LOS ANGELES – Eating vegan in Los Angeles seems easy now, but it wasn’t always the case. Brittany Littleton has removed meat from her diet since she was 11 years old. While eating a burger, she realized that cows were killed for it.

“I was so upset. I spit the burger out. I ran to my room. I was like I’m never eating this again,” said Littleton.

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Then by age 17 she was fully vegan with her number-one passion to save animals and the planet. With limited options back then, she had to teach herself how to cook to sustain this lifestyle.

“I was this radical little hippy coming from this all girls catholic high school,” said Littleton.

Especially coming from a Mexican household, it made situations harder with her family. She felt a disconnect from her culture because she couldn’t eat traditional foods.

“So much of my culture was growing up eating foods that meat and dairy heavy. I felt like I lost a bit of that and it would make me sad,” said Littleton.

This is how Sugar Taco was born. Littleton, along with her co-owner Jayde, decided to open a vegan Mexican restaurant where she could connect to her roots and show the community that vegan food can infect taste great.

“So much of Mexican cuisine is cooking from the heart and I think you can taste that in Sugar Taco’s food,” said Littleton.

Everything is made in house, from the tortillas, to the meats, and cheese. Their take on carnitas is actually jackfruit and it doesn’t stop at the food. Every part of the restaurant was created to reduce waste. The tables were actually made from wood found on the streets. Littleton wanted to make a difference, as well as make good food.

Sugar Taco partnered with companies like 8 Billion Trees and Food For Life Global where sales from the menu go to save trees and provide plant-based meals to hungry kids around the world.

“Vegan food is accessible and Mexican food is accessible in ways that are healthier for you, healthier for the environment, and kinder to animals,” said Littleton.

According to GrubHub’s “Year in Food Report,” vegan options are here to stay, with a majority of 2019’s top dishes being vegan friendly, compared to 2018.

So, try the trend and grab a meal at Sugar Taco located at 7257 Melrose Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046.