Feed Your Feed: Teen Vegan Haile Thomas’s Top 5 Instagrammers to Follow

Haile Thomas is an 18-year-old health activist, vegan food & lifestyle influencer, and the founder/CEO of the nonprofit HAPPY (aka, Healthy Active Positive Purposeful Youth). Here, she shares her favorite Instagram influencers, ranging from fellow vegan bloggers to self-love advocates.

Hey there! I am so incredibly grateful to have found a beautiful and loving community on Instagram where I can explore food + everything and anything. And I’m so excited to share that love by spotlighting five Instagram accounts that I’m absolutely obsessed with right now! They all inspire me to be my most creative, authentic and flavorful self (pun 100% intended).

@kimjuliehansen

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Creamy Mushroom and Spinach Pasta with Balsamic Grilled Tomatoes I made for a project on my other page @bestofvegan (get the printable version via the link in @bestofvegan’s bio) ❤️ . Serves 4 Ingredients: 10oz egg-free fettuccine (dry weight)  1 1/4 cup cashews, soaked  2 cups vegetable broth  2 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast  2 tsp cornstarch or all-purpose flour 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 yellow onion, medium to large, chopped 12-14oz mushrooms of choice, sliced  2 tbsp + 2 tsp olive oil 8oz cherry tomatoes  1 tsp balsamic reduction or balsamic vinegar 1 handful fresh basil leaves  sea salt to taste  1 pinch freshly ground pepper  3 cups baby spinach  2 tsp soy or tamari sauce  2 tsp liquid smoke (optional) Directions:  1.In a large pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil, then add the pasta and cook al dente, which should take about 12-13 minutes depending on the brand you’re using. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and return it to the pot, mixing in 1 tbsp olive oil, fresh basil and ground pepper. Add the lid to keep the pasta warm until you’re ready to serve.  2.While the pasta is cooking, start sautéeing the chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves in 1 tbsp of olive oil in your frypan. Add the mushrooms about a minute later and then sauté over medium heat for 10 minutes, then add the soy sauce and liquid smoke and mix well.  3.Reduce heat to low and start making the cashew sauce. For the sauce, blend the soaked and drained cashews with the cornstarch, 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth, sea salt and nutritional yeast on high until you get a smooth consistency.  4.Add the sauce and spinach to the pan, mix well and let simmer for 5 more minutes mixing in the rest of the vegetable broth little by little (add more if the sauce is too thick). 5.For the balsamic tomatoes, add 2 tsp olive oil and the cherry tomatoes to a grill pan and grill over medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the balsamic reduction or vinegar and 1 minced garlic clove and grill for 3 additional minutes over low-medium heat.  6.Serve the pasta with the sauce and tomatoes and enjoy. #bestofvegan #lunchinspo

A post shared by Kim-Julie Hansen (@kimjuliehansen) on Dec 12, 2018 at 8:12am PST

Kim-Julie is the author of The Vegan Reset and the founder of the very popular and drool-inducing Instagram account @bestofvegan. Not only has her entrepreneurial spirit and animal activism inspired me immensely but also she is truly a brilliant soul who contributes so much light and wisdom to the world. I am always learning something new from her accounts.

@sophia_roe

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on dopamine . . Dopamine is one of our body’s neurotransmitters. It has a variety of functions, and is key in behavior, cognition, motivation and reward. When we receive a reward of any kind, dopamine is released in our brains. Over time, this release of dopamine can lead to learning. As we get "rewarded" over and over again for something, our bodies learn that we should keep doing whatever that is A LOT, constantly even. It can be hard to unlearn those kinds of behaviors. . . The exact conditions when we receive our “reward” stimulus are imprinted on our brains. Research has shown that rats that are given chocolate in a given situation learn to expect it, and the same situation triggers reward centers in the brain even without the chocolate being present. So once our brains connect processed sugar with a particular mood or state of mind, it’s hard to reverse it. For example, for some eating dinner is a time when family gets together, giving you a warm feeling. So later in life you’re feeling lonely, you might try eating to make yourself feel better. . . This is especially true for those who were conditioned as kids to associate sweets with a good deed, get an A=have candy. Later, when they want the same feeling of accomplishment, they often turn to the food stimulus to create that feeling. Hence, "comfort food" . . There are things you can do to train your yourself to eat healthier. Obviously, do your damnedest to avoid calorie-packed, super sugary, and generally “bad for you” foods. If you stop eating them, your brain never gets the chance to associate them with the dopamine reward, making it so you don’t crave them. Resisting the initial temptation will help to resist in the future, + instead of getting dopamine boosts from sugar, you’ll get them when you eat healthy meals. Soon, your brain associates “good for you food” with dopamine rewards, + you’ll find yourself wanting to eat healthy when you want a rewarding brain boost. . . But, my biggest tip, will power! It's not easy guys, fighting urges is hard. But, I promise, if you stick to your guns and fight the urge..in just 10 days..you'll be like "sugar what?!? girl bye, Pass me the salad!”

A post shared by i am sophia (@sophia_roe) on Sep 24, 2018 at 9:26am PDT

Sophia is someone I truly admire and look up to. Her account is nourishment for your senses. Your eyes get to enjoy stunning images of food, DIY beauty recipes, her curls, or all three! And your mind gets to dive into her expressive and beautiful writing that encompasses the stunning and not so stunning parts of life and how she’s grown through it all — with a vulnerability that allows others to blossom too.

@jessicainthekitchen

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New on the blog is this Hearty One Pot Minestrone Soup. 🍜🍲No joke – this is the best soup I have EVER had, and I say that with all my heart (and stomach). My fave things: its hearty, healthy, super customisable and very affordable. It’s also made with @thrivealgae oil which is loaded with monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) just like the good fat in avocados and is flavourless so all you taste is the umami of this soup. Check out the link in my bio for the recipe and more information! https://jessicainthekitchen.com/hearty-minestrone-soup-one-pot-comforting/ (AD)

A post shared by Jessica Hylton Leckie (@jessicainthekitchen) on Dec 11, 2018 at 6:08pm PST

Jessica is like sunshine on your phone. Not only does her smile and kindness shine brightly but also her food turns on hunger pangs in an instant. Her love and talent for creating comforting, simple and delicious vegan food is truly amazing. We also share Jamaican roots and that makes it 100% more enjoyable to follow her.

@lulusdreamtown

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What is your Number 1 self care trick? 💕💕 . I think my number one is staying true to who you are. We believe that we got to change for others or saying something we don‘t want because we want to make them happy. This is also one of my biggest problems I still have and I am working on it cause it‘s hard to always tell the truth without hurting anyone. Well tbh you can‘t actually hurt anyone it‘s their decision to give it importance. So basically you don‘t have to worry but at the same time idk sometimes it‘s hard to be 100% brutally honest even though it would be the best thing we could do. What do you think? . . Personal account: @lulusdaydream

A post shared by ✨ Luisa Gaffga ✨ SELFLOVE (@lulusdreamtown) on Nov 27, 2018 at 8:02am PST

I am in love with all that Lulu has created and is now shifting into with her platform! From food to self-love to interesting conversations, following her is a true joy. I also love that she is a peer within my generation, using Instagram for good by being her true self and bringing up really important topics.

@the.korean.vegan

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Oh hai kimchi fried rice. Just sauté a bunch of veggies (I used carrots, kale, broccoli, onions, and garlic) in oil. In a separate pan, sauté kimchi with oil, gochujang, and maple syrup. Add day old rice to the sautéed veggies and stir in the kimchi. I also added some pan fried tofu cubes (optional). Finally, I added pickled radishes (white discs) at the end for a little texture.

A post shared by The Korean Vegan (@the.korean.vegan) on Jan 4, 2019 at 1:42pm PST

Joanne’s moody, rich, soulful food and life feed is complemented by her truly incredible writing. She shares beautiful stories from her life with such vivid and expressive detail that you feel as though you were transported into her story. And the Korean food she makes? To live for. From kimchi fried rice, Japchae, dumplings and more — I’ve even had the honor of tasting her masterful creations on a few occasions!