Have you ever been curious about the meatless lifestyle and don't know where to start? Lucky for you, my friend Soumya Agrawal (@foodveggie) and I, Deanna Troy Travels (@deanna_troy_travels), have started a brand new podcast called Sprouts and Spill, where we dive into vegan, vegetarian, plant-based and meatless foods and lifestyles. The theme of this podcast is to spill the tea on the sprouts. Whether you're vegetarian, vegan or just meatless-curious, everyone is welcome to listen and learn as we explore topics of non-dairy, sustainable practices, the best meatless proteins and more!

In future episodes, we will interview very special guests from all over Connecticut sharing their stories of opening plant-based businesses, running vegan restaurants and more!

In the first episode above, Soumya Agrawal and Deanna Henry begin by introducing their plant-based diet origin stories.

Our Stories

Soumya grew up in India, so she's been vegetarian her whole life. Being vegetarian in India is completely normal and deeply rooted in the country’s culture and traditions. India has one of the largest vegetarian populations in the world, with vegetarianism influenced by religions such as Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. In many parts of the country, vegetarian food is not treated as a special alternative, it’s simply part of everyday life. Soumya's whole family is vegetarian as well. In this podcast, we discuss how her family has found vegetarian food over the years as they've come to visit Soumya in the states.

My journey to vegetarianism began in 2019 after I was diagnosed with gout, which was triggered by an ankle injury I sustained while backpacking through Southeast Asia. Gout is a form of arthritis caused by high levels of uric acid in the body, which can form painful crystals in the joints and lead to intense pain, swelling, redness and tenderness, sometimes lasting for an entire week.

After I received my diagnosis, I realized I needed to make some major changes to my diet. I began avoiding many of the foods and drinks that can contribute to elevated uric acid levels, particularly meat, seafood and alcohol, and decided to embrace a vegetarian lifestyle. Between changing my diet and completing three rounds of physical therapy, my ankles eventually returned to normal. I haven’t experienced a major flare-up since.

Hot Topics

Eggs and Milk

Soumya and I also debate whether drinking milk and eating eggs is ethical in the sense of animal welfare. We decided that although it is vegetarian, it mostly depends on where you purchase the items. Most eggs and milk in grocery stores are obtained through nonethical practices. It's best to purchase from local farms where you know the animals are being treated fairly.

Protein

One misconception about vegan and vegetarian diets is that you can't get enough protein. We discuss how various beans, lentils, soy-based products and even many vegetables contain protein. When I was in college, I took a nutrition course and learned that broccoli had protein. I couldn't believe it. We also discussed how you mostly have to worry about nutrients such as iron and B12, rather than protein intake. One tip I gave is to incorporate nutritional yeast into your diet for a great source of B12.

Travel

Another misconception with a plant-based lifestyle is that traveling is difficult. As you all know from this blog, I find vegan food for my husband on every trip we attend. In fact, I have nine videos highlighting vegan food in various cities from around the world. For Soumya, she used to have difficulty finding vegetarian food when her family visited her in America around 2015. However, she says now the options have gotten much better! Using apps like Happy Cow or reading blogs such as mine is a great way to find plant-based options wherever you go.

Future Episodes

We are so excited for this podcast! We have already filmed interviews with many fabulous plant-based Connecticut business owners. Please reach out if you would like to be interviewed at the West Hartford Town Hall for this show (email sproutsandspill@gmail.com)

Make sure you subscribe to the Deanna Troy Travels YouTube Channel, turn on the notifications for the channel (with the bell icon) and save the Sprouts and Spill Video Playlist so you're updated when our next episode drops!

Follow the Sprouts and Spill social media pages

https://www.instagram.com/sproutsandspill

https://www.tiktok.com/@sproutsandspill

A huge thank you to the West Hartford Community Interactive Studio for filming and editing our episodes! Click their link to learn more about their fabulous studio!