Freya Dinshah

Freya Smith Dinshah (born September 24, 1941) is an Anglo-American veganism activist and writer. She is the author of The Vegan Kitchen, president of the American Vegan Society in Malaga, New Jersey, and editor of American Vegan magazine (formerly Ahimsa).

Early life Freya Frances Vera Smith was born in Epsom,

Professional career Dinshah cofounded the Epsom Animal's Friends and Epsom Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament groups.

In 1961, Dinshah and her husband participated in the American Natural Hygiene Society Convention, held in Chicago.

In 1974, Dinshah along with Jay Dinshah, Helen Nearing, Scott Nearing and others founded the North American Vegetarian Society in order to host the 23rd World Vegetarian Congress in Orono, Maine in 1975.

In 2020, the Portland Press Herald printed a report about the history of the 1975 event and said Dinshah's use of fresh food at the event was unusual for the time: "In addition to being fresh and seasonal, the food at the congress was very simple with little seasoning in order to accommodate the needs of all the various vegetarians in attendance, some of whom eschewed salt, sugar, white flour or spices."

After her husband died in 2000, Dinshah assumed leadership of American Vegan Society and became its president. She edits American Vegan (formerly Ahimsa) magazine. She has been a frequent speaker at vegan and vegetarian conferences.

Publications The Vegan Kitchen (Malaga, N.J.: American Vegan Society, 1987) Feeding vegan babies. pamphlet #23-01 XXIII World Vegetarian Congress Cook Book (1975)

Personal life She met Jay Dinshah, who by 1957 had also become a vegan and who had founded the American Vegan Society in 1960, The couple had two children. She was widowed in 2000.