Discover the Ease and Delight of a Plant-Based Life
Welcome to my evolving list of plant-based options! Embracing a plant-based lifestyle can be easy, fast, and delicious. While this list is not exhaustive, feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns about transitioning away from meat and dairy. As a plant-based educator, I offer years of practical experience and am here to support your journey. Let’s explore the joy of plant-based living together!
Grocery Delivery & Meal Plans: A Guide for Health-conscious Foodies
Health-conscious foodies are constantly seeking convenient and affordable options to support their lifestyle. Whether it’s cooking meals from scratch or enjoying prepared dishes, there are several avenues to explore.
For those who enjoy the process of cooking and handpicking their ingredients, services like Goodeggs and Misfit offer convenient organic and locally-sourced produce delivery.
Meal delivery services provide a streamlined solution for health-conscious individuals, offering homemade or prepared healthy meals. These options cater to a spectrum of preferences and budgets, emphasizing convenience without compromising on quality.
Dispelling the notion that plant-based living is more expensive, exploring the whole foods plant-based produce section in any store can unearth budget-friendly options. By avoiding processed products, embracing bulk purchases, and being mindful of sales, you can embrace a plant-based diet without straining your finances.
Forks Over Knives, known for its influential documentary, has extended its offerings to include meal plans, cooking workshops, and recipes—creating a comprehensive resource for health-conscious and budget-minded consumers.
Vegan Meal Planning with PlateJoy
PlateJoy is a versatile meal-planning app that offers a range of customizable options for creating delicious, colourful meals with minimal waste. While the app isn’t exclusively vegan, it can be tailored to suit various dietary preferences, making it an ideal choice for individuals following specific diets such as vegan keto.
PlateJoy prioritizes waste reduction, allowing users to customize portion sizes, accommodate different numbers of adults or kids, and even plan batch meals to minimize food waste. The app makes it easy to generate grocery lists that can be saved as a PDF for convenient in-store shopping, or even utilized for online ordering.
One notable feature of PlateJoy is its user-friendly interface, which allows for easy customization of menus and grocery lists. Additionally, the app offers a two-week trial period, giving users ample time to explore its functionality before deciding on a subscription. PlateJoy provides flexible subscription options, including monthly, 6-month, or yearly plans, ensuring that users can choose the best option for their needs.
Experience Healthy and Delicious Meals with Splendid Spoon and Sakara Life
If you’re looking for a convenient and nutritious meal delivery option, consider exploring Splendid Spoon and Sakara Life. Splendid Spoon offers a variety of delicious smoothies and bowls, such as the blackberry basil, mint chip, green matcha, green goddess quinoa, and the taco bowl. Additionally, their detox shots are a surprising treat. However, the real stars of the show are their mouthwatering, low-calorie, yet filling soups.
On the other hand, Sakara Life is a renowned NY-based company with a kitchen in LA, delivering throughout the United States. Their Signature Programme boasts exceptionally tasty and nourishing meals. Despite being a bit pricey, the quality and taste are incomparable. The company offers three meal plans, allowing customers to subscribe at a lower price with the flexibility to skip or cancel anytime.
Furthermore, based on personal experience, their customer service is exceptional.
As a special offer, you can benefit from a 20% discount off any meal program, supplements, or clean boutique products by using the code IVYSAKARA.
I think you will love these meal delivery services’ convenience, taste, and health benefits.
Latest Discoveries in Convenient Health Foods
When it comes to convenient and healthy meal options, Daily Harvest, with its wide array of smoothies, acai bowls, and more, is a standout choice for busy individuals. Their website offers a seamless user experience and delivers to 32 states across the U.S.
Veestro is another exciting find, offering affordable, commitment-free meal plans with a rewards program for free meals and discounts. Customizable meal options and a chef’s choice selection make it an ideal solution for those with time constraints.
Mamasezz, known for its tagline “All the good stuff. None of the BS (Bad Stuff),” provides meal bundles such as the weight loss bundle or customizable options. Their whole food ingredients make it a worry-free option for families, allowing for diverse diets and easy meal plan adjustments.
For individuals juggling kitchen duties, Mamasezz offers a much-needed break by diversifying diets and reducing meal prep time. Plus, the flexibility to skip or postpone deliveries caters to busy schedules.
Nutrition Information on Plant-Based Living
Looking for reliable nutrition information on plant-based living? Discover How Not to Die by Michael Greger with Gene Stone for scientifically proven foods to prevent and reverse disease. Michael Greger offers approachable, easy-to-understand language and a wealth of informative resources on his website, including videos, articles, and a cookbook. Additionally, Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies provide credible sources with recipes, success stories, and articles covering nutrition science, fitness, and social issues.
Concerned about the environment? Ezra Klein’s article “Gut Check: Here’s the Meat of the Problem” offers insights on the impact of plant-based diets on climate change. Lastly, consult the Vice interview with Daniel Chamovitz, the dean of Life Sciences at Tel Aviv University, for knowledge on plant sensitivity. It would be a whole lot better for the planet if everyone eliminated one meat meal a week than if a small core of die-hards developed perfectly virtuous diets… if we’re going to take global warming seriously, if we’re going to make crude oil more expensive and tank-size cars less practical, there’s no reason to ignore the impact of what we put on our plates”.
Challenge 22 is not only a resource (recipes, tips, videos, motivation) it is a community of activists, dietitians, and mentors, ready to help anyone willing to try going vegan for 22 days.
Top Vegan and Plant-Based Books
Looking for insightful and impactful vegan and plant-based lifestyle books? Look no further! Check out these best-selling reads:
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How Not to Die and How Not to Diet by Dr. Michael Greger
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Your Body in Balance, The Cheese Trap, and 21 Day Weight Loss Kickstart by Dr. Neal Barnard
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The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook and Dr. Neal Barnard’s Cookbook for Reversing Diabetes by Dr. Neal Barnard
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Fiber Fueled: The Plant-Based Gut Health Program for Losing Weight, Restoring Your Health, and Optimizing Your Microbiome by Dr. Will Bulsiewicz
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The Ayurvedic Vegan Kitchen by Talja Lutzker, offering delicious Ayurvedic and vegan recipes
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The China Study by Dr. Campbell, focusing on cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity
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Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism by Melanie Joy, a top-rated book exploring important societal topics
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In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan, a refreshing take on sensible eating and nutrition.
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Sistah Vegan is a collection of stories, essays, poems, and reflections from a diverse community of North American Black-identified vegans. Edited by Breeze Harper, the project delves into the intersection of plant-based living with issues of race, gender, sexuality, and class. It offers a unique perspective on animal rights and nutrition.
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Eat Clean, Play Dirty Cookbook: A beloved cookbook featuring appetizers, sweet snacks, dressings, and a memorable soba noodle recipe. Perfect for those seeking a nourishing and flavorful plant-based diet. (Get it here 20% off with the CODE IVYSAKARA)
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Vegan Bowls Cookbook: Ideal for transitioning to or continuing a plant-based lifestyle, with a special focus on delicious burger recipes.
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The 30-Day Vegan Challenge by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau: A helpful guide for those interested in trying a vegan lifestyle but unsure of where to begin.
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Sweet Potato Soul: Discover a plethora of tantalizing vegan Southern recipes by Jenne Clairborne.
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Slow Death by Rubber Duck: While not food-focused, this intriguing read sheds light on everyday toxins and their impact on health. It’s an eye-opening and compelling read that may change your shopping habits.
Effective diet and workout programs
At Ivy Chan Wellness, I offer evidence-backed approaches with a focus on empathy and non-judgmental support. With personal experience in overcoming anxiety and unhealthy habits, I understand your journey and can help guide you.
For those interested in fitness, especially strength-training and those looking to lose weight or gain muscle, Conscious Muscle offers highly recommended fitness and diet programs with vegan recipes. In addition to achieving your fitness goals, a portion of your purchase supports their animal sanctuary. With flexible diet options tailored to individual goals and preferences, they provide menus featuring meat substitutes or protein-rich legumes.
For plant-based meal plans and resources, visit Rich Roll‘s site. As a former entertainment attorney turned wellness and plant-based nutrition advocate, he offers inspiring and informative content, including blogs, podcasts, and success stories. You can also personalize your meal plan through a survey and have the ingredients delivered to your door.
If you’re looking for vegan fitness and strength inspirations, from the “300-pound-vegan” NFL player David Carter and “the sculpted vegan” Kim Constable to the Conscious Muscle, the resources for vegan strength training seem endless.
Top Life-Changing Documentaries
Besides the super well-known Game Changers, What the Health, and the Secrets of the Blue Zones docu on Netflix, I can recommend the below:
1. Forks Over Knives: This powerful documentary has impacted countless individuals, including renowned personalities like David Carter. Consider exploring their cookbook for more invaluable insights.
2. Food, Inc.: Despite being less distressing, this documentary has led many individuals, including young and underprivileged ones with no prior plant-based inclinations, to embrace a vegan lifestyle. Available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
3. Earthlings: This unforgettable and critically acclaimed documentary, divided into five chapters, offers a stark portrayal of the realities in the pet, food, clothing, entertainment, and scientific research industries. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix with music by Moby, it’s a compelling yet disturbing watch that has profoundly influenced many, including Ellen Degeneres. It has been dubbed as “the vegan maker” and has been instrumental in transforming meat-eating individuals.
4. What the Health: With a focus on the health implications of the meat and dairy industry, this documentary, while potential bias, remains a compelling watch. It is recommended to delve into interviews with scientists to understand the documentary’s significance and explore its widespread impact.
5. Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead: Ideal for individuals considering a plant-based diet for health reasons, this documentary provides motivating insights for those on a health and wellness journey.
6. Cowspiracy: A popular, crowd-sourced documentary delving into the environmental impact of the meat and dairy industries.
7. Food Matters: An extensively researched documentary offering easy-to-digest information on sustainable food choices.
8. Vegucated: This documentary follows the journey of three regular meat-eating New Yorkers as they embark on a vegan diet, shedding light on the challenges and eye-opening realizations.
9. Vegan: Everyday Stories: Featuring stories of various individuals, including well-known figures, sharing their experiences as vegans, making it particularly relevant for the younger audience.
10.Live and Let Live: This lesser-known documentary provides a comprehensive overview of the history and motivations behind veganism, making it a valuable resource for those interested in understanding the movement’s evolution.
Discovering Plant-Based and Clean Supplements
If you’re seeking high-quality plant-based and clean supplements, Gaia Herbs and Sakara offer exceptional options. Gaia Herbs provide a range of products for various needs, such as stress-response, inflammation, antioxidant support, and digestive health. Their Ashwagandha Root is particularly noteworthy for addressing anxiety and insomnia, offering life-changing benefits. Additionally, Gaia Herbs offers products suitable for children, like their popular elderberry syrup.
On the other hand, Sakara’s probiotics and The Foundation (which I have been using for years) are trusted choices for daily use. Their Foundation line, including the recently launched Foundation: Prenatal, consists of doctor-formulated, research-based, and organic ingredients. These clean supplements are non-GMO, gluten-free, and lab-tested, providing essential nutrients for immunity and energy.
If you’re new to Sakara, you can enjoy a 20% discount on various products, including meal programs, and supplements by using the code IVYSAKARA on their website. With these high-quality options, you can nourish your body with confidence and convenience.
Discover The Nue Co‘s supplements for joints, metabolism, skin care, stress, and sleep. Their pre/probiotics line and reputable vitamin line are mostly plant-based and Ayurveda-friendly. For example, their Joints supplement combines Boswellia and turmeric, enhancing curcumin’s effectiveness with Boswellic acid. The “Skin Filter” contains camu camu and amla, commonly used in Ayurveda. All formulas are free from toxic preservatives, additives, flavourings, and sweeteners.
For vegan Omega 3 supplements, consider Ora, Vivo, and The Beauty Chef.
Compassion in Fashion: Sustainable and Animal-Friendly Brands
Save the Duck offers animal-free coats that are down-like without down feathers, earning them PETA Deutschland’s Vegan Fashion Award.
Compassionate Closet, known for its warm brand name, and Tokyo Bags, offering handcrafted, vegan bags made with sustainable materials, both embody compassion in fashion. Additionally, Tokyo Bags provides free shipping.
Native Shoes is a low-emission, eco-friendly, and 100% cruelty-free brand, and Matt and Nat are admired for their stylish and sustainable backpacks.
Miomojo is a vegan handbag and accessories brand from Italy. I discovered this brand after Tracey Kleber, a vegan activist, author, podcast host, producer and non-profit founder, shared about them on LinkedIn. Women-founded in 2012 and certified as a B Corporation, they produce accessories like the gorgeous, gorgeous “Alma” handbag, using animal-friendly, sustainable materials. Some of their collections utilize plant-based “leathers” crafted from apple, pear, and cactus waste materials! They’re basically transforming organic by-products into fashionable vegan textiles. Their cruelty-free, innovative product line offers an exciting alternative for those of us looking to avoid leather and other animal-derived materials. The only caveat is that they’re outside of the US. If you prefer to buy locally, you will want to keep that in mind.
These brands embody compassion in the fashion industry through their animal-friendly, sustainable, and eco-conscious practices.
Go Green with Non-Toxic Beauty
Ilia is one of my favourite clean beauty brands. Their products have always agreed with my naturally sensitive skin. The Skin Tint SPF 40 lets your skin breathe before layering on more makeup. I recently ordered the brand-new Complexion Stick, and can’t wait to try it!
Discover earthy, desert-inspired looks with Athr Beauty. Their crystal eye shadows, highlights, and lip tints are gorgeously natural. Use code IVY15 to save on Athr.
Take The Beauty Chef’s quiz to find the perfect organic products for you. Their customized recommendations transform skin.
AnnMarie Skin Care uses organic, plant-based ingredients and minimal processing for pure, additive-free skincare. Their wildcrafted citrus stem cell serum restores glow naturally.
Haus Labs is completely vegan! I’m stoked because I use their products regularly. They make one of my favourite ever foundations. If you’ve seen my reels on Instagram, I’m likely using at least one product from Haus Labs.
Other brands in my routine: Sundays, Paavani, Sahajan, Moonjuice, Cocokind, Half Magic Beauty, Credo Beauty, Follain, Beauty Without Cruelty, Chantecaille, BKIND, Ranavat Botanics, Schmidt’s Naturals, Lavanila and FruitenVeg. These cruelty-free brands offer non-toxic makeup, skincare, haircare and accessories made without parabens, sulfates, phthalates and other harsh chemicals. Shop organic, ayurvedic, and natural beauty products that are ethically sourced. Find affordable clean beauty favourites and luxury non-toxic skincare rituals. Go vegan and cruelty-free without sacrificing quality ingredients and beautiful results.
Here’s my list so far. I’ll update it regularly, so check back for more. If you have any suggestions, especially for vegan snacks, please let me know!
Editor’s note: The information in this article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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