Vegetarian Zen

Larissa and Vickie discuss 3 recent articles impacting the plant-based industry.

As we write this in February 2022, the world is experiencing a pandemic and many people are concerned with keeping themselves as healthy as possible. It's important to make sure our immune systems are functioning at their best. This is especially true for people with pre-existing conditions; exposure to any type of illness can further compromise their health. One way to help ensure a healthy immun...

Larissa and I were married in 2015 (we've been together since 2002). We've discussed our wedding here and there on this show but we thought it might be a good time to discuss how we had a vegan wedding without people even realizing that it was vegan!  As things are starting to open (with the caution of course during a pandemic) we thought this year and this month (February) would be a great time t...

Plan to Eat is definitely our favorite meal-planning app by far. In this review, we'll explain some of the great features that have kept us loyal Plan to Eat customers for years.

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Brittany Fuisz, CEO and Founder of Malibu Mylk, a sustainable, allergen-free alternative milk.  We talk to Brittany about her background, how she created Malibu Mylk, and also, let you know where you can find MM.  Brittany also has a generous offer for our community so be sure you listen all the way through!

Vegetarian Zen LOVES to celebrate awesome plant-based businesses because we think they are a big part of what helps make life easier for vegetarians and vegans while also helping to show those who aren't vegetarian or vegan that life is without meat is possible and, in fact, can be quite delicious!  In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Jason Rosenbaum, Co-Founder of Actual Veg...

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we celebrate 400 episodes! Larissa and I discuss what we've learned, some of our favorite episodes, and what the future holds for Vegetarian Zen. 

The holiday season is my absolute FAVORITE time of year! For me, it's always meant Christmas Eve with family, friends, and a great Christmas meal. Contrary to many stereotypes, being a vegan or vegetarian doesn't mean missing out on a great dinner! Here are 14 vegan and vegetarian Christmas dinner ideas that will satisfy vegetarians, vegans, and even your omnivore family members.

Recently, a Costco opened up just down the street from our house and we were SUPER excited! In this episode of the podcast, we share 20 awesome vegan Costco finds that make the price of membership TOTALLY worth it!  Check out links to the products we discuss in the show notes.

In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we share 5 tips for making AMAZING vegan tamales along with 5 recipes.  You can find all the links to the recipes here.  

'Tis the season for gift-giving! We've curated 12 great gifts for vegans, vegetarians , and well, just about anyone who enjoys a great gift! 

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Heather Beck of K9 Lifeline , a company that specializes in training, education, and care of dogs.  Larissa and I first learned about K9 Lifeline when we were watching one of our favorite shows, " The Profit " on MSNBC with Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis.  Heather and K9 Lifeline were the focus of one of the episodes and we were very move...

In today's episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome J. Douglas Hines, founder of Atlantic Natural Foods, a company that produces convenient plant-based products.  Prior to founding Atlantic Natural Foods, Mr. Hines was a leader in the global seafood industry for more than 40 years. The abuse of our oceans by commercial fishermen is what inspired him to leave the fishing industry. For more...

In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we discuss 10 of the best vegetarian cookbooks for beginners.   

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Joanne Roach of  The Foodies ( thefoodies.org ) which is a site that helps children understand where food comes from. It's all about trying new things to make the link between the seasons and their plates. Check out the show notes here .

In episode 390 of the podcast, we talked about some simple swaps you can make in cake mix to make it a vegan cake mix.  Inspired by that discussion, we're going to expand our discussion of "swaps" in the oil space. In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we're going to give you some tips for cooking without oil. Yes, it is possible!

Who doesn't love a good cake? If you're a vegetarian who still consumes some eggs and dairy, baking cakes at home won't change much for you.  However, if you're vegan or just trying to consume fewer eggs and dairy, cake-baking can be a bit more challenging, especially at the beginning of your plant-based journey.  In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we're going to talk about how you can...

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we're going to talk about 8 of the best vegan yogurt brands of 2021 as named by our amazing closed Facebook Group, The Peas and Carrots Society . With so much change happening in the plant-based space we like to keep you, our listeners, up to date on the latest and greatest so that's what we're going to do here today. For complete show notes and links...

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Tyler Mayoras, CEO, and co-founder of Cool Beans, which strives to bring whole-food goodness to the frozen foods section of your grocery store by creating minimally-processed food that is good for your body, soul, and for the planet.  We will talk to Tyler about his own plant-based journey, about his inspiration for creating Cool Beans, and...

In this episode of The Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Jenny TB of Grow Hot Peppers.  Jenny loves to garden and taught herself how to grow all kinds of pepper varieties and today, she's going to talk about how you can get started growing your own peppers no matter what space limitations you may have.

We discuss some of the top stories in plant-based news. 

In this episode of the vegetarian zen podcast, we're going to discuss my recent completion of Rouxbe's Culinary Rx Online Cooking course.  You may recall that in 2018, I took their Forks Over Knives cooking course so I decided to give another course a try.  I'll tell you what I learned and give you a rundown of what this course entails should you choose to look into it for yourself or for that asp...

This episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast isn't quite the healthiest episode we've ever done but, life is all about balance right? Today, we're talking about the top 10 vegan chips as voted on by us and by our trusted Peas and Carrots Society.  We started Vegetarian Zen in 2013 and we like to stay on top of food trends. Things are changing so fast in the plant-based world and that's a great thing...

Vegan coffee lovers rejoice! With the rise of vegan plant-based milk over the past several years, there are PLENTY of vegan coffee creamers to choose from that can take that morning cuppa Joe from drab to fab! Even if you aren't a vegan but are simply looking to reduce dairy, these non-dairy options won't disappoint. In this episode of our podcast , break down the most popular vegan coffee creamer...

In this episode of the Vegetarian Zen podcast, we welcome Skye Michael Conroy aka The Gentle Chef. Skye is a vegan chef and author of several vegan cookbooks including his latest, "Crafting Seitan: Creating Homemade Plant-based Meats."  Skye talks to us about his journey to becoming vegan and shares how he became a vegan chef. We'll also talk about his book, Crafting Seitan, which can help you bre...