We also look at different restaurant chains to help you choose the best menu options for your diet.

We’ve been mentioned in many publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Huffington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Time, and CBS News. If you have a press inquiry, please contact us.

You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

My Story

My vegan journey started a bit like many other peoples – I dated one!

Ok, that may not be the same for everyone, and it wasn’t an overnight thing either. I used to think that giving up meat and dairy would be near impossible until my eyes were opened. 

I’ve been vegan for about 11 years now and I still get asked the question “why” by new friends and colleagues like I live some sort of alien life. The truth is, I ran out of excuses. I knew about some of the horrors of the world of animal testing, dairy production, and the meat industry but turned a blind eye.

It was when I found out about the dog meat markets in some parts of Asia that I got emotional. Once I dug a little deeper I found that not only could my conscience no longer deny the truth about how dogs are treated then the same had to be true for other animals. 

I thought it would be a difficult transition, But being vegan is easier than I expected.

Sure, having a partner who made delicious vegan meals made the transition easier, but it wasn’t long before I was making my vegan lasagne with lentils a-plenty, and thai green curry with chickpeas for protein instead of chicken.

I think we all love animals, so it is not surprising that many of my vegan friends are plant-based for ethical reasons, but I found the health benefits to be eye-opening.

I removed meat protein and dairy from my diet and started to take B12 supplements as I knew this would be difficult to get a lot of in a plant-based diet. Still, I have plenty of iron from the likes of broccoli, leafy greens, and lentils (I even managed to get used to the texture of tofu after a while), I found I could concentrate better, and had more brain energy. I’m not one to life-hack myself like some of the other health-conscious people out there, but there was a noticeable difference.

I was a fair-weather cycling enthusiast who made an excuse to not get on the bike, but going vegan made mornings easier; With more get up and go, I found time for a cycle before work, something I am still trying to maintain to this day. Although feeling more alert did lead to me giving up coffee for a short while when I believed I no longer needed it (turned out to be a huge mistake!).

When I first turned vegan, there was not exactly an abundance of options out of the house. But in little over 10 years I have been pleasantly surprised by the changes made in supermarkets and indeed coffee shops. 

Now that I can ask for oat milk in my latte (that’s my go-to) pretty much anywhere I go, although not every independent coffee shop will stock it. There is still some awareness to be had out there.

As a regular in the gym, I have also been pleased by some of the plant-based protein powders available. They are a real lifesaver as I do like to get a sweat on and hit the weights. Being vegan hasn’t stopped me from living how I usually live, I just do things a little differently. 

Get $50 OFF!

Limited Time Only
close-link