If you’re into vegan food and fitness, Giuseppe’s page will have you scrolling and scrolling. From his recipe videos to restaurant reviews, fitness tips, and veg humour, his positive energy and passion will make anyone smile!
Giuseppe is on a culinary crusade to inspire the way we all think and eat – for the better. Read on!
HC: Please share a bit about your story + describe a day in your life!
G: Hello! I’m Giuseppe, 25 and from Staffordshire – I’m a plant-based foodie that shares simple and delicious recipes on my Instagram @sepps_eats. I started sharing photos of what I eat when I went plant-based over 6 years ago, and then it developed into a passion and fun way to express myself creatively with easy recipe videos. A typical day starts around 7am, I head to the gym for an hour or so, then get started with my day, whether that’s planning recipes, filming, or heading into the office.
HC: What does veganism mean to you? When, why, and how did you make the switch?
G: My opinion on veganism is quite controversial. Originally, I wanted the entire world to go vegan and thought that would happen by telling people about animal cruelty. But after working in the industry for 5 years, I’ve realised that most people don’t really become motivated by this, they become inspired by delicious food that happens to be plant-based. I don’t think the world will go vegan anytime soon, but we can encourage people to reduce their consumption and make wise choices. To me, veganism is just doing your best at the time, and for many people that might not be eating a 100% plant-based diet.
I made the switch in 2016 after doing lots of research into health, after my Dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. It came as a huge shock because as a family we thought we ate relatively healthy. After doing a lot of research, I found out that red and processed meat are classed as carcinogens and that they significantly increase your risk of colon cancer. Fortunately my Dad managed to recover and mid way through treatment adopted a plant-based diet and he, alongside my Mum and sister, are also plant-based! It was difficult at first but doing it all together definitely made it a lot easier. We’re all quite experimental in the kitchen so enjoyed the process of veganising our favourite dishes, including many Italian classics like lasagna and bolognese!
HC: Can you share a bit about how your fitness journey ties back to veganism?
G: I’ve always been into health and fitness. When I first went vegan a lot of people would ask me where I got my protein from, which was one of the main drivers for starting the page. I used to attach an image of the macronutrient profile of all the dishes I posted to literally show people the amount of protein in each dish, so when people asked me, I’d say “Look, this is where I get my protein!”
HC: People have always been taught that animal products are the top sources of protein. How would you challenge this opinion?
G: I always point back to the science – all protein originally comes from plants. Whether you’re eating a chicken breast, or a steak, that animal got the protein from plants! So plants contain all the essential amino acids we (and all other animals) need to survive. It may be a little more convenient in today’s society to buy a steak, but getting enough protein from plants is absolutely doable, and much healthier too!
HC: What are your top 3 favourite sources of plant protein?
G: Tofu and Tempeh are definitely in the top two spots, just because they’re so versatile, full of nutrients, and relatively healthy and unprocessed. The third spot would be some general meat alternatives such as vegan mince which is great for pasta dishes or stir fry’s, vegan chicken pieces (Heura and Oumph! are my favourite), and more recently Omni Foods‘ new vegan tuna which is so good!
HC: You’re clearly a foodie! What’s your favourite thing to cook?
G: Coming from an Italian background I love to cook any type of pasta dish, but lately I’m really loving anything with miso, so my miso butter mushroom pasta is definitely up there. But also Korean fried tofu or anything with gochujang!
HC: What advice would you give to a new or aspiring vegan?
G: Don’t rush into it! As cliché as it sounds, it is a journey, and most people have eaten all sorts of animal products for their entire lives, so changing that all in one go can be daunting and difficult. I always say make simple swaps to start, find a plant-based milk alternative that you like, or three! I use soy for cereal and smoothies, oat for coffee/hot drinks, and also almond milk when I fancy!
Remind yourself of why you are doing it – Do you want to be healthier? Reduce your carbon footprint? Or don’t like what happens in the meat and dairy industry? For me it’s all three! But if you remind yourself of why you want to do it, you’ll find it a lot easier to stay on track.
Don’t be afraid to slip up, everyone makes mistakes, and you don’t have to be perfect, just do your best!
Veganise your favourite dishes. Like pasta bolognese? Make a vegan one and try a few recipes until you love it just as much as the original! Love Mac n Cheese? Well you’ll have to give it up because vegan cheese is terrible… just kidding, there’s tonnes of great vegan cheeses out there now, my favourite is smoked applewood!
I like to stick to an 80/20 rule when it comes to my diet: 80% is made up of healthy, whole plant-based foods, so lots of fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, whole grain pastas/rices/breads, pulses, etc. And the other 20% includes the more processed foods that I like to enjoy occasionally – the burgers, cheeses, ice creams etc!
Check out my page @sepps_eats for delicious plant-based recipes, and the occasional collab with my Nonna!
We hope you enjoyed reading this Q&A! For more vegan stories, interviews, tips, guides, and recipes, make sure to follow HappyCow on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter. If you’re looking to find vegan food near you, at any time and place, get the free HappyCow app.
Please note: happycow.net occasionally offers health, fitness, and nutritional information solely for educational purposes. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice.