Peggy Edwards works for Sodexo as the chef for the vegan and vegetarian station in the Stearns dining hall. Edwards, a vegan herself, serves up great-tasting healthy food from her own original recipes.

How long have you been working here?
Since 2012, last year was my first year here. I came in with Sodexo.

How long have you been vegan?
I’ve been vegetarian since I was 15 and I’m 51. And I was a little bit older when I became [vegan. It’s been] 25 years vegan.

Why did you decide to become vegan?
Health reasons. I had to become vegan. I wanted to. One reason was the animals, and second more with the health. Initially it was for the animal rights and stuff…I did a lot of rescue and stuff with dogs, and I just did not like how they were being treated at the farm factory and all that kind of junk. The beauty industry and experimentation—I just don’t agree with. So it’s that and then as I got older the diet works for me. It doesn’t work for everybody but it works for me.

When is the last time you had a cheeseburger?
I’m trying to think…I think it was 1980. I’ll go with 1980.

Any regrets of what you can’t eat/what do you miss most?
No. No regrets at all. Don’t miss anything.

Does anything ever tempt you?
Nope.

What is it like cooking around non-vegan food?
It doesn’t bother me.

How would you advise someone who wants to become vegan?
Hmm. Research. And eat a variety of foods, especially greens and your veggies. Eat a large variety of food. I think a lot of young kids when they become vegan they don’t—they just have the carbohydrates. Really focus on the raw foods and stuff.

Should they be vegetarian for a while and take small steps?
If they have a hard time with cheese, do it gradually. I had a hard time with the cheeses and stuff. A lot of people do when they’re vegetarian; they don’t want to give up cheese and stuff. But you do it gradually and you’ll see a difference when you stop.

What are the challenges in creating vegan dishes? Do you have any practical tips?
I don’t find it challenging, no. Tips—I don’t know. You know, just start out basic with the rices and the beans, the different pastas. And then start experimenting with different types of veggies. I love root veggies, so start experimenting with them. Just experiment, ‘cause there’s tons and tons of cookbooks and blogs and magazines that you can convert. I look at a recipe, like meat or something and I just convert it to vegan. I substitute.

How can you get full nutrition as a vegan?
A wide variety of foods. Eat your beans, your soy. Eat your different types of whole grains, you gotta do the whole foods. No processed stuff. That’s not a staple.

Is being vegan expensive?
I don’t think so, no. Beans are cheap—you do dry beans, those are cheap. You get the grains they’re not expensive. It depends whether you want organic or non-organic. There are some things that I think, like greens, that you really should have organic. But if you can’t afford it then you can’t afford it.

Where do you stand on soy products?
I’m okay with soy. I think they’re fine. I think Americans overdo it with the soy stuff. Some people it doesn’t work, some people are allergic to it, I’m fine with soy.

What is the biggest myth about vegans?
That we’re crazy and stuff. Yeah some of them are. But that’s okay. I don’t listen to that, it’s been so long. It’s in my DNA to be vegan.

What is you opinion on the more extreme vegans who keep their pets from eating meat as well?
I don’t believe in having vegans for animals. No no no no no. That’s not natural. Dogs need meat. Cats need more meat. I know a vet who wrote a book about this big vegan couple who had their dog vegan and it died. It’s just not natural.

Have you experienced any social backlash for being vegan? Do people say, “Oh, she’s vegan?”
Oh yeah, a lot of people still say that today which I find amazing. But I don’t care. You can’t care if you become vegan. You can’t worry about what people are going to say.

What in your opinion is the best meal that you cook?
I like really really plain food. I like rices and beans. Or I like a pasta, a corn pasta with just like a marinara sauce. You know what, I like my tofu cutlets. I’ll make a cutlet, and I’ll put different sauces in it. Sometimes I’ll bread it different. A lot of times I use a corn starch and herbs, and sometimes I’ll do a nutritional yeast. And its nice. It’s a nice meal. Think of it as a chicken cutlet instead I make it with tofu.

So you use yeast. Isn’t that a bacterial product?
This is derived I wanna say off of molasses. But it’s not an active yeast. Like baker’s yeast—it’s not that type of yeast.

So, someone gives you a cow…what do you do with it?
I won’t tell you what my husband does. He is a sales and marketing person for Vermont Highland Cattle Company! He runs a USDA plant for meat in Orleans, Vermont. So if I had a cow, what would I do? It would be out in our pasture. I started an organic farm last year called Dandelion and Clay. So that’s why I love this job because I am able to take the summers off.

What is the nicest/worst thing anyone has ever said to you?
The nicest thing is that they love it and that they wish they could be vegan. The worst thing was ‘this is the worst thing I ever ate I want my money back.’ This was about—gosh—20 years ago. But she ate it, and then she wanted her money back.

Do you ever cook non-vegan foods?
Yep, sometimes. I make a quiche because my husband likes quiche. I make meat for my dogs, I make dog food for them, that’s non-vegan. I don’t cook meat for my husband but I cook it for my doggies. If I’m making enchiladas and my husband wants cheese in it I’ll throw cheese in it, yeah. That doesn’t bother me.

But you won’t eat it then?
No. No no no no no. I’m really strict. I’m militant vegan.