In the last millennium - in fact, until fairly recently - if we had the notion to turn vegan or become plant-based, we’d be on our own.
We might have peers or mentors who could help; perhaps we could buy or borrow books, but until the boom of the internet, resources were hard to come by.
Fortunately, that’s all changed and a wealth of knowledge and information lies at our fingertips. Through our computers and phones, we are only ever a couple of clicks away from all the health and nutrition knowledge we could ever need, and an almost infinite library of recipes awaits us.
Times have changed a lot, but with so many websites now available to choose from, it can be difficult knowing which way to turn
Here are ten of my favorite sites that I turn to again and again for information:
FOR FOOD
Flora & Vino
Lauren loves her wine! More than that, she loves simple, tasty recipes that anyone can create. Many plant-based food blogs are all about creating fancy dishes that are Insta-worthy but often way too much of a hassle for your average daily meal.
Flora & Vino keeps it real; delicious food, and some of it pretty fancy, but also meals that are easy to make for even the most inexperienced chef.
My Darling Lemon Thyme
This is a place for getting fancy, and if you’re wanting to impress your guests or help inspire someone else to follow your plant-based journey, My Darling Lemon Thyme is a great place to go.
Vegetarian, rather than vegan, she does include some dairy in her recipes, but her inspiration has come from her own allergies to certain foods, so all recipes are health-conscious and nutritionally-balanced.
Bake and Destroy
Inspired by the ‘80s punk band, Faction’s Skate & Destroy, Natalie Slater’s Bake and Destroy is all about indulgence. She creates amazing vegan food that is perfect for real men.
Burgers, tacos, pizzas and a whole bunch more, the Chicago punk rocker appeals to people who want to go plant-based but don’t want to live on salads and zucchini noodles!
Bad Manners Food
When #BlackLivesMatter swelled and surged a couple of months ago, it was brought to the attention of Thug Kitchen’s Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis that ‘thug’ can be interpreted as racially derogatory. Their hugely popular vegan cookbooks are backed up by their newly-renamed Bad Manners website.
Their attitude comes through in their cooking and their recipe collection comprises all sorts of bad-ass plant-based ‘junk’ food made healthy… at least, quite healthy! They’re very much about maintaining enjoyment and indulgence on a plant-based diet with a massive collection of hearty, savory and sweet dishes that will get your mouth watering.
FOR NUTRITION
The Game-Changers
Yes, it’s a documentary too, but the Game-Changers website is also an excellent resource for transitioning to a plant-based lifestyle.
Crammed with recipes, facts, tips and benefits, the website is pretty much a one-stop resource for anyone thinking about making the switch to a plant-based life. It’s an incredibly useful tool, but also backs up the documentary perfectly and is great to recommend to friends and family who are plant-curious!
NutritionFacts.org
If you’re getting a bit more serious about your move to plants, or if you’re noticing any changes that you might be concerned about, Micheal Gregers M.D. gives you all the answers and advice you may be searching for.
Including advice on the benefits of a plant-based diet, the issues with animal products and plenty of facts to get you fully informed, the qualified doctor’s website is an excellent resource for when you need nutritional information fast.
Note: if you have any health concerns, this website is a good starting point, but you should always seek firsthand professional advice.
Dr. Carney
Another doctor website, Dr. Linda Carney provides a wealth of information if you want to next-level your health. She offers articles on the food-health relationship, how you can help turn around many major illnesses with a plant-based diet, as well as other detrimental habits, such as smoking, coffee and your exercise regimen.
If you want to go all-out, she even offers health coaching and consultations, as well as heaps of videos to back up the website’s vast array of content.
Again, if you have any major health concerns, it is always best to visit a doctor in person.
FOR LIFESTYLE
Forks Over Knives
As I often tell people, Forks Over Knives was my primary inspiration for giving up meat. As with the Game-Changers website, the Forks Over Knives site is the perfect resource to back up the documentary.
It’s mostly focussed on recipes, but also offers excellent tools, such as meal planners, an informative blog and even an online cooking course if you really want to power up your prowess in the kitchen.
Veggie Runners
The mother-daughter team of Jayne and Bibi is proof that there’s no holding plant-basers back! The vegan marathon runners have put together a comprehensive site focussed around their passion for running, but also about eating the right foods for an active lifestyle.
If you’re a fitness enthusiast or concerned that a plant-based diet may not be compatible with a more active lifestyle, this website will show you that one of the best things you can do to improve your fitness is to ditch the meat.
Vegan.com
Vegan.com has been created as a complete guide to changing your lifestyle. It incorporates recipes, fitness and exercise, products and nutritional health all into the one clean, concise and easily navigable website.
Its tagline is ‘making vegan easy’ and, whether you are a fully-fledged vegan or focussing more on a plant-based diet, vegan.com gives you everything you need in one place.
There are so many vegan and plant-based site out there now. Use these ten as a starting place, but don’t stop searching!
Bryan is a 'self-taught' plant-based activist, discovering the benefits of eliminating animal products from his diet over 10 years ago. Since that time, he has advocated not only for a social shift in dietary and environmental awareness but also to reverse the construct that meat consumption is somehow tied to manliness and machismo.
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