About Me
Hi, I’m Reagan! I’ve been vegan for over eight years and recently graduated from the University of Florida with my bachelors degree in Public Relations.
I have been deeply connected with and passionate about nature and animals since I was a little girl (or mermaid/monkey-in-training). I grew up on the island of Key West, where I spent my days catching snakes and iguanas, swinging through trees, snorkeling with sharks, and starting wild colonies of Madagascar Day Geckos. So, when I ran up to my parents my freshman year of highschool and proclaimed “I’m going vegan!”
… it didn’t come as much of a surprise.
How I learned to Cook
While cooking and recipe creation come natural and are enjoyable for me now, it wasn’t always that way. Growing up three hours away from main civilization on a rock recognized for being a sea-food-lovers paradise has its perks – but plant-based food options was not one of them.
Unfortunately, the fish-focused menus weren’t my only obstacle: I was not only the lone vegan of my four family members, but out of all 1,000 kids that attended my high school. This landed me the nickname “Reagan the Vegan” (even though it doesn’t rhyme if you pronounce my name correctly, but I guess it was close enough).
What I didn’t realize at the time was that these challenges ended up creating the ideal circumstances for me to develop, hone and experiment with the art of cooking different plant-based cuisines. Being the only vegan of the household, I was inadvertently forced to become dependent on myself if I wanted to eat WHAT I WANTED to eat. Thankfully, with some guidance on the culinary basics from my mom and a desire to live in alignment with my values and become the happiest, healthiest version of myself – I quickly mastered the art of cooking plants (saving the animals exclusively for petting and playing).
The purpose of Veg Outlook
I started Veg Outlook to help current, new, and aspiring vegans with all the tips and tricks I’ve gathered the past 8 years while cooking and eating out as a vegan. I hope to share everything I wish I would’ve known sooner about cooking and nutrition to help make my transition away from the traditional American diet as easy as possible, such as:
- Easy Vegan Meals
- Cooking Tips & Tricks
- Plant-Based Recipe Inspiration
- High-Protein Options
- How to Eat Out as a Vegan
- Best Vegan Options at Popular Restaurant Chains
- Vegan Snack Ideas
- Best Vegan Brands/Products
- Accidentally-vegan options you can find at your local grocery store
- How to quickly check a label to see if something’s Vegan
- The art of Meal-Prepping
…The list goes on!
I can’t wait to share more recipes!
I will be updating my website to include full, in-depth recipes with exact measurements and cooking instructions in the near future so that all of you can recreate any of the recipes I’ve posted! Some additions I eventually plan on providing as my platform grows are vegan grocery lists, weekly meal plans with recipes included, and tips on how to eat plant-based and healthy on a budget.