Michaela Vais

Michaela Vais, a recipe developer and food photographer, is the creator behind ElaVegan. She is also the author of the bestselling cookbook, ‘Simple and Delicious Vegan’, which features 100 gluten-free, plant-based recipes. Before her career as a full-time blogger, Michaela worked as a pharmaceutical technical assistant in Germany. This experience provided her with insight into how chronic conditions often managed with medication could potentially be improved through dietary changes. This understanding influenced her transition to plant-based cooking and led to the creation of ElaVegan, a resource for nourishing, allergy-friendly, and simple vegan recipes.

Michaela embraced a vegan lifestyle in 2011, which she attributes to significant health improvements, including resolving Hashimoto’s and adult acne in her early 30s. By adopting a whole-food plant-based diet, largely avoiding gluten, she supported her skin and thyroid naturally, leading to a medication-free and healthier life. In 2024, at almost 44 years old, she gave birth to a healthy daughter. She began sharing vegan food content on Instagram in 2015, and her @elavegan account has since grown to over 1.2 million followers. Her work has been recognized, including a nomination for the Influencer Awards Monaco in the Food category in 2019. In January 2023, she published her cookbook, ‘Simple and Delicious Vegan’, emphasizing approachable and family-friendly plant-based meals. Her contributions have been featured in various publications such as Veganeasy, The Edge, Spoon University, Zeit.de, Plant-Based News, Tasting Table, PETA, VegNews, and BuzzFeed.

Michaela’s approach to recipe development focuses on creating vegan and gluten-free options that are often refined sugar-free and oil-free, with step-by-step photos to ensure accessibility. She rigorously tests each recipe multiple times to ensure they are both nutritious and practical for everyday use. Her commitment extends to engaging with her audience through behind-the-scenes content and direct feedback, aiming to empower individuals to confidently adopt plant-based eating. Her mission is to demonstrate that plant-based eating can be joyful, accessible, and deeply satisfying for those who are fully vegan, exploring the lifestyle, or managing food intolerances.