Most people I know, myself included, believe the ideal diet is best achieved through a process of elimination. We’re focused on all the things no longer on the menu. I found this to be especially true as a recently converted vegan. Just as eating was starting to become a chore, fate intervened and I met a woman who is positively vegan.
Kelly White Phillips of Living on the Vedge focuses on the can haves of veganism, not the can’t haves. As a child, it was a keen sense of compassion for animals that led to abstaining from meat. As an adult, she fell in love with a chef and, in turn, cooking. Her heightened awareness of food, its politics, and health ultimately led to veganism.
Since she started cooking vegan, Phillips has been eating more diversely than ever before, seldom settling for the same thing two days in a row. Her focus is never about what she can’t have, but rather, all the things she can. In her kitchen vinegars, oils and spices are essential. (Did you know that coconut oil is good for baking, while olive oil is not?) For snacks Phillips relies on the healthy fats of avocados and the versatile nature of butter spreads and cashew cheese. There are challenges to vegan cooking, of course. Ingredients can be more expensive and the process of creating a meal can be time consuming. For Phillips, however, it’s well worth it.
The food on Phillips’ site is presented like art. The images are colorful and full of texture. Her recipes are unintimidating and easy to follow. With all this it’s hard to imagine eating vegan as anything less than satisfying. Still, the word has a negative connotation.
Phillips believes that this is in part due to a general lack of nutrition education in the US. It also has to do with long-standing beliefs about what is and is not healthy when it comes to food. One of the most common misconceptions vegans face is that a meatless diet cannot be healthy. This, of course, is simply not true. The iron and protein in meat can easily be replaced with lentils and leafy greens. The vitamins most readily found in meat and animal products can be found in supplements. The vegan diet, like all others, is about balance.
Phillips’ transition to veganism was made easier because of the support of her husband and family. She’s happy to share that since adopting the lifestyle, she’s converted several carnivorous family members. This conversion occurred because Phillips broached the subject in a friendly, non-judgmental way. She encourages other vegans to speak of their choice in honest, simple terms and to include humor when possible.
Phillips’ love of food is not solely contained with her kitchen. She has a fondness for Thai food (anything spicy) and frequents veggie haunts throughout the city. Her favorite vegan spot in Philadelphia is Vedge Restaurant (1221 Locust Street). She believes there is a demand for vegan dining in Philadelphia and looks forward to offering some options of her own once her husband completes his coursework in hospitality management.
Whether she’s whipping up a masterpiece in the comfort of her home or enjoying the fruits of someone else’s labor, Philips’ outlook on food is never about deprivation or elimination. Her plate is overflowing and her glass is half-full; something we could all use a taste of.
