As a child, Sunny Anne Holliday had a fascination with food.

Holliday and her brother spent countless hours conducting various food-related experiments in the family’s kitchen.

This love for cooking and science inspired Holliday to adventure into a field that would change her career path and world view.

Destined to start a career in chemical engineering, Holliday traveled across the country for the job opportunity of a lifetime.\

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While she lived in Southern California, Holliday frequently attended services at a Unitarian church every week.

She listened to a particular sermon in summer 1989 about animal cruelty that changed Holliday’s perception of food, and thusly her life, forever.

As a former “hardcore carnivore,” Holliday went cold “tofur ky” and was quick to see changes with her weight.

By using animal-free ingredients, Holliday restructured her favorite recipes and transformed them into vegan masterpieces.

After a 13-year career with Mobil, Holliday decided to hit the books and get back to her roots by pursuing a doctorate in chemistry at the UA.

Realizing that her degree wouldn’t allow her to stay in her beloved field, Holliday decided to take matters into her own hands and create a job that she could thrive in.

Around her 50th birthday, Holliday decided to open a restaurant compiled with recipes from the past 16 years of her vegan lifestyle.

That restaurant was one of Tucson’s better-known vegan eateries—Lovin’ Spoonfuls.

The U.S. agriculture industry is the main reason Holliday keeps her restaurant entirely plant-based.

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“The abuse in farmed-animal industries is quite severe,” Holliday said. “This includes not just for cattle and pigs, but for egg-laying chickens, broiler chickens, cows in the dairy industry—which is also the industry farming the intensely confined veal calves.”

Most references to animal cruelty among cattle-raising is often missing a valid portion of information, according to Holliday.

“Dairy products and eggs have been linked to a number of serious, degenerative diseases,” Holliday said.

Catering to all dietary restrictions and allergies, Lovin’ Spoonfuls offers an assortment of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes.

Holliday said college students, who often look to be healthier and more environmentally friendly, might enjoy the vegan lifestyle her restaurant accommodates.

“College is such a great time to go vegan,” Holliday said. “You’re out from under your parent’s thumb, so you are free to make your own decisions.”

There are many films available online through Netflix that Holliday recommends for aspiring vegans.

“‘Vegucated’ is streaming free on Netflix, and is geared toward college age [people],” Holliday said. “It covers all of the issues—ethics, health, environment, and is very well done.”

Holliday recommends keeping a vegan snack in your backpack in case you are stranded on campus without any readily available options.

Students can purchase Vegan cookbooks and lifestyle books are now sold at the UA Bookstore.

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