Interview with Veggie Deer, Taiwanese YouTuber: Changing Diets, Transforming the World

Driven by their commitment to the environment, Ono and Ruby, popular Taiwanese social media influencers, decided to change their diets and launched the YouTube channel "Veggie Deer" to promote plant-based living. Through diverse collaborations, they have inspired younger generation to embrace a sustainable, plant-based lifestyle.


Original Chinese text / Chen Tingchun (陳亭君)

Plant-based diets have become a popular trend in Taiwan in recent years, with many vegetarian restaurants becoming a popular choice for young people to gather. This trend has also brought YouTube channels advocating plant-based diets into the limelight. Among them is the popular channel, Veggie Deer, which has sparked curiosity among many of its audience: why did the two young hosts, Ono (小野) and Ruby (鹿比), choose to adopt a vegan diet, and what inspired them to devote themselves to the promotion of plant-based cuisine?


Discovering the truth about non-vegetarian ingredients

When sharing their transition from a meat-based diet to a plant-based one, Ono admitted that, like most people, he was used to omnivorous diets. For years, he lived close to a food court in the alley, yet he never noticed that there were several vegetarian restaurants around the corner. "I had never rejected eating vegetarian food, but there were so many choices that I would unconsciously overlook vegetarian eateries," he explained. 

For the sake of environmental protection, Ono and Ruby started to adopt plant-based diets. In the early stages of their dietary transition, the impression of "meat is delicious" would occasionally pop up in their mind because their bodies were so used to the taste of meat over the past few decades. However, after watching the documentaries Conspiracy: The Sustainability Secret and Seaspiracy, their perspectives were transformed while their confidence in abstaining from consuming meat was reinforced. "We realized that the environmental degradation caused by meat consumption is more damaging than that from transportation and industry. The carbon emissions from animal agriculture are much higher than that of any other sectors," they indicated.

They also reflected on the mentality of "meat craving," since farm animals are often portrayed as "freely and happily roaming in pastures." However, that image actually has no correlation with the thought that "meat is tasty." Ono stated, "Once you understand the reality behind meat consumption, you would naturally avoid eating meat whenever conditions allow." As a result, they decided to change their diet, gradually eliminating four-legged and two-legged animals, followed by seafood, and eventually eggs and milk from their diet. They worked step by step to become vegans.


Making vegetarian diets healthy and fun

As a result of embracing a vegan lifestyle, both of them gradually noticed changes in their bodies and minds. Ono shared, "As my digestion and bowel movements became smoother, my body felt less burdened. Moreover, my emotional control has improved in the past few years, with fewer unprovoked emotional outbursts." Ruby, who has been suffering from acne and pimples since junior high school, stated that "I used to be encouraged to drink more milk. Little did I know that I'm actually allergic to milk and eggs. As a result, my skin has been chronically inflamed for a prolonged period."

After becoming vegan, people around them often express concerns about their nutritional intake from plant-based diets. Ono and Ruby emphasized the importance of understanding and listening to our own bodies. "When being mindful of how you eat, not eating meat in turn will actually make you become more conscious of the nutrients you're getting." Ruby emphasized, "Whether you are a vegetarian or not, it's important to take responsibility for your own health."

In order to raise awareness about the benefits of vegetarian diets, as well as to change the long-established stereotypes of vegetarian cuisine as "greasy and high in starch," the pair initiated a filming project called "Let's Learn to Cook with a Chef" on their YouTube channel. Ono and Ruby traveled around Taiwan and invited different chefs onto the series to share their signature vegetarian or creative plant-based dishes. With their lively hosting style, Ono and Ruby hope to let the audience realize that being vegetarians can also be healthy and fun. 

To run such a filming project requires a high sensitivity to cooking. Being one of the hosts, Ruby's natural talents in culinary arts, along with her rich cooking experience, make the channel's content even more compelling. "My parents encouraged me to practice cooking from a young age. During high school, I loved watching cooking shows and rummaging the fridge to see how can I combine different ingredients to create meals," said Ruby. Thanks to this channel, Ruby's passion in culinary arts has been fully realized. On the other hand, Ono's unique insights about cuisine have made him not only the best companion and supporter of Ruby, but also the best taste tester. He explained, "the ingredients used in our videos need to be easily accessible to the public, taking into account local and seasonal availability; many new flavors are discovered through playful experimentations and explorations." 


Staying true to the original intention in the face of dissent

One video that skyrocketed the Veggie Deer channel's popularity was a demonstration of making "vegan chicken rice" with king oyster trumpet mushrooms. While this video drew many viewers to their channel, after the video was released, the comments section was filled with mixed opinions. Ruby pointed out, "There are people asking why not simply put king trumpet mushroom rice in the title? The reason is to spark curiosity and let people who are unfamiliar with plant-based diets discover that vegetarian dishes can be just as tasty and be encouraged to try them out." Ono added, "Although some people are criticizing us, being able to expose our channel to a wider group of audience is still a good thing. If our videos can inspire some viewers to try to prepare vegetarian dishes themselves, then these videos have served their purpose of promoting plant-based diets."

Ruby also watches non-vegetarian cooking shows to gain inspiration. "Turning the famous Wellington steak of Gordon Ramsay, head chief in "Hell's Kitchen," into a vegetarian dish is challenging in terms of ingredient substitutions and seasoning," said Ruby.

In addition, they also participated in activities related to vegetarianism such as the "No Meat Market." These events not only help broaden their horizons, but also allow them to connect with a lot of fellow vegetarians who share similar values. Through these gatherings, they exchange ideas on plant-based diets as well as cheer each other up. In the future, Ono and Ruby hope that "Veggie Deer" can serve as a bridge between different types of vegetarian diets, bringing together all vegetarians to prepare and enjoy delicious cuisine.

Over time, Ono and Ruby have never lost their initial aspiration of protecting the environment. They also realize that by living a better and healthier life and taking responsibility for their own consumption habits, they can inspire more people to believe that adopting plant-based diets is the right choice. As for the popular "flexitarian diets," Ono sees it as a positive start: "Approaching everything open-mindedly can open up a vastly different world."



Related articles:

Growth of Vegetarianism among the Young

Common Questions about Vegetarianism

Interview with Huang Yan-mei, the Volunteer Chef of DDM Yunlai Monastery

Interview with Veggie Deer, Taiwanese YouTuber: Changing Diets, Transforming the World

Interview with Ven. Yan Duan: Plant-based Diet as an Experiment for the Body & Mind



Resource: Issue 478 of Humanity Magazine (June 2023), Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Translation: Claire Wang, Li Siang-ling
Editing: Keith Brown