WANDER / SPRING 19 / EAT WELL
Olivia Biermann is the creator of Liv B, a cooking channel for people who want to make delicious vegan food but don’t want to spend a lot of time or money doing it. Olivia does everything from coming up with the recipes to filming and also being on camera herself, and her audience (over 640,000 subscribers!) is made of up both vegans and those who might call themselves “veg-curious.” Residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, her first book, Liv B’s Vegan on a Budget, has quickly become a staple here at Wander! We spoke with Olivia about the challenge of going vegan and how to eat well on the road.
What do you think are the biggest challenges for people wanting to go vegan? Not knowing what to eat/how to cook for themselves. This is where I come in! I love showing people how easy and delicious vegan food can be. wander-mag.com
What do people tell you are the biggest positive changes they feel or notice after going vegan? It depends - a lot of people notice they have more energy and don’t feel as heavy after meals. Some people lose the extra weight, some people notice their skin clears up. I also notice people saying they feel happier because they are eating in alignment with their values (for example, if they are an animal lover, they don’t feel underlying guilt about eating animals anymore). Do you feel the East Coast of Canada has embraced plant-based eating? Getting there! There are new vegan restaurants popping up all the time and more and more existing restaurants have vegan options or even a separate vegan menu. It's great! Your YouTube videos are amazing! Do you do your own editing? I do! Always have, since the beginning. I have improved a lot since my first videos!! 24
IMAGES: ©BRILYNN FERGUSON
Can you share tips or tricks for eating vegan while traveling? If you can bring food with you, do it! Especially for road trips. Make some snacks or portable meals that don’t need refrigeration. For traveling internationally, there is an app called Happy Cow that tells you all the vegan or vegan-friendly spots in whatever place you are in! I also always try to find a grocery store wherever I go because you can pick up items like fruit, crackers, nuts, granola bars, etc. that are vegan. Also - just ask! If you are eating somewhere, ask the server or chef which items are or can be made vegan. Sometimes you need to order a bunch of sides or make modifications to a meal, but nowadays people are very accommodating.
