Vegetarian Zen

2023 marks 10 years since Larissa and I made the decision to become vegetarians and we’ve learned a lot along the way. One question we hear every now and then from people not familiar with plant-based diets is, “Is being vegetarian (or vegan) even healthy?” Well, we thought the 10-year anniversary of when we made the decision to go veg would be a great time to discuss this and to look back on all we’ve learned so far. Check out the full show notes here with links to everything we discuss.

Discover the world of vegan charcuterie boards! Explore creative ideas to craft stunning, mouthwatering plant-based spreads for any occasion. You can check out the show notes for this episode here.

If you've ever wondered, "Is yeast vegan?" this one's for you! We'll answer the question and provide some yeast health benefits plus recipes! You can check out the full show notes here.

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen Podcast, we’re going to share 10 vegan tostada ideas for busy weeknights. Larissa and I appreciate quick easy meals as I’m sure a lot of you do as well. Tostadas are a meal we have in our rotation but they can sometimes get a little boring so we’re going to share some ideas we’ll be trying soon. You can check out the show notes here.

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Toni Okamoto who is the founder of Plant-Based on a Budget, the popular website and social media platform that teaches millions how to eat more plants without breaking their budget. She’s also the author of the book Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy cookbook, and the co-host of The Plant-Powered People Podcast. We talk to Toni about her own plant-based journey and she'll also share some tips for being plant-based on a budget. Be sure to check out the full show notes here.

It’s that time of year again! The Girl Scouts of America will be out in full force, green sashes and all, peddling their delicious boxes of cookies. But if you’re vegan, are you able to partake of this yearly deliciousness? The short answer is YES. There are some delicious vegan Girl Scout Cookies to choose from! Let’s go over your vegan cookie options. You can check out our full show notes here.

In this episode we share 7 tips to help you succeed through Veganuary and beyond!

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we celebrate 10 years of the podcast by reminiscing about some of our favorite guests. You can check out our full show notes here.

Looking for some great gift ideas for your favorite vegetarian or vegan? Check out our 2022 vegan gift guide for some of our faves! You can find a link to all of the products we mention in the show notes.

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we’re talking about something that is relatively new — vegan Thanksgiving to go! If you're not in the mood to cook your turkey-free feast this year, don't fret! Several meal delivery services now offer holiday menus that you can have delivered to your door (or available for pick-up). You can check out links to everything we talk about here.

Larissa and Vickie discuss some hot topics in plant-based news. Check out the articles and show notes here.

We're keeping the spooky season theme going from our last episode and sharing 20 awesome vegan Halloween Candy treats! These are store-bought candies that are pretty easy to find. So pop in a scary movie and get your sweet tooth ready for some of these awesome vegan Halloween candy options! You can check out the show notes here.

Whether you’re heading to a Halloween get-together or just want to enjoy some fun foods at home, these 12 Vegan Halloween treats will add some delicious fun to the season! Check out the full show notes here.

This episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast is about Tofu. We talked about tofu a loooong time ago. Since then, we’ve learned a TON about cooking with tofu so we wanted to recap some of the benefits of cooking with tofu and also share 5 of our favorite recipes. Be sure to check out the show notes where we share more about how to press and marinate tofu.

In This episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Kobi Regev, CEO and Co-Founder of Pleese Foods, a company specializing in plant-based cheese made from a proprietary blend of bean and potato proteins. We talk to Kobi about his own plant-based journey and about his inspiration for creating Pleese Cheese. Check out the links for everything we discussed here.

When it comes to vegan clothing and cruelty-free beauty products, the fashion industry is taking notice. How do we know this? Because the competition is ramping up when it comes to vegan products. When we started the Vegetarian Zen podcast in 2013, there wasn't a ton of brands or products to talk about in the vegan lifestyle space. Sure, there were some but when you compare it to the offerings these days, it doesn't even compare. Even for those not living a vegan lifestyle, there is a lot more concern about the environmental impact our daily choices are making on the planet. In addition to the sustainability of products, concerns about fair trade and how workers are treated across the globe has sparked a lot of concern especially among younger generations. In episode 416, of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we interviewed actor, Torrey Devitto who talked about some of her favorite fashion and beauty brands so we decided to dive deeper into some of those companies and share a few of our own. Check out the full show notes here.

In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Torrey DeVitto. Torrey is an actor and musician who has recently wrapped up 6 seasons on Chicago Med. In addition to being an actor, Torrey is a passionate animal advocate. We’re going to talk to her about her own plant-based journey and how she incorporates eco-conscious sustainability into her life. You can check out some of the cruelty-free products and vegan fashion Torrey mentions in the show notes.

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Monica Aggarwal, MD, co-author of the book, Body on Fire Anti-Inflammatory Cookbook: Your Guide to eating Plant Foods that Fight Disease We’ll speak to Dr. Aggarwal about how improving your diet is one of the most important things you can do to reduce inflammation and improve your health. You can find the show notes here.

A common misconception about eating a plant-based diet (besides a lack of protein) is that plant-based eating is way more expensive than eating an omnivore diet. In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast we’re sharing 8 tips for eating plant-based on a budget. Links to everything we discuss on the in this episode can be found in the show notes.

In this episode of our podcast, Larissa and I talk about the top brands creating deliciuos non-dairy frozen desserts. We take a deeper look into our favorite brand, Ben & Jerry's.