Dianne Wenz, VLC, HHC, AADP is a Holistic Health Counselor, Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Plant-Based Nutrition Specialist. Dianne lives in New Jersey, where she runs the busy MeetUp group Montclair Vegans. Through the group she hosts monthly potlucks, runs charity bake sales, and organizer guest speaker events. An avid cook and baker, Dianne also teaches cooking classes to local clients, and she loves crafts and cats. Visit Dianne at her website and blog, VeggieGirl.com
Chic Vegan: How long have you been a vegan?
I went vegetarian in 1992 and vegan in 2001.
Chic Vegan: Who or what inspired you to make the change to a vegan lifestyle?
I went vegetarian because I was never comfortable with eating animals. As a child I didn’t understand why cats and dogs were pets and cows and pigs were food. As soon as I realized that there was such a thing as a vegetarian, I decided to give it a try.
One day I was at a salad bar that I frequently went to for lunch, and as I reached for a hard-boiled egg to add to my salad, I suddenly realized what it really was and I was horrified. It was kind of an “aha moment”, and I gave up eating eggs, but I didn’t give up products that contained eggs, such as baked goods and some pastas just yet. I later went fully vegan about a year or so later when I learned about the horrors of the dairy and egg industry.
Chic Vegan: If you could give someone who’s thinking of going vegan advice, what would you say?
Helping people go vegan is part of what I do as a vegan health and lifestyle coach, so I give this type of advice all of the time! I encourage people to go vegan slowly and add focus on what they can eat rather than what they can’t. I tell people not to beat themselves up if they’ve made mistakes, because it happens to everyone. I also encourage people to find a vegan community in their area, because I think it’s important to have the support of friends and the knowledge that there are like-minded people in the world.
Chic Vegan: Let’s talk beauty. What’s your favorite cruelty-free product?
It’s really hard to for me to pick a favorite of anything! I’m a fan of Arbonne’s products. I use a lot of their makeup and skin care products. I like No Miss nail polish, and I just bought a Lippy Girl lipstick that I really like.
Chic Vegan: Where are the best vegan bargains for groceries?
I like to shop at Trader Joe’s to save money on vegan staples such as canned beans, tofu, pasta, salad dressings, etc. I like to go to Asian and Indian markets for inexpensive spices, dried beans and rice. They usually have fun and unusual items that aren’t available in mainstream stores. The bulk bins at Whole Foods are another good place to find bargains on items like dried beans, grains and nuts. I also occasionally buy things like nutritional yeast and soy curls in bulk from Amazon.
