Last spring, “Seaspiracy” came out on Netflix, addressing the environmental and humanitarian price of seafood. Around the same time, New York City’s Eleven Madison Park announced it would reopen 100% vegan: unprecedented for a Three Michelin Star restaurant. And in a village in France, another restaurant named ONA won its own Michelin Star—the country’s first-ever vegan restaurant to do so.

In April, Epicurious, one of America’s flagship food sites, announced it would cease featuring beef across the site, citing environmental reasons. And Bon Appétit, after a massive company overhaul, hired its first vegan chef, Chrissy Tracey.

In this interview, we sat down with Tracey to discuss how her Jamaican roots influence her cuisine, where she draws inspiration for recipe development, and—most importantly—how she continues to stay positive amid the sea changes of our world.

“I want people to understand that plant-based eating can be fun, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. Most recipes I create use pantry staples or ingredients that can be easily located at chains like Stop & Shop or ShopRite. I think it’s imperative to keep them accessible. Do I like to think outside of the box and get fancy and creative at times? Yes, but that’s typically more for my enjoyment and to show that plant-based can be delicate, fancy, and luxurious.

My audience isn’t looking for vegan content per se. [I want to] encourage them to think outside of the box and have conversations. I am a DM away for people who are inquisitive, and always happy to help others on their journey.

Everything in life is about balance, positivity, and being able to be empathetic to people who may not always be like-minded. I love to make recipes like my fried oyster mushrooms and collard greens because I know that people like fried foods. No, it’s not always the healthiest, but the point is to show people that vegan food can truly be delicious and mouthwatering. I am constantly tinkering in the kitchen, trying to veganize recipes that people traditionally know and love, and I have a lot of fun with it.”

“I have been a creative free spirit since I was a child. I always had lofty dreams, goals, and aspirations, all connected to creativity and my passions around art. My creative journey started with art—my dad is an artist, actually, so I kind of innately had that talent inside. It helped me to make sense of the world and continues to do so. I used to run a mud pie factory in my backyard growing up. I’d use earth elements such as wild onions to make stews, and I had so much fun with it. I have never looked back since then—I knew I wanted to be a chef. I was always begging to be in the kitchen with my mother and learned a lot of cooking techniques from my neighbor’s mother, who would cook a lot of traditional Argentinian foods.

Plant-based was an easy focus for me because I was raised vegetarian. As I grew up, my purpose became different, and I started to think of plant-based as a more ethical and environmental way of life.”

“By ethical, I mean that you are improving the symbiotic relationship between mankind, animals, and our planet. Everybody wins. Life becomes less about you and more about a shared relationship and respect for others, which should always be the common goal.

It’s easy if you put your desires aside and focus on the greater good for both humanity and the animals. But it’s not easy when you put your own [wants first]. As with anything else, though, I believe that everything has its time and that if you don’t understand your ‘why’ behind the decision to reduce or eliminate animal products, then you’re probably going to have a hard time sticking to the plant-based lifestyle.

For me, my parents became vegan six years ago and tried to encourage me to do the same; however, I struggled because I wanted the cheese pizza when the craving hit, I wanted to have an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. But as I learned more while researching the dairy industry and the animal cruelty that got swept under the rug and was often ignored, I had to make a change. I won’t ever be a hypocrite and say I don’t miss the flavors of dairy, because I do. But I made an active choice that embodies a lot of who I am, and I haven’t felt happier or healthier since. It’s been 2.5 years now!”

“When my parents emigrated from Jamaica, my mom got a first look into the factory farming industry, which was vastly different than what they knew in Jamaica, where they really loved and cared for their animals and gave them a good life, so they viewed eating meat as healthy back then. While pregnant with one of my older sisters, she came home from work one day and said to my dad, ‘I decided I don’t want to eat meat anymore. I want to raise all of my children on a vegetarian diet.’ And my dad agreed. They never looked back, and they too found their whys and their reason for being plant-based—which ended up very health-centered for them. They eventually transitioned to veganism, about eight years ago at this point.”

“The Rastafarians in Jamaica have been eating “Ital,” which is a vegan rasta movement, for years now, and many people don’t know about that. Rastas would live in the hills of Jamaica and eat what grew from the land. The diet and lifestyle focuses on consuming plant-based foods as well as avoiding processed foods, and typically meat altogether. They believe that this makes them stay healthy and more connected to earth. ‘Ital is vital’ is a common phrase you’ll hear in Jamaica. They kind of treat food as medicine and are really conscious about what they eat and how they live. Many other Jamaicans who may not consider themselves Rasta will consume a vegetarian diet. For my parents, plant-based eating was no stranger to them and also enforced via religious influences. They are Seventh-day Adventist, which is a sect of Christianity. One of the pillars of the religion is to treat your body like a temple and to treat food as medicine, too. The religion often encourages a whole foods plant-based diet, so it was a simple transition—almost meant to be.”

“Some of my favorite meals included root vegetables such as yam, dasheen, cocoa, and boiled banana alongside curried vegetables and rice and peas. I can just smell it thinking about it! [My mother] would also make the best lentil soup with little dumplings, which I have tried to recreate but can’t get just right. She never measures, and I have taken after her in that way. My favorite meal was Sunday morning breakfast though. Although we didn’t grow up with much at the time, my mother always tried to have us taste vegetables and fruits from Jamaica and integrate them into our meals as much as possible. Sunday mornings meant fried dumplings, ripe fried plantains, callaloo, and ackee (Jamaica’s national fruit) with peppers and onions. I definitely often crave my mom’s cooking, even as a chef!”

“I struggle with a lot of mental health issues, including anxiety and chronic depression, so I like to create content that is fun but also real, raw, and relatable. Mental health, for so many people—especially in Black communities, is often stigmatized. I want to break down that barrier and show people it’s okay not to be okay and that it’s important to take your mental health seriously and find the right resources for you and lead a life of positivity.

It’s easy to get lost in the struggles, but with hope, you can look forward to a better tomorrow, no matter what. Early on, I found that food was a real escape to me. I want to encourage people to find their ‘why’ and really hone in on understanding themselves and what makes them feel alive. Hope and positivity are everything for me, so yes, it’s very intentional!”

“Honestly, I stay inspired by the amount of love, encouragement, and support I have from family, friends, and the hundreds of strangers who are encouraged by the work that I do. It’s easy to feel as though you are simply not doing enough, so sometimes it’s really encouraging to have that validation, you know? I received a DM on Instagram from an older woman from down South who was inspired to transition to vegetarianism as a result of the work that I do and the content I put out there. That definitely inspires me to keep going because I know I am making a difference in the lives of so many people. It makes me happy. I am also super inspired through immersing myself in so many different activities within the creative realm. I don’t limit myself to just food—yes, it’s one of the main things I love and greatly enjoy, but I also find inspiration in salsa dancing, singing, foraging and being out in nature, and painting. I’m a creative soul, and I need that spark to be fed through a plethora of things. I am just happy that I have found the things that bring me the most joy at 27 years old.”