Hi! My name is Tara. I’m so glad you are here because that means you have an interest in some form of meatless eating! Whether you are brand new to cutting out meat, or are a plant-based veteran, we are all here with one common goal. To reap the benefits of a plant-based diet. Maybe for you that is for disease prevention, reducing your environmental impact, weight loss, better blood sugar control, improved sleep, or mood or simply to save the animals. It might even be to save money or improve your athletic performance. Whatever the reason, I am really glad you found My Vegetarian Family! With so many more of you stopping by the blog, I thought it was a good time to tell the story of how I got here.
Tara’s Tuesday Tips:
How I Got Here
I started this blog in 2017 with one simple goal. To teach others how easy it is to live meat-free. I will openly admit, launching the blog wasn’t easy for me. I had a mission not to endorse or sell any products or services on the blog, and I was also firm on managing every aspect of the blog myself. From the website building to the research, content creation, cooking, recipe testing, photographing, and social media management. At the time, I was working full time as a nurse practitioner and had two teenagers at home. Needless to say, it wasn’t easy, and the startup was slow. I enrolled in blogging, nutrition, and food photography classes and just kept plugging away.
Fast forward to 2023 and 500+ blog posts later. Our two MVF teenagers are off to college, our new MVF house got an awesome kitchen upgrade, and our meat-free eating + living has evolved thanks to years of research, recipe experimenting, networking, living + learning. The tech part of blogging has gotten way easier as I am slowly becoming an IT expert 😊. Mr. MVF is the official taste-tester of everything that ever makes it to the blog. His dinner sometimes gets cold as I snap that last, perfect photo before he can eat.
As the comments, testimonials, emails, and success stories come in via the blog, I am driven to continue to write, create recipes, and research to help my readers interpret complex nutritional information, and easily adopt any level of a plant-based lifestyle.
Why Should You Listen To What I Have To Say?
Honesty
I remain faithful to my commitment to not endorse any products or services on the blog. I don’t accept any free products, and I am not paid to promote anyone else’s message or brand. Everything on this site is here because I am passionate about good food that comes from good places. Above all, I only use products that I have researched and trust enough to feed my family and thereby make honest recommendations to my readers.
Science
With a doctorate degree in nursing, I am a scientist first and foremost. The science of food, disease prevention, using food and lifestyle to promote health + longevity fascinate me. I have over 20 years of clinical experience. I have diagnosed, treated, and managed all types of acute and chronic illnesses. Being a nurse practitioner has made me realize the incredible ability of food to prevent, treat, and even reverse illness is so underutilized and misunderstood. My background in science + medicine has a lot to do with how I got here.
Research
As the content creator of everything you will ever read on this food blog, rest assured, I have done my homework before ever publishing any recipe or tips. I have the gift of being able to use my research skills and comb through studies and articles. That being said, this skill helps me break down the data and help my readers understand and apply that data to everyday living, cooking, and eating.
Food IS Medicine
(and so much more!)
Over the course of the last 4 years, my mission has become clearer. Food is medicine. Food is also fuel. I will always use my little piece of the internet to help spread the word about that. However, food is also so much more. Food should taste good and be something we enjoy, share, and celebrate. What you see here on MyVegetarianFamily.com is the blending of those two super important concepts.
We REALLY ARE Living Proof
The stuff you see on this blog. It’s real. The food you see here, we eat. In addition, we do the things I write about in my Tuesday Tips, we prioritize health + wellness + honesty over anything else. Firstly, we are of ideal weight and muscle mass, and we eat A LOT of real food that we cook ourselves. Secondly, we are plant-powered athletes, and guess what? We are not anemic or protein-deprived! Above all, we always strive to maintain healthy balance in our diet. We do eat carbs, we enjoy the occasional vegan milkshake, cookie, or bag of chips without any regret.
A Few Fun Facts About Me
- I am a classic type A all the way. Not a surprise. Perfection to my own peril. Never stopping.
- Running is my therapy, my healthy addiction, my passion. I run because I can + I love every second of every run. Yep, it is really true.
- Two of my favorite quotes: “the goal is not to be better than the other person, but your previous self” and “if you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito”.
- I love whales. Will travel to see whales. All shapes and sizes welcome.
- Want to see me happy? Take me to the beach.
- With 21 marathons and 29 half marathons on the record, I look forward to many more with Mr. MVF by my side. I passionately believe that being plant-based has made us better athletes.
Do You Want More? Start Here:
Food For Thought
As with anything I write on this blog … I am a doctorate prepared nurse practitioner. However, I am not your doctor. Consult your health care provider prior to any diet, lifestyle, or medication changes.
First of all, start slow, the small changes stack up to big results. As always, reach out to me any time, tara@myvegetarianfamily.com.
Do you want to see my daily food journey? Follow me on Instagram @myvegetarianfamily.
All the best,
Tara 💚
update July 2023
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