Workshop: Meal planning for health: strategies for less stress and better nutrition
You already know the health benefits of whole plant foods in reducing the risk of conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The challenge lies in incorporating nutritious plant-based meals into your family’s busy life, without relying so much on...
Life after breast cancer: An interview with Nic Bathurst, dietitian and nutritionist specializing in mid-life women’s health
Nic Bathurst, a dietitian and nutritionist, and mom of four kids, thought of herself as a healthy and fit person with good habits. Then, at age 48 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent a mastectomy and started digging into the literature about breast...
Protein for vegans and plant-based eaters: my point of view as a meal planner, woman, and mother
Protein for vegans and those who eat a predominantly plant-based diet: should we be worried or is this all overblown? Those are questions I have been asking myself since starting to cook mostly plant-based food in 2013 and going vegan in 2015. The question is all the...
Calcium for vegans: my point of view as a meal planner, woman, and mother
Calcium for vegans and plant-based eaters: should we be worried? Americans and Canadians, and some Europeans, have repeatedly been told that we need to drink milk and consume dairy products for bone health. Going vegan can feel like a rebellion against the established...
Minimalist meal prep for healthy stress-free vegan weeknights
If you can find one hour to for meal prep / batch cooking at any time in the week, you can prepare really good food you will enjoy throughout the week. It won’t be perfect, but it will provide you with a solid base for meals that improve your nutrition and...
Soy and cancer: should we worry? Here’s what the recent literature says.
When a client says “I am concerned about including soy products in my plant-based diet because of the cancer risk,” this is the information I can provide them. In short: no, you should not avoid eating soy for fear of increasing your cancer risk. Quite the opposite!...
Can fertility improve with a plant-based diet? Exploring Dr. Jenny Lee’s journey toward better reproductive health
Can fertility improve with a plant-based diet? Research certainly seems to be on the side of a reduction in meat intake having a positive effect. Generally, healthy plant-based diets focused on whole foods also have the potential to improve many of the factors that...
Iron for vegans: my views as a meal planner, woman, and mother
Iron for vegans and plant-based eaters: should we be worried? Iron is a common concern of well-meaning friends and relatives, upon learning that a loved one is going vegan or committing to eating more plants (and fewer animals). Since most people still think of meat...
Workshop: Plant-based Nutrition Hacks
Plants have all the nutrients we need to sustain good health and prevent disease. How can we make the most of what they have to offer without spending our whole days in the kitchen? How can plant-based eaters increase their odds of getting all the iron, calcium,...
11 tips for beginners to replace eggs with more nutritious whole foods alternatives (with suggested recipes)
Replace eggs? What do you mean?! My egg-loving self from 10 years ago would not believe I would ever willingly stop eating eggs. To me, eggs were the perfect food: such a convenient package of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. I would batch prep a dozen hard-boiled...
UPDATED: How to make super healthy vegan blender waffles with only whole foods (also gluten-free and zero-waste)
When you have a power blender (Vitamix, Blendtec, or similar), there’s no need to use packaged ingredients like plant milks and ground flax seeds. You can make these super healthy vegan blender waffles using just whole pantry ingredients and no oil. The start of...
Should we cook with oil? A pragmatic approach to deciding what to do.
Should we cook with oil? Opinions differ wildly on that topic within the plant-based community, and there are many people out there who avoid all oils as much as they can. As a result, as a professional meal planner, I often get asked by prospective clients whether my...
Should I supplement B12? (No affiliate links.)
Should I supplement B12? My answer is straightforward: yes. This is probably true regardless of one’s dietary choices, but even more so if vegan or even just a part-time plant-based eater (flexitarian). This article is required reading for all Vegan Meal Plans...
10 vegetables I never fail to put on my vegan grocery list
When you have these vegetables in the fridge, plus a few vegan pantry staples, you can improvise a delicious and nutritious meal in minutes. Read about my vegan grocery list picks and get recipe inspiration to use them.
