How to Go Vegan With Blogger Caitlin Shoemaker

Caitlin Shoemaker is the creator of the popular vegan blog From My Bowl, a YouTube channel with more than half a million subscribers, and a welcoming online community for vegans.

When she’s not practicing yoga or walking outdoors, you can find Shoemaker developing new plant-based recipes using her favorite products from Thrive Market. Below, she shares her advice on how to go vegan, stay vegan, and love every minute of it.

When did you become vegan, and why?

I went vegan in July of 2015, mostly for the animals. I was interested in plant-based cooking for one or two years prior for both health and environmental reasons, but learning the truth about factory farming and the dairy and egg industries is what really convinced me to commit to this lifestyle.

What was the most challenging aspect of switching to a vegan diet?

Honestly, it wasn’t hard for me at all! I was vegetarian before, but was already slowly cutting out my dairy and egg consumption for health reasons. At first, I decided to attempt to go vegan for one week (I thought I was going to miss my Greek yogurt and over-easy eggs too much), but after three days, I realized how easy it was and knew I could do it indefinitely! I think it helps to have the mindset of variety, not restriction. Don’t think of all the non-vegan foods that you can’t eat, but instead think of the wide variety of fruits, vegetables, starches, grains, and spices that you can play around with in your kitchen!

What are your top three tips for someone who’s interested in being vegan?

Transition at a pace that works best for you.
Don’t get caught up in the fad vegan diets—listen to your body!
And find a few vegan recipes that you absolutely love that can become regular rotations in your kitchen. I love making my One Pot Mushroom Stroganoff or “Cheesy” Broccoli Rice Casserole.

What’s your vegan guilty pleasure?

The Thrive Market Vanilla Cinna-Yum Granola is SO addicting. I have to add that and a sneaky bar or two of chocolate to every order. I use it as a crunchy topper on my smoothie bowls, chia pudding, and non-dairy yogurt bowls, or just eat it by the handful.

What are your favorite vegan essentials that you buy from Thrive Market, and how do you use them?

I use Thrive Market to stock up on pretty much all of my vegan staples, including nuts, seeds, flours, beans, and sweeteners! I particularly love to use the Thrive Market Goods nuts, nut butters, and coconut sugar in my baked goods and desserts.

What is your #1 tip for shopping success on Thrive Market?

Be on the lookout for sales and deals of the day, and don’t shy away from the Thrive Market-branded products! I’ve never been disappointed with them, and you usually save a little extra money on them versus brand names, too.

As a vegan, what do you find most useful about shopping Thrive Market?

Thrive carries all of my favorite vegan pantry staples, and I love how I can filter for vegan products with just one click of a button!