In Latin, amo means, “love,” and vore means, “to eat.” Many who follow a plant-based diet start out with great intentions – they make a conscious decision to change their entire way of life due to a love and compassion for animals, a desire for better health, an interest in new and delicious foods, or an appreciation for our beautiful planet.
But these good intentions are often misinterpreted by families and friends, because not everyone is ready to instantly change their ways of life, their learned behaviors, and their cultural understanding of and spiritual relationship with food and sustainability. These changes can feel like huge challenges that some are not interested in rising to meet. Not everyone even wants to know what’s actually going on, or how inhumanely their food is being produced, or why so many people are choosing to eliminate animal products from their diets. The tension created can often lead to isolation and opposition. The dinner table, once a place where family and friends shared laughter and joy, and created happy memories, can become a battlefield. Luckily, there are easy ways to bridge the gap so that everyone can continue to enjoy food, and each other…perhaps, even more so than before.
A vegan lifestyle is rooted in compassion and empathy, not just for animals, but for each other. Change takes time. During times of change, appreciating differences and making compromises are so important. I’ll tell you more about my personal journey as I go, but briefly, I became a vegetarian when I was a teenager, and didn’t transition to a vegan diet until I was encouraged by supportive friends while I was attending law school, 10 years later. I have been following a plant-based diet for over 13 years, but this space isn’t about vegan or non-vegan, or any particular label for that matter.
This is simply a place for everyone, no matter where you are on your own personal journey, to share stories, facts, questions, and most important, food, glorious food! It is my hope that it will inspire creative recipes for people of all cultures, backgrounds, and eating habits, and will thereby lead to a greater understanding and a deeper love for one another.
Amovore is for the love of food, family, friends, plants, animals, health, happiness, and the relationships among all of them! Bon appetit! ♥
