Confessions of Two Junk Food Vegans

With food festival season officially underway, we got to talking about the best and worst parts of food festivals. We love a good festival, but we've learned some hacks to prepare for some of the not-so-good things that you might experience at them. Also, find out which festivals we're planning to attend!

We talk about some of the latest updates Instagram has launched, including hiding how many likes a photo has, Creator profiles, and quizzes! With these updates, come impacts to brands, creators, and users- some positive and some negative but we share how we hope the platform continues to evolve to benefit everyone.

We spend this episode brainstorming about some upcoming projects that we're very excited to get working on, including an e-cookbook and a possible vegan travel web series. 

When a vegan company served their plant-based egg substitute alongside non-vegan foods at an event, they received some heavy backlash from the vegan community. We share our thoughts on the company's choices, how they responded, and how vegans reacted. 

When it comes to food blogging, sometimes the food and content you see bloggers post can get a little far from being realistic for the average person. Who really has time to make their own non-dairy milk all the time?! We discuss our thoughts on trying to be more authentic and show that veganism and food blogging doesn't have to involve making everything from scratch and having picture perfect meals all the time.

When we're not cooking, these are the movies and shows we're probably watching. They make us laugh, cry, and sometimes question our taste in entertainment. 

Some people believe it isn't vegan to own pets, others feel that their pets should be vegan just like them. On this episode we're talking about all things animals and veganism- everything from zoos and aquariums, to vegan dogs and animals in show biz. 

In another edition of trending vegan news, we're discussing the announcement that Rawvana and Raw Alignment, two well known vegan YouTubers, are no longer vegan. We also discuss the scandal between Impossible Foods and Vegan Zombie, where the company lied about dairy being in samples that were serving at Expo West. 

A common assumption about veganism is that being vegan automatically means you only eat healthy food, but we don't fit that stereotype very well. We embrace junk food and don't really relate to the typical wellness-focused vegan personas. We discuss why it's a good thing to increase awareness about the junk food side of veganism and how we approach a balanced diet.

We discuss some recent trending news in the vegan world including the UK Dairy industry vs plant-based cheese shop La Fauxmagerie, Califia Farms' new Uber Milk, PETA vs Steve Irwin, PETA puts a spy camera in the Oscars swag bags, Canada runs out of Tofu, and all the new vegan products coming to Canada.  

We've had A LOT of food truck ideas and we share some of them in this episode as we answer a bunch of questions from our audience. Everything from how we manage our blog and YouTube channel, to our travel bucket lists.

As content creators and foodies, we love watching cooking shows and appreciate all kinds of food based content... even if it contains meat. We often worry about being criticized for this fact.

Accidents happen. The fact is no vegan is perfect. We've all suffered through that unfortunate realization when you've unknowingly eaten something that's not vegan. So what do you do? Even more, what do you do once you know it's not vegan? Do you keep eating it?

Neither of us are professionally trained chefs, but we love food and we love creating vegan recipes. So, how do we do it? In this episode, we explore how we come up with our recipe ideas, what's involved in testing, and how we've dealt with our cooking failures.

After YouTuber Bonny Rebecca revealed she's no longer vegan because of a long battle with health issues, she faced intense backlash from the vegan community. We support Bonny's decision to put her health first and feel all the negative criticism is unwarranted. On this episode we share our thoughts and why we're questioning whether we want to still be associated with this community.

With all these social media platforms dominating everyone's time and attention, is there still value in having a blog? We think yes and we'll explain why in this episode but just remember- your blog is the one place that you own. If Instagram shuts down tomorrow, your blog would still be there because you control it.

Ever questioned if your veganism is really making a difference? We're addressing those doubts with a discussion on the environmental impacts of one person going vegan, as well as the trickle down effects of being the token vegan. Sometimes it's all the little things that can lead to making a difference in the long run. 

New year, new food trends right? From motherless meats to the next fad diet, we're discussing some of the food trends that have been predicted for 2019. We also share what trends we'd like to see gain popularity and if the food we create for our blog will follow any trends this year.

Before the new year starts, we're taking some time to assess our ambitions. Inspired by fellow YouTubers and Podcasters Colin and Samir, we answer questions from a personal vision worksheet to figure out where we want to be and how to get there.

Time for the truth about going vegan- our advice, experiences, and challenges. 

In a world where it feels like we always have to be 'on', is it still possible to unplug during the holidays? We discuss our struggles with taking some time offline and figure out how to get better at it so we can truly enjoy the holidays without worrying about missing any Instagram post.

After debating which holiday cookies are the best, we turn to some Christmas themed Would You Rather? questions to further fuel our discussion on this wonderful time of year.

Love em or hate em, everyone seems to have their own set of traditions this time of year. Kat and Dev discuss their favourite traditions and new ones they want to start.

As if holiday shopping isn't already stressful enough, shopping for a vegan when you're not a vegan can quickly become overwhelming. On the other hand, as a vegan shopping for non-vegans, it can be difficult when the gifts people want go against your beliefs.

Have you ever stopped to consider how much time you spend on your phone? We discuss our phone habits, how much phone time is too much, and what phone activity is really justified as opposed to just wasted time. Stay tuned for the follow-up episode!

Everyone remembers the one olive that made them love olives right? At some point in our lives we go from hating a food to loving or loving a food to hating it and that's what this episode is all about. Thank you to Jessica for the topic suggestion!

Another TMG debate! At what point does a snack become a meal? What's considered a snack and what isn't? We have some trouble agreeing on this debate, but we learn a lot about our eating habits.

In honour of Halloween this week, we're talking about our favourite halloween memories, movies, and costumes.

A podcast about podcasts- how meta. We're sharing why we started our podcast, what we love about podcasts, and our favourite podcasts that we listen to.

We have a confession... we have committed food waste crimes. As much as we love food, we're still learning how to buy, cook, and store food in ways that ensure it gets used up before it goes bad. These are our confessions and hopefully a step towards reducing this problem.

Kat is a fall/winter person, Dev is a spring/summer person. It's an ongoing debate between them over which season is better. On this episode, they're hashing it out and debating their opposing opinions.

While enjoying a cottage weekend away with our vegan squad we took some time to do a Q&A discussion featuring Lisa from The Viet Vegan and Anne-Marie from Meat Free Athlete. It doesn't get more unfiltered than this.

Continuing our conversation on creating content for food blogs. This time we're diving into the editing side of food photography and videography. What editing softwares we use, our typical work flow, and tips for beginners.

We love making videos and shooting photos just as much as we love eating delicious food, but how did we get started doing what we do? We're sharing our tips for beginners, what we've learned, and our biggest struggles.

It seems like everyone's favourite game to play with vegans is the hypothetical questions game. What you eat meat if... We share some of the strangest questions we've been asked, as well as some tips for answering them.

So you wanna have a dinner party but not all your friends are vegan? It can be tricky figuring out how to please everyone, but we shared some tips for making it work.

Would you rather give up vegan cheese for the rest of your life or give up... Well you'll just have to listen to find out as we play a game of Would You Rather?

What does it take to grow a YouTube channel? It's simple; hard work and determination. But sometimes there can be downsides to a channel growing too large. We share why we love being a small channel and what our goals are for the future of Two Market Girls.

Going to a cottage or lake house can be one of the most relaxing vacations to take, but navigating the menu when it's a mix of vegans and non-vegans can sometimes be troublesome. The good news is we've done it before and we're sharing some tips to help ensure things go smoothly.

We share our thoughts on some current vegan headlines. A neighbourhood in Toronto known as Parkdale has been rallying against a vegan chain of businesses that call themselves Vegandale, who also have some strongly worded branding that is rubbing some vegans the wrong way. Then, YouTuber and well-known vegan Kalel advocated against perfectionism in veganism by admitting her weaknesses and struggle to feel a part of the community. Her message was met with some support and a lot of criticism

On this episode, we share how we've been making changes to reduce our plastic waste and what struggles we've encountered as we incorporate more reusable items into our every day routines.

Kat and Dev from Two Market Girls discuss the mixed opinions regarding A&W’s nation-wide release of the Beyond Burger in Canada and why the pressure of being the perfect vegan is dangerous to the progress of the vegan movement.

Veganism is not always about eating healthy. There's plenty of vegan junk food out there and we love to indulge. Sometimes there's guilt associated with eating unhealthy food, but we still do and we're sharing how we maintain balance instead of ignoring our cravings.

When it comes to grocery shopping, we have a love/hate relationship with it. Sometimes it's a lot of fun, other times it just brings out the worst in everyone. We share some of our tips and how to limit the bad trips.

From common Canadian stereotypes to the things we'd change about our country, we talk all things Canada in honour of Canada Day.

Travelling as a vegan can be lots of fun because you get to explore all the local vegan options available in different places. But it can also be overwhelming at times! We put together some vegan travel tips to help with everything from navigating airport food, to discovering local vegan products.

We don't mess around at food festivals, it's serious business. We try to experience as much new food as possible while still watching our budget and conquering the crowds. These are our pro tips!

Cooking and creating delicious vegan dishes becomes so much easier when you have the right tools to do it. We discuss the items every vegan kitchen needs, as well as the things that are just nice to have.

Are aliens vegan? Have we ever dined and dashed? What's our favourite food to cook? Get to know us a bit better as we answer a bunch of randomly generated questions.

Vegan food bloggers Kristy LaPointe from Plant Based Kristy and Avra Epstein from Love Wild Live Free join us for an open discussion about managing a blog as a side hustle, imposter syndrome, navigating the vegan community, and the future of social media.

Some real talk about incorporating fitness into your life when you're not a workout guru. We know it's important to be active, but we also know it's hard as hell to turn it into a habit, so we share our honest and simple tips for getting your butt to the gym and learning to enjoy it.

Busy is a blessing, but burnout is real. Taking breaks is essential when you've got a lot on the go or find yourself getting too addicted to your phone and social media. We discuss how technology, culture, and personality all play a role in getting burnt out and how to recover from it.

Whether you are a vegan, know a vegan, or have heard of veganism, you've probably developed some perception of what vegans are like based on things you've heard. Exaggerations and stereotypes are common, but how do we address those and inspire a more positive perception? Hint, we think food is the answer.

We discuss what it means to live sustainably and how to do so with Erik and Michael from Sustainabus. Together they are converting an old school bus into a completely sustainable tiny home to drive from Alaska to Argentina.

Does going vegan make it harder to have a social life? Can you still have a social life at all if you go vegan? We discuss how our social lives are impacted by being vegan and how to navigate certain social situations so that you don't have to give up your social life.

In an Instagram world, how can you make your photos stand out? It's simple; style. But easier said than done. We share some of our tips and what we've learned about photography over the years.

Is the gig economy a good thing? Will we ever get benefits? What skills does it really take to thrive these days? An honest and optimistic conversation on the current state of the job market and the changing employment circumstances that millennials are facing.

We compare our very different perspectives and skill levels when it comes to cooking. For anyone who struggles with cooking, we share how to get past failures in the kitchen and learn to love making food.

What's it like to be a woman on YouTube? Is the future of YouTube female? As two women who run a YouTube channel and spend a fair amount of time watching YouTube, we couldn't ignore the conversation surrounding the difference between how women are represented compared to men.

On this episode of TMG Unfiltered, Kat and Dev explore the world of social media. It is an incredibly powerful and beneficial form of communication, but can also be quite dangerous. The discussion explores the positives, the negatives, the question of authenticity, and what the future might hold.

On this episode of TMG Unfiltered, Kat and Dev discuss their thoughts on a popular form of content on YouTube known as "Vlogs". They share why they think it's so popular, what makes a good vlog, and the dangers of vlogging.

In this episode of TMG Unfiltered we discuss all the frequently asked questions vegans get when people find out they're vegan.

Dating can be complicated, but what about when one of you is vegan and the other isn't? Is it a deal breaker? Can it work out? We share our experiences and tips for making it work.

Allow us to introduce ourselves! We're Kat and Dev from the vegan blog/YouTube channel 'Two Market Girls' and this is our podcast! We'll be discussing life beyond the blog including social media, photography, vegan lifestyle, and much more.