What made you decide to go plant-based and switch careers?

Sara Zayed: I lost my father to a heart attack. Before he passed away, someone had gifted him Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D. So it was just laying around his house, and one day I picked it up, and it all clicked. I’d been having migraines, acne, and poor sleep. I [went plant-based and] was shocked by how much better I felt. Software engineering has its value, but I realized I wanted to have a direct impact on people. I started working as a medical assistant at Ethos Primary Care in New Jersey, where I saw how powerful plant-based nutrition can be. Patients would lose dozens of pounds they never expected to lose, or safely go off medications, saying they felt like they had a new lease on life. It was very moving.

What inspired you to spearhead a plant-based nutrition course at your med school, NYU Grossman? 

SZ: I received really quality medical training, but the curriculum only had a sprinkling of hours that focused on nutrition. So [the Culinary Medicine program] was birthed from the very real need for students to receive more in-depth training. I think nutrition is viewed only as a preventative measure and not as a tool that people in all sectors of the medical field can use to treat patients. For example, a surgeon who’s spending all their time in the operating room could use nutrition to help patients recover from surgery faster—or avoid it altogether. One of the patients we worked with at Ethos Primary Care was scheduled for knee surgery, but after changing her diet and lifestyle, she no longer needed it. 

What do students learn in the course?

SZ: It’s seven sessions total. The first lecture focuses on the evidence behind plant-based nutrition. Then there are three didactic sessions where students learn about chronic ailments such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Those lectures are paired with interactive sessions in a professional kitchen where they learn how to cook plant-based meals. The whole idea is that if you know how to apply these principles to your own life, then you’re going to be more effective at counseling patients about it. 

How did students respond to last year’s introduction of the Culinary Medicine curriculum?

SZ: One hundred percent of students said that they would recommend the program, and we saw a significant increase in those who said they were now comfortable with their knowledge for counseling patients. 

How has your Muslim faith influenced your perspective on medicine? 

SZ: Something I always tell people is that our bodies are an amanah, an Arabic word which means trust. We’ve been entrusted with these bodies. When we treat our bodies poorly, it’s like damaging something that’s been loaned to us for safekeeping. If you’re chronically ill and don’t have energy, then you can’t spend time with your family, you can’t be productive, you can’t serve others, and it’s harder to turn inwards and connect with God. Think of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: If you aren’t getting the basic needs of health and safety met, you can’t self-actualize and fulfill your life’s purpose. Apart from a WFPB diet, I feel strongly about embodying the other pillars of lifestyle medicine, which are sleep, exercise, mindfulness, and social connection. I try to always get 7 to 8 hours of sleep, work out every day, and meditate each morning for at least 10 minutes.

What impact do you hope to make as you begin your primary care practice?

SZ: A pet peeve of mine is the idea that patients aren’t interested in changing their diet. During my year of rotations so many patients said, “I don’t want to go on lots of medications. What else can I try?” The reality is that most doctors have a deficit in knowledge about how to counsel patients on changing their lifestyles, so we shy away from it. Having WFPB nutrition training as a primary care doctor can make a huge difference.

3 Tips for Creating a Sustainable Meditation Practice 

As a proponent of lifestyle medicine, Zayed is passionate about starting each day with a few minutes of mindfulness. Check out her tips for trying a morning meditation routine. 

1. Avoid setting “goals” for a meditation session. The purpose is to nonjudgmentally explore whatever arises in your mind, heart, and body so you can feel centered as you start the day. 

2. Close your eyes and choose something to focus on, such as your breath or a sensation in your body. Notice how your experience of that focal point may change or deepen as time passes. 

3. If your mind wanders, gently draw your attention back to your object of focus. It’s normal to have thoughts; see if you can allow them to come and go with loving kindness and avoid getting fixated on one thing. 

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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Editor’s note: FOK may collect a small share of sales from some of the links on this page, though it doesn’t influence our picks.

Plant-Based on a Budget: Quick & Easy by Toni Okamoto 

Get the most bang for your buck when you dive into the colorful and cost-effective world of Toni Okamoto’s plant-based cooking. Featuring 100 WFPB recipes, Okamoto’s sophomore release focuses on making healthy eating affordable and efficient so people of all economic backgrounds can prioritize their well-being. Okamoto cites both her family’s long struggle with chronic disease and her experience living below the poverty line as the primary motivators for creating this collection of inexpensive recipes. “I wanted to help people who felt sentenced to poor health due to a lack of finances to understand that there were alternatives,” she says. Apart from being kind to your bank account, Okamoto’s latest book is packed full of tasty meals that are inspired by her Mexican-American upbringing, including Sopa de Fideo, Potato Tacos, and Sheet Pan Nachos. Find Plant-Based on a Budget: Quick & Easy on Amazon.

How Not to Age by Dr. Michael Greger, M.D., F.A.C.L.M.

Dr. Michael Greger, a heavy-hitter in the WFPB world and founder of NutritionFacts.org, returns yet again with another insightful book that weaves together groundbreaking anti-aging research with actionable tips on living a longer life. In How Not to Age, Greger explains how plant foods can slow down, and even interrupt, the aging process—something that Big Pharma and the beauty industry don’t want you to know. He posits that the right diet can help you avoid age-related diseases and relinquish your reliance on expensive face creams, allowing you to focus on eating your way toward lasting vitality instead of spending a small fortune trying to retain your youth. If you love to know the “why” behind some of our most misunderstood biological processes, this book is an excellent deep-dive into the realm of using food as medicine. Find How Not to Age on Amazon. 

Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes using Native American Ingredients by Lois Ellen Frank, Ph.D., and Walter Whitewater

Food is often the backbone of culture, and this vibrant cookbook from Lois Ellen Frank and Walter Whitewater explores the unique plant-based diet of Native Americans prior to European colonization. The collection of more than 100 recipes focuses on the eight key ingredients that constituted the bulk of the Native American diet: corn, beans, squash, chile, tomato, potato, vanilla, and cacao. These foods, which would later revolutionize cooking around the world, are highlighted both in their traditional forms and in delightful modern twists within the pages of this richly photographed book. “We are in a time when our young generation wants to learn our traditional ways … and especially the foods that sustained our ancestors,” says Frank. White adds: “With songs, stories, and traditional food, we can make [our community] well again, using food as medicine.” Interwoven throughout the sumptuous recipes are engaging discussions on indigenous history, food sovereignty, and environmental sustainability to ensure your meals come with a side of important cultural context. Find Seed to Plate, Soil to Sky: Modern Plant-Based Recipes using Native American Ingredients on Amazon. 

The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer by Dan Buettner

Want to live to be 100? National Geographic explorer Dan Buettner has dedicated his life to discovering how to do just that. Several decades ago the concept of Blue Zones—the places on Earth with the largest population of centenarians—became widely recognized in the public health sector. After successfully raising the average life expectancy in several cities with Blue Zones–inspired initiatives, Buettner revisited his groundbreaking work to tease out even more tips on how to live healthier, for longer. This gorgeously photographed book outlines the key principles of Blue Zones and how to apply them to your own life, no matter where in the world you call home. Featuring engaging interviews, tasty recipes, and actionable to-do lists, The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer will inspire you to switch things up so you can make the most out of your time on this beautiful planet. Find The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer on Amazon. 

Plantifully Lean by Kiki Nelson

Equal parts vegan cookbook and motivational self-help guide, Plantifully Lean is the culmination of Kiki Nelson’s firsthand knowledge about taking control of your health through a plant-based diet. Nelson’s battle with high blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol led her to discover a WFPB lifestyle that helped her naturally lose weight without counting calories. Her debut book, based on the insights she shares on her blog of the same name, is peppered with inspiring stories, self-love, and tons of scrumptious meals that will nourish you from the inside out. “I wrote the manual that I wish I’d had,” Nelson says. “Everything that I’ve learned, all my trial and error, it’s all been fine-tuned and summed up in this book.” Nelson approaches health and weight loss from a sustainable, holistic perspective to counter the damage that trendy fad diets can wreak on both your body and your mind, which earns her book a top spot on our shelf for years to come. Find Plantifully Lean on Amazon. 

Eating Does It: Healing Ourselves and Our Planet With Food by Kathy Pollard

Everyone has a different reason for going plant-based. For some, the eco-friendly nature of this diet is reason enough to cut out animal products. Cue Kathy Pollard, a research projects manager for the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and adjunct faculty in applied nutrition at the University of New England, who is passionate about educating people about how the food we eat impacts our environment. Eating Does It takes a thorough look at the harm our modern animal-focused food systems inflict on both our health and the future of the planet. Through examining the global rise in chronic disease, increasingly processed nature of the average person’s diet, and climate change data, Pollard makes a convincing case for the benefits of veganism. Despite the heavy subject matter, her book is underlaid with a sense of optimism that will motivate you to take action in your own life and beyond. Find Eating Does It: Healing Ourselves and Our Planet With Food on Healthy Learning. 

The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes: A Guide for Prevention and Management by Sharon Palmer

Sharon Palmer, aka the Plant-Powered Dietitian, is a trailblazer in the WFPB community. Her upbringing in a farming family, extensive education in plant-based nutrition, and 20-year career as a dietitian solidly position her as an expert in the field. Her latest book educates readers on how to use their diet as a tool to manage diabetes. “The cool part about lifestyle intervention is that what’s good for diabetes is also what’s good for your heart, your brain, your kidneys, your liver—it’s good for everything,” says Palmer. “Going plant-based is not just a diabetes-specific diet. We should all be eating like this.” Tucked inside the chapters of The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes you can find delicious recipes, loads of scientific research, and step-by-step meal plans to make a shift in your eating habits extra easy. Find The Plant-Powered Plan to Beat Diabetes: A Guide for Prevention and Management on Amazon.  

Plant-Based Delicious: Healthy, Feel-Good Vegan Recipes You’ll Make Again and Again by Ashley Madden

If we were to compile a list of plant-based all-star chefs, Ashley Madden would be right at the top. Her second cookbook puts a healthy vegan twist on comfort food favorites and incorporates exciting flavors that entice your taste buds with culinary combinations you’ve never tried before. Some of the recipes you can look forward to include Brown Rice Poutine with Miso Gravy, Moroccan Potpies with Almond Pastry, Spicy Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tacos, and Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cheesecake. Plus, all the recipes in Plant-Based Delicious are also gluten- and oil-free, ensuring that people of a wide range of dietary needs can enjoy tasty meals. With her background as a pharmacist and registered holistic nutritionist, Madden braids together knowledge of Western health care and alternative medicine to deliver a truly meaningful book that you can trust to nourish you and your family. Find Plant-Based Delicious on Amazon. 

Plant-Powered Protein: Nutrition Essentials and Dietary Guidelines for All Ages by Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina, and Cory Davis

“How do you get enough protein if you’re vegan?” We’ve all heard this question from well-meaning relatives and co-workers, and it’s about time to put it to rest. That’s where Plant-Powered Protein comes in. This insightful book from Brenda Davis, R.D., Vesanto Melina, R.D., and agrologist Cory Davis proves once and for all that plant-based sources of protein are comparable—if not even better—than animal-derived protein. This fact-packed book is perfect for the athlete in your life who is ready to switch up their diet and take their training to the next level. Apart from all the incredible scientific explanations, you’ll enjoy 30 plant-based recipes, pantry suggestions, and cooking tips to make the most of your newfound knowledge. Read an excerpt from Plant Powered Protein: Nutrition Essentials and Dietary Guidelines for All Ages here, and find the full book on Amazon. 

The Clean Vegan Cookbook by Jackie Akerberg 

As a kid, Jackie Akerberg’s distaste for meat confused her midwestern family and friends. Fast forward to adulthood, and Akerberg officially ditched all animal products to embrace a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle. What started as vegan dinner parties soon turned into the successful blog Jackfruitful Kitchen, and this year, a debut cookbook. In The Clean Vegan Cookbook, Akerberg steers clear of meat substitutes, oil, or excessive sugar. “I’ve found that my body just functions and feels its best when I don’t have all those processed ingredients,” she says. Akerberg’s conversion to a plant-based lifestyle improved her health enormously, and she firmly believes the diet that helped her eliminate asthma symptoms, clear up breakouts, and easily maintain a healthy weight can help anyone and everyone on their own health journey. You can look forward to making Bang-Bang Baja “Shrimp” Tacos,  Curried Red Lentil Coconut Soup, and Power-Packed Blueberry Pancakes! Find The Clean Vegan on Amazon. 

The Plant-Based Dietitian’s Guide to Fertility: From Pre-Conception to Healthy Delivery by Lisa Simon, R.D.

If you or someone you know is planning to start a family, this book should be a foundational text for anyone’s first foray into parenthood. UK-based dietitian Lisa Simon offers a comprehensive guide on how a plant-based diet can optimize both male and female fertility, and includes inspiring anecdotes about her own journey to overcome infertility through changing up what she ate. This Holy Grail guide also features tips on managing stress, getting proper sleep, and making lifestyle changes that will impact your health long after your little one is born. Whether you’re already plant-based or looking for a holistic approach to family planning, this empathic and evidence-based book will provide invaluable knowledge for the next generation of parents. Find The Plant-Based Dietitian’s Guide to Fertility: From Pre-Conception to Healthy Delivery on Amazon. 

Wellness to Wonderful: 9 Pillars for Living Healthier, Longer, and with Greater Joy by Matthew Lederman, M.D., and Alona Pulde, M.D.

If your New Year’s resolution is to be happier, healthier, and more connected to the things you love, then this excellent read can act as a roadmap for achieving your goals. Long-time FOK contributors Matthew Lederman, M.D., and Alona Pulde, M.D., combine their experience as lifestyle medicine practitioners with cutting-edge scientific research to outline the nine pillars of living well. Within the pages of Wellness to Wonderful, you’ll discover how to optimize your sleep, connect to a supportive community, manage and reverse chronic disease, and fuel your mind, body, and soul with healthful practices so you can be your best self in 2024. You can read an excerpt from the book here, and buy Wellness to Wonderful: 9 Pillars for Living Healthier, Longer, and with Greater on Amazon. 

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A 2017 study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology assigned 412 participants to either a high-fiber diet or low-fiber diet over the course of several months, and found that people eating high-fiber diets were 41% more likely to experience bloating than those on the low-fiber diets.

The biochemistry behind your increased need to pass gas is pretty simple: As you digest, bacteria in your gut ferments food that isn’t fully digestible (i.e., fiber) and produces gas as a byproduct. The more fiber you eat, the more flatulence you might experience. The good news? Over time your digestive system will adjust to the diversity of your new diet and become more adept at processing high-fiber foods, reducing the frequency of post-meal gassiness. 

How Much Farting is Normal?

While you may notice an uptick in flatulence when you go vegan, the average person already farts between 10-20 times a day. Sound like a lot of passed gas? You probably don’t notice the frequency of your own flatulence because the vast majority of gas doesn’t smell. Only compounds that contain sulfur, such as hydrogen sulfide, give your farts any sort of noticeable stink. Lots of veggies, legumes, and nuts contain small amounts of sulfur, but it likely won’t change the odor of your gas very much because a healthy diet promotes a balanced gut microbiome. The main thing to remember is that flatulence is normal and is an essential part of a healthy digestive system—so keep the gas coming!

How Can I Naturally Relieve Gas?

Until your gut microbiome has adjusted to your new plant-based lifestyle, you can manage this uncomfortable—and sometimes loud—side effect of eating healthier with a few simple yoga poses. All of these postures move your body into shapes that help gas travel through the digestive system and decrease that tight, pressurized feeling in your belly. The next time you experience bloating after a meal try one of these yoga poses to relieve gas before you reach for the bottle of Tums. 

Yoga Poses to Relieve Gas and Bloating

Ardha Apanasana (Knee to Chest)

Quite literally translated into English as “wind-relieving pose,” this posture is great for helping trapped gas move through your intestines.

1. Lie flat on your back with legs extended out on the floor.
2. Pull one knee into your chest, holding your leg around the shin or kneecap. The back of your head should stay planted on the floor.
3. Keep the other leg extended out long. Hold this position for up to 5 minutes before switching sides.
4. Alternatively, you can pull both knees into your chest so you are curled into a ball.

Ananda Balasana (Happy Baby)

While you might feel a little silly in this shape, Happy Baby is an excellent pose for releasing gas and relieving a bloated stomach.

1. Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
2. Pull both knees up toward your chest and press feet toward the ceiling. Your knees will be bent.
3. Grab onto your shins, ankles, or feet (depending on your flexibility). Gently pull knees closer toward the ground as your feet stay flexed up toward the ceiling and legs move gently apart. 
4. Keep head and neck pressed into the ground. If it feels good, you can rock from side to side. Hold this pose for 1 to 5 minutes.

Supta Matsyendrasana (Spinal Twist)

In this pose, think of your body like a washcloth that’s being wrung out to dry. Deep twists support the digestive system by compressing the organs to help move gas through the body.

1. Lay flat on your back with legs extended out long on the floor.
2. Pull your right knee into your chest by wrapping your hands around your shin or kneecap. Keep the left leg extended long.
3. Draw your right knee across your body to the left. Your knee may touch the floor or it may hover; it just depends on what feels good in your body.
4. Extend your right arm out to the side and turn your head to look over your right hand. Your left hand can stay on the bent knee or you can extend that arm out to the left side.
5. Hold this pose for 1 to 5 minutes. Roll gently onto your back and repeat on the other side.

Anjaneyasana (Low Lunge)

A great hip-opening stretch that’s ideal for anyone who works at a computer all day, low lunges also help you pass gas by stretching out the pelvic muscles.

1. Start in a kneeling position on your knees. Step your right foot forward while keeping the left knee on the ground.
2. Place your hands on top of your right thigh or place them on the ground on either side of your front foot. 
3. To increase the intensity of the stretch in your hips, gently scooch the back left knee further behind you, widening the stance of your lunge.
4. Hold this shape for 1 to 3 minutes. Bring the right knee back underneath your hips and step forward with the left leg to repeat on the other side.

Uttanasana (Forward Fold)

Forward folds use the power of gravity to create length in your spine and settle your stomach.

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
2. Hinge forward from your waist so that your torso is draped over your thighs. Allow your head and neck to dangle. 
3. Your legs can be straight, or you can bend your knees if you have a tight low back. Your hands can rest on the floor beside your feet, rest on top of your shins, or wrap behind your calves. 
4. Hold this shape for 1 to 3 minutes before slowly rolling back up to standing.

Malasana (Garland Pose)

A great way to make this flatulence-fighting shape more accessible is to tuck a yoga block or footstool underneath your hips so you can relax into the squat instead of muscling your way through it.

1. Start standing with your feet wider than your hips and toes turned out on a diagonal angle.
2. Squat down as far as you can so that your knees are deeply bent and your pelvis is resting between your legs.
3. Bring your palms together in a prayer position in front of your heart and press your elbows into your knees to help keep your legs open wide.

Balasana (Child’s Pose)

A calming posture for both your gut and your mind, this classic yoga pose relieves tension in the pelvic area and low back.

1. Start in a tabletop position on your hands and knees. Bring your big toes together to touch and send your knees out a little wider than your hips.
2. Sink your hips back toward your heels, and crawl your arms out long. Your belly will rest between your thighs. Your forehead can rest on the ground or on a pillow.
3. Hold this position for 2 to 5 minutes at a time. If you feel discomfort in your low back, try raising your hips so they are stacked over your knees while you keep your arms, head, and chest pressed down toward the floor.

Feel free to combine all these postures into a full gas-relieving sequence or simply try one pose at a time when the need arises.

This article was originally published on May 13, 2022, and has been updated. 

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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Editor’s note: FOK may collect a small share of sales from some of the links on this page, though it doesn’t influence our product picks.

Ninja Foodi Smoothie Bowl Maker | $120

This 1200-watt powerhouse is perfect for making plant-based sauces, spreads, smoothies, and soups. In addition to manual blending, the easy-to-clean base comes programmed with four preset functions: smoothies, extractions, bowls, and spread. This set comes with two blender cups and one bowl that all feature drip-proof lids so you can easily take your creations on the go. 

“The Ninja Smoothie Bowl Maker is perfect for a one-person household. I use it for everything from almond butter, to nice cream, to cashew-based sauces, to making my own almond flour. Its small size makes smaller batches super easy but it still has the power of a big blender!” —Regina B.

ONCE FOR ALL Safe Mandoline Food Slicer | $43

Never worry about cutting your fingers again with this versatile mandoline that can thinly slice, dice, and julienne to create perfectly uniform ingredients. A manual hand pump works the blade as you press veggies through a chute using a beveled tamper, ensuring your precious hands stay far from any sharp parts. The standing design is collapsable for easy storage and the stainless steel blade is easy to clean between uses?

“I love this mandoline for helping me prep veggies ahead on Sundays. You can change the setting to slide and dice, and I appreciate the safety features on this model, including the push top.” —Jessica M.

Instant Pot | From $80

One of the most loved meal-prep tools of all time, the Instant Pot is clutch for anyone who batch-cooks dry beans, soups, and stews, and more. Simply load up your ingredients, select the right setting, and press a button to get a delicious meal without all the elbow grease. Beyond pressure cooking, this multicooker can bake cakes, steam veggies, slow-simmer soups, cook rice, and more. 

“On Batch Cook Sundays I like to have three going at once!”—Patti P.

Zojirushi Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker | $215

If you want perfectly cooked brown rice every time you make a curry or a stir-fry, this rice cooker is worth the price tag. The Neuro Fuzzy’s built-in software monitors water and rice levels and adjusts cook times for perfect results—even if your measurements are less than perfect. The cooker holds a capacity of 5½-cup (shown) and 10-cup capacity and features a nonstick inner pan that makes for easy serving and cleanup. The digital menu allows you to select different cooking times based on the type of rice you’re using, and the extended keep-warm function ensures you have ready-to-eat rice whenever you need it. 

“It’s one of my most used appliances. I’ve had it for about 10 years and use it 2–3 times a week.”—Caresse S.

All-Clad D3 Stainless Everyday 10 Piece Pots and Pans Set | $650 for 10 pieces

If you’re ready to upgrade to the Cadillac of stainless Steel cookware, now is the time. Normally upwards of $1,400, All-Clad’s sleek 10-piece set is more than 50% off right now. Cook up a storm with 8.5-inch and 10.5-inch skillets, 1.5-quart and 3-quart saucepans with lids, a 3-quart sauté pan with lid, and a 6-quart stockpot. The contoured handles are easy to grip, drip-free pouring rims eliminate spillage, and they’re all oven-safe up to 600℉. 

“I use the medium saucepan for making oatmeal and whole grains like bulgur, rice, farro, etc. The large saucepan is great for making chilis, soups, and stews, while the large skillet is ideal for making all kinds of dishes. It’s easy to water sauté in these pans and they are well-made in the USA!”—Cammy N.

Pyrex 3 Cup Rectangular Glass Storage Dishes with Cover | $28 for set of 4

Store all of your perfectly portioned meals in these durable glass Pyrex containers to make weekday dinners super simple. The sturdy glass is nonporous, which means it won’t absorb odors or stains, and the tightly stealing lids are BPA-free. Featuring microwave-, oven-, and freezer-safe tempered glass, these stackable containers are great for storing leftovers so you have a tasty meal ready to go on nights when you don’t have time to cook. 

“I love the Pyrex containers for leftovers and food prepping! They create easy cleanup and can even be warmed [sans lids] in the oven.”—Shannon D.

Veggetti Spiral Vegetable Slicer | $11

This handy meal prep tool creates perfect curly-cue produce in a matter of minutes. Zucchini, squash, carrots, cucumbers, and potatoes can all fit inside the hourglass-shaped spiralizer and turned into wavy noodles with a simple twist of the wrist. The dual stainless-steel blades can create either thick or thin noodles, allowing you to have more control over the finished product. 

”The spiralizer is a simple handheld one but it does the job great as well as not taking up a lot of kitchen space.”— Shannon D.

Braun 4-in-1 Immersion Hand Blender | $90

While it doesn’t do everything a standing blender can do, a good immersion blender is ideal for creating velvety smooth soups directly in the pot—no messy transferring required! This powerful 350-watt hand blender is ideal for achieving a creamy consistency thanks to its super sharp stainless steel blade. The ergonomic handle is easy to maneuver, and the detachable head is easy to clean. Not to mention, this set comes with a whisk attachment, a food processor bowl, a masher, and a beaker for small-batch blending. It’s a mini blender, food processor, and hand mixer in one.

“I use this mainly on soups, but it’s also great for mashing potatoes or beans!”—Shannon D.

Oxo Salad Spinner | $30

Clean and dry leafy greens like a pro with this simple and effective salad spinner. The non-slip base is great for gripping even the sleekest countertops, and the built-in brake button ensures total control. Plus, the basket doubles as a colander, the outer bowl is attractive enough to serve a salad in, and the pump can locks down to the lowest position for compact storage.

“It’s the only salad spinner I’ve owned that works.”—Donna S.

Tofuture Tofu Press | $24

Gone are the days of stacking a pile of cookbooks on top of your tofu to press out the moisture! This nifty professional press, which is BPA-free and dishwasher-safe, does all the work for you. Simply sandwich your tofu block between the two green panels, give it a squeeze, and empty out the water collected in the bottom tray. 

“I love this tofu press. I bought two so I can always have one rotating in.”—Angie H.

Cuisinart Push Chopper | $25

Get perfectly minced garlic, chopped nuts, mashed herbs, and sliced veggies in a matter of seconds with this sleek stainless steel push chopper. The enclosed base means you don’t need to break out the cutting board, and the dishwasher safe parts are easy to clean. Plus, pumping the push blade is a great way to get out some pent-up aggression in the kitchen! This is a great tool for batch-chopping aromatics that will be used in multiple recipes throughout the week. 

“Small enough to be convenient and very easy to clean. The rotating blade works well to quickly chop or mince items. I always use it for onions and garlic, though it also works well for nuts, peppers, or any other small job.”—Liz C.

Dexas Rainbow Flex Mats Cutting Boards  | $20 for set of 8

Every plant-based meal prepper needs a good set of cutting boards, and these non-slip mats are just right for chopping veggies. At 11×8 inches, these thin boards smaller than most, so you can pull out as many as you need for a prep session, and they take up less space in the cupboard and dishwasher. The nonporous BPA-free surface is designed to keep knife blades sharp and can easily bend to funnel ingredients straight into a pan. Plus, the eye-catching colors will bring some added cheer into your kitchen decor. 

“I typically prefer natural materials, but for a cutting board I find a lightweight, flexible mat perfect for storage, bending, and pouring over pot, and easy to clean.”—Tonya U.

High Speed Blender | Varying prices

High-speed blenders were recommended by nearly every Forks Meal Planner user, which means this is a must-have item in your plant-based kitchen. Blenders run the gamut in terms of size and price, so it’s important to find one that matches your cooking needs and budget. Check out our high-speed blender guide to take a look at our top picks and figure out which one is right for your kitchen. 

Forks Meal Planner is FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. Sign up today for a free two-week trial—no credit card required! To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.

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The book, available on November 1, takes a deep dive into the intricate—and sometimes surprising—intersections between modern industrialized diets, chronic disease, and climate catastrophes. Pollard’s extensively researched work equips readers with the tools to not only make immediate changes in their dietary habits but also to analyze the conflicting claims around nutrition and climate change that often dominate news headlines.

“It’s a guidebook on the most attainable solutions that we have to the world’s most pressing problems,” says Pollard. “But it’s structured so that we understand how to discern what’s true and what’s not. The first section asks, what is science? What’s the scientific method? And how do we apply it critically to our everyday lives?”

To make things easy, Eating Does It provides readers with a checklist of steps to follow when determining whether a claim is accurate and trustworthy. Pollard’s conviction that science-backed decisions are paramount for healing our health and the environment is elaborated on in the bulk of the book’s chapters, which look at the impact of chronic disease and climate change in nine different regions around the world.

“These regions are suffering from chronic diseases that are actually [modifiable through diet],” Pollard says. “We’ve lost our way when it comes to the simple solutions for supporting our health. And it’s also not just about the food—it’s how you feel after you eat the food. You might feel better and be more prone to take a walk every day. And then before you know it, maybe you’ll be able to walk further, which would bring you to a park where you’d meet neighbors and make social connections, which is key for good health. When we start being intentional about what we put on our plates we can just watch the domino effect of good health fall from there.”

Our Bodies, Our Ecosystems

Pollard points to our modern food systems as the common denominator between the failing health of our bodies and of our planet. As she points out in the book, eating hamburgers uses 2.9 times more water, 2.5 times more energy, 13 times more fertilizer, and 1.4 times more pesticides than eating vegetarian foods.

“The amount of resources it takes to create any animal product is enormous,” says Pollard. “It takes 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese. Think about all the water and the feed that was given to the cows to make that milk. The impact of having a simple cheese sandwich is huge. We could be feeding everybody on this earth with enough food if we didn’t give that food to animals.”

With so many climate catastrophes happening on a regular basis, Pollard hopes that Eating Does It can act as a beacon of hope for those who are struggling to stay optimistic in the face of such large-scale change.

“Hope is a key element to good health,” says Pollard. “We can’t accomplish anything without it. I recommend finding your why for going plant-based. For many of us, it’s helping the world, helping others, finding reasons to benefit beyond ourselves. That will keep us committed to a lifestyle that benefits the planet.”

Kathy Pollard’s 4 Food Rules

Change doesn’t happen overnight, which is why the last portion of Eating Does It includes an easily customizable menu of actions—both big and small—that you can take to better support your health and the environment. Regardless of which new practices you’re able to adopt, Pollard recommends keeping these core guidelines in mind when switching to a plant-based diet.

1. The more whole plants in your diet, the better.

Simple as that. Avoid processed foods as much as possible.

2. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Sometimes you’ll go to a birthday party and have a cupcake, and that’s OK. Pollard emphasizes that your overall health is dependent on your everyday dietary pattern, not the small deviations.

3. Eat the rainbow.

The phytochemicals and antioxidants in colorful fruits and veggies protect you from toxins and disease. Try to eat many different colors of whole plant foods every day.

4. Eat as much WFPB food as you want.

On a whole-food, plant-based diet you can eat as much as you want as long as it has intact fiber. This means whole grains, beans, whole fruit, and veggies that haven’t been processed or extracted. This dietary lifestyle allows you to eat until you’re full without watching portion size because it’s so healthy.

While Pollard acknowledges that we can’t solve climate change through how we eat alone, she contends that this is a critical first step to pressure large industries to shift their production practices to more sustainable solutions. A plant-based diet can function as a springboard for greater change, both in our health and our environment.

“We don’t have to wait for policy to change,” says Pollard. “We don’t have to wait for infrastructure to be built. We have a lot to do in this world to reverse the course of climate change, but the most effective and immediate tool we have is right in front of us every time we sit down to eat.”

To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer. For meal-planning support, check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path.

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Frightful Fruit Snacks

On a night where processed junk food reigns supreme, showcase nature’s candy with these clever and tasty fruit treats that will delight All Hallow’s Eve revelers.

Ghostly Bananas & Pumpkin Patch Clementines

Peel bananas and cut them crosswise about three-quarters of the way down to make a flat base. Using a dab of nut butter, stick three dairy-free chocolate chips onto each banana to make a ghostly face. For pumpkins, peel clementines and insert a short celery stick into the top to create the pumpkin stem.

Caramel Apple Monster Mouths

A frightfully fun twist on the classic candy apple, cut an apple into three or four wedges. Carve out a wedge-shaped slice in the center of each apple chunk (ensuring you don’t cut all the way through) and fill the cavity with our Raw Chocolate Caramel Dip. Place peanuts around the edges for teeth and a sliced strawberry for the tongue. Complete your munchy monsters with candy eyes or dairy-free chocolate chips (you can use more of the caramel dip as glue).

Spooky Watermelon

This fruity fiend comes from Carleigh Bodrug of PlantYou, and it works perfectly as a show-stopping centerpiece for your Halloween party table. Per Bodrug’s instructions:

1. Draw a jack-o’-lantern face on a medium sized watermelon. Slice the bottom off so it can sit flat, and then carve out the face using a sharp knife.
2. Remove the inner flesh of the watermelon using a spoon or melon baller. Mix the balled watermelon with blueberries, grapes, cantaloupe, or any other fruit you desire.
3. To serve, place watermelon on a large platter or cutting board, and arrange the fruit so that it starts inside the “mouth” and spews outward.

Very Scary Veggies

For some kids, the thought of eating veggies is akin to a horror movie. Make snack time more fun with these healthy Halloween treats that play into the spooky aesthetics of the season.

Celery Stick Frankensteins & Carrot Witch Fingers

While not everything in this spooky spread is compliant with a whole-food, plant-based diet, Chef Katie Simmons shared some excellent ideas from a vegan party platter she created for a Halloween gathering. Our favorites are the Frankenstein Celery Sticks and the Carrot Witch Fingers in the center of the shot, both of which come together in a flash. For the Celery Sticks, fill each stick with nut butter or hummus and top with a sliced black olive for the hair. Add raisins, chocolate chips, or dollops of black bean dip for the eyes. For the Witch Fingers, slice a horizontal sliver off the top of a baby carrot and use nut butter to attach a slivered almond as the fingernail. You can also carve lines into the carrot to make it look like knuckles! Surround them with an assortment of your favorite dips, baked chips, and other dippers for a suitably spooky WFPB platter.

Stuffed Mushroom Eyeballs

These haunting stuffed mushrooms are the perfect canapé to serve during a rewatch of the classic family Halloween film Hocus Pocus. Jacki Sobon of Vegan Yack Attack stuffs each mushroom cap with a savory tofu filling before using olives and sun-dried tomatoes to create the eyes. Bake them to tender perfection, and watch how quickly your little goblins gobble these up.

Jack-o’-Lantern Crudités

Hosting a Halloween party? Place a festive jack-o’-lantern crudités arrangement at the center of the table with a side of Vegan Ranch Dressing to delight your ghoulish guests. Carrots, celery, and cucumber slices work perfectly for this easy and adorable appetizer.

Whole-Food Halloween Mains

Why stop with snacks? Keep the creepy concoctions coming with these delightful main dishes that are ideal for fueling hungry tummies before an evening of trick-or-treating.

Batty Bento Box

To decorate sushi rolls, use a sharp knife to cut bats and cats out of nori or mini orange bell peppers. Take a look at our collection of vegan sushi recipes to pick one that looks tasty, and then start decorating!

Spiderweb Soup

This great idea by Dreena Burton transforms any blended soup or dessert into a Halloween-themed dish. Create a web design using plant-based sour cream for savory dishes and vanilla bean whip for sweet ones. Fill a small sandwich bag with the sour cream or the vanilla whip, and cut off a small corner with scissors. Carefully pipe the white decoration onto your soup or pudding in concentric circles starting in the center. Insert a clean butter knife into the center circle. Drag it outwar to create a webbed effect. Do this a few times until your design is finished, wiping off the butter knife each time.

Pasta Brain Peppers

Neatly cut off the very top of bell peppers and seed and core each one. Using a sharp knife, cut out the jack-o’-lantern face. Fill with pasta and sauce of your choice, and bake at 350℉ for 25 to 30 minutes until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is slightly oozing out of the faces.

All Hail the Pumpkin King

Ditch those sugar-filled pumpkin spice lattes and celebrate the flavor of this special squash with a whole-food, plant-based recipe! When cooking with pumpkins, be sure to select a variety that’s bred for eating, such as small sugar pumpkins or pie pumpkins, because they have thick flesh and a low moisture content which makes them perfect to use in the kitchen. Whether you chop it up to stick in a stew or make your own pumpkin purée for a velvety dessert, there are tons of ways you can transform this classic Halloween decoration into a tasty treat. Check out our favorite pumpkin recipes to celebrate gorgeous gourd during its peak season:

• Fall Fruit Trifle with Pumpkin Gingerbread
• Pumpkin Ice Cream
• Pumpkin Seed Granola with Millet and Oats
• Or take a look at our full collection of vegan pumpkin recipes

The post Haunting but Healthy Halloween Treats appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Hands-on sanctuary tours let you get up close and personal with the furry residents while also providing education on how a plant-based lifestyle can prevent animals from needing sanctuary in the first place.

Best Friends

Kanab, Utah

Nestled among the stunning red rock vistas of southern Utah, this massive sanctuary is home to more than 1,600 cats, dogs, pigs, horses, birds, bunnies, and other rescued friends. Visitors can take a guided tour of the grounds, volunteer to help care for the animals (which ensures extra up-close time with the residents), enjoy a vegan lunch at the on-site cafe, and explore the many hiking trails that wind through the beautiful canyons.

“We hope visitors are compelled by the magic they experience at the sanctuary to help animals in their own community,” says Best Friends spokeswoman Michelle Sathe. “Best Friends is dedicated to ending the killing of shelter pets by 2025, and this will only happen if we get every animal-lover in America on board.”

You can tour Best Friends Animal Sanctuary for free. For an extra-special experience, stay at one of the on-site cottages or cabins and have a “sleepover” with an adoptable sanctuary animal. Learn more and sign up here.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary

Saugerties, New York

Ten different species of farm animals currently call this East Coast oasis home. Tucked away in New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley, Catskill Animal Sanctuary offers engaging tours of the grounds and its residents, educational programs for kids, and vegan cooking classes that support their mission to end animal exploitation. Over the past 22 years, their dedicated team has rescued and rehabilitated more than 5,000 animals.

“Two decades of this work have shown us its transformative power,” says Camryn Beck, a digital marketing and communications associate at the sanctuary. “When an animal lover with a traditional diet is greeted by a cow who licks their face or a turkey who plops into their lap … their defenses drop, their heart is opened, and they’re often eager to make different choices.”

A charming upscale farmhouse is available to rent on-site for visitors who want to stay overnight and experience the magic of waking up to crowing roosters and mooing cows.

Catskill Animal Sanctuary offers 90-minute regular tours and 60-minute family-focused tours for around $25 for adults and $2 for children. You can also purchase a day pass, which includes a tour, for $50. Learn more and sign up here.

The Gentle Barn

Santa Clarita, California; Christiana, Tennessee; and Dittmer, Missouri

Since its inception in 1999, The Gentle Barn has saved thousands of animals and connected more than 750,000 visitors to inspiring stories of animal resilience. Each of the three stunning properties hosts guided tours on Sundays where you can rub the bellies of friendly pigs, cuddle up with fluffy turkeys, and look into the eyes of majestic horses. If you’re searching for a way to de-stress, their hour-long Cow Hug Therapy sessions are offered four days a week for a $200 donation.

“We hope that through their experience at the barn guests realize that we are more alike than we are different, and that both animals and humans deserve safety, freedom, and respect,” says Gentle Barn event coordinator Courtney Eklund.

Tours of the Gentle Barn must be booked in advance, and tickets range from $15 to $25. (Children 2 years and under are admitted for free.) Learn more and sign up here.

Animal Place

Grass Valley, California

As one of the oldest animal sanctuaries in America, Animal Place provides a home to hundreds of critters rescued from cruelty cases, feedlots, research labs, and slaughterhouses. The 600-acre property in Northern California is open for tours where visitors can explore the barns and pastures to interact with furry and feathered friends. While nose-to-snout encounters are certainly the highlight, the sanctuary also hosts a Museum of Animal Farming, vegan cooking classes, and community events that spread awareness about animal welfare.

“Our goal is not only to educate folks about the individual personalities of the animals, but also to show them the complex social structures of the different species,” says executive director Kim Sturla. “We repeatedly draw comparisons between companion animals and those raised for food. Compassion for others—human and nonhuman animals—is an essential part of being a vegan.”

Learn more about Animal Place here.

Farm Sanctuary

Acton, California, and Watkins Glen, New York

What began with a single rescued sheep has now blossomed into two farm sanctuaries where more than 700 pigs, goats, chickens, cows, turkeys, and other traditionally slaughtered animals call home. Farm Sanctuary believes in ending the exploitation of animals not only to preserve the dignity of all living beings, but to help prevent climate change, fight for social justice, and improve public health. Their dual properties, in Upstate New York and Southern California, invite guests to meet the animals face-to-face and learn about their unique stories as ambassadors of the animal agriculture system.

“No matter what leads someone to choose a plant-based lifestyle—be it for health, the environment, social justice, or something else—the recognition that it also helps reduce animal suffering is a powerful motivator and, for some people, will be the factor that leads to lasting change,” says Meredith Turner-Smith, Farm Sanctuary’s media relations specialist. “If we can live well without causing harm, why wouldn’t we?”

Farm Sanctuary offers one-hour guided tours, and if you have young kids you can partake in a children’s tour that offers age-appropriate education. General admission is $15, and kids under 2 are free. You can also book an overnight experience at their New York location and stay in luxurious cabins surrounded by stunning views and adorable animals.

More Vegan Travel Destinations

Looking for more vegan-friendly travel? Check out our list of incredible plant-based resorts that you should have on your bucket list. From the coasts of California to the beaches of Costa Rica and the mountains of New Zealand, there’s a WFPB paradise perfect for your next holiday.

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