TPP 044: Dustin Harder

Travel and veganism can seem like an impossible compromise. When we travel, we want to experience and feel the culture that we immerse ourselves into locally. That often means eating local food. Travel also means discovery and open mindedness. So how is that compatible with sticking to your convictions around eating, especially when you refrain from animal products. We know that lots of places in the world use animal ingredients in their traditional cooking so how can you travel and experience the real thing, without breaking veganism? Dustin Harder, the "Vegan Roadie," has answers for all of these questions. Initially motivated by health, his vegan journey pushed him to combine his passion for entertainment, stemming from his work as an actor, with his love for food. Dustin ended up going to culinary school in between two acting jobs and then decided to take it all on the road. The Vegan Roadie was born - a YouTube travel show, in the style of the Foodnetwork show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, explores vegan options at vegan and non vegan places across the country. In his latest season, Dustin took it across the pond to Italy. We talk about the cultural obstacles of this adventures and we chat about how to overcome family resistance in your own home. Dustin is deeply inspiring as he brings together two of his biggest passions. And ultimately, he conveys the joy and deliciousness of eating plants in the most accessible way. Stay tuned for his latest cookbook, Epic Vegan, hitting the shelves this July (click on the link to pre order) and find his best easy recipes in his first cookbook, The Simply Vegan Cookbook.