166. Gluten-Free Vegan Tips, Food Styling, & Cooking with Jessica Carter
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On today’s episode of the Brown Vegan Podcast, I’m joined by Jessica Carter for a conversation about veganism, recipe development, and gluten free-eating.
Jessica is a vegan recipe creator and wellness educator on a mission to make vegan living more accessible and sustainable. She went vegan in 2016 after beginning her transition to more plant based eating in 2011. She is the creator of Love Vegan Soul, a food brand focused on exploring global flavors and plant-based traditions. Her recipes have been featured on Good Morning Washington, Fox 45 Baltimore, and Let's Talk Live. She is the Director of Programming at Afro-Vegan Society where she develops digital content and resources to educate and engage communities nationwide on the importance of vegan living.
In this episode, we’re startin’ out how we usually do around here: discussing Jessica’s vegan journey and what her transition into veganism looked like back in 2016.
These conversations are always interesting because they’re so relatable to most long-time and beginner vegans.
For Jessica, her health journey began a couple of years before going fully vegan when she–like sooo many millennials out there–watched the documentary Food Inc. on Netflix.
After learning how devastating the industrial food systems are and wanting to make bigger changes around her health and contribution to the world, Jessica started eating mostly organic plant-based food (as best as she could on a small budget).
Five years later, the documentary Cowspiracy opened her eyes to the cruelty of animal agriculture and the role it plays in environmental destruction.
Jessica decided to make the leap and go full on vegan.
In our conversation, we talk about what that time in her life looked like as a new vegan, and her strategies for cooking delicious vegan meals as a beginner.
Jessica shares that initially, she was so intrigued by experimenting with new vegan recipes that she didn’t think much of trying to veganize old favorite meals. When “missing out” on food is such a common worry for so many vegan-curious people, I loved hearing Jessica’s different approach.
We also dive into the business side of things for all my listeners who are interested in becoming a vegan content creator or food photographer.
Jessica takes amazing photos of all her recipes, and I asked her to share her secrets with us here on the podcast.
In this episode, we chat about:
Experimenting with recipes as a new vegan
Documentaries about industrial food systems
How Jessica began creating content online after being an observer for years
Food photography, food styling, and the best equipment to take great photos easily
Jessica’s secrets for making plating simple
Virtual live vegan cooking demonstrations on Kiitch
The process of recipe development
Jessica’s gluten sensitivity and the symptoms she experienced before finding out
The search for the best gluten free pasta, and the brands to avoid
On top of Love Vegan Soul, Jessica is also the Director of Programming for Afro-Vegan Society where she helps create resources about going vegan, provides support for staying vegan, and offers education on the impacts of animal agriculture on black communities. The work of Afro-Vegan Society is amazing, and all my listeners should absolutely check them out!
Contact Jessica:
Resources Mentioned:
Food Inc. documentary
Cowspiracy documentary (Netflix)
Happy Cow - app to find vegan-friendly restaurants and grocery stores around the world
Jovial gluten-free pasta (most of their products are vegan)
Explore Cuisine - gluten-free pasta
Jamila Anahata (Multi-Media Marketing Director at Afro-Vegan Society)
165. I Won VegNews Best Vegan Podcast + Why YOU Start Before You're Ready
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I have a short ‘n’ sweet episode for you this week that means a lot to me!
In this car-ride-home special episode, I’m taking a moment to chat with you and reflect on a huge moment for this podcast: winning Best Vegan Podcast in the VegNews Veggie Awards 2022! If you are at all immersed in the vegan community, you likely know VegNews is huge.
But even beyond the accomplishment part of this, I am feeling SO proud of how far this podcast has come and the community I’ve created with you all.
In this episode, I wanted to share with you my gratitude for what this podcast has grown into and say a huge thank you to each and every one of you that voted for Brown Vegan Podcast in the awards. I’m sharing a bit about my initial hesitation in starting a podcast and about the struggle earlier on in showing up consistently through this platform.
The purpose of this episode really is to encourage any of you who are wanting to start a new project (whether that be a podcast, YouTube channel, blog, or something completely different) to stop getting stuck in fear and ‘what ifs’ and just start creating now! I share a bit about my own journey, how I learned through trial + error (and help from my sons sometimes!), and what prevented me from starting sooner.
Building community on this show and this platform has been my favorite part of it all. From recording early episodes all on voice memos on my phone with no mic or headphones, to putting myself out there and interviewing new creators every single week, the challenges and rewards have been huge.
If you’re one of my listeners dreaming of starting your own podcast, I’m offering a huge discount on my Podcast Consultation Call as a way to say thank you for your support and share what I’ve learned with this community! I would absolutely love to help you get started.
164.The Business of Being A Content Creator with Plantifully Based
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On this episode, I am joined by Francesca Bonadonna of Plantifully Based and we are focusing on all things BUSINESS!
Seriously, get ready because this episode is jam-packed full of valuable information about what it takes to start your own vegan business and create sustainable, long-term income as a vegan content creator.
Francesca Bonadonna is the food blogger behind Plantifully Based.
She’s a full-time food photographer, recipe creator, social media content creator, and cookbook author. She’s been running Plantifully Based for 6 years and says she is still learning a lot about food photography, food styling and living a vegan lifestyle.
Francesca went vegan somewhat accidentally after participating in a 30-day vegan challenge for health. During the challenge she found herself researching animal agriculture and learning about the horrors of the dairy industry. She realized that if she can eat vegan for 30 days and feel great, why not fully go vegan and stop supporting the inhumane treatment of animals?
During the vegan challenge, she shared photos of her meals on Instagram and when she saw she had gained over 1,000 followers, she saw the possibilities for creating a vegan business as a content creator.
If you are at all interested in starting a food blog, making Youtube videos, or learning to market your vegan journey on social media, you’re gonna want to tune into this episode! Together, we’re giving details on the behind the scenes of our businesses and sharing what we’ve learned about marketing, blogging, SEO research, brand sponsorships, and creating multiple streams of income.
This will be an amazing resource for so many of my listeners so tune in and share with us what you learned!
In this episode we chat about:
Francesca’s vegan journey and how she learned to recreate traditional Italian dishes
What we would go back and do differently when starting our businesses
The best social media platforms for vegan bloggers and vegan creators
Why consistency is key on Youtube (or anywhere!)
Making mistakes and learning as you go when starting your own business
How to optimize your blog posts and do SEO research
The word ‘influencer’ vs ‘content creator’
Dealing with burnout as a content creator and how to manage overwhelm as an entrepreneur
Advice for beginner entrepreneurs and vegan creators who are just getting started (hint: get started now and show up consistently!)
…and so much more!
Contact Francesca Bonadonna:
Plantifully Based YouTube channel
Vegan Thoughts podcast
Resources:
Plantiful cookbook
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Flodesk - email marketing provider
The Basics: Homemade Vegan Pizza with the Best Vegan Mozzarella YouTube video
163. She Parked Her Juice Truck At McDonald's...On Purpose with Christina of Juice for Us
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On this episode of the podcast, Christina of Juice For Us is sharing her story.
Christina is the Dreamer and Doer behind Juice For Us, New Jersey's first vegan food truck that offers cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and a variety of plant based options. Juice For Us mission is to inspire and educate our communities to enhance their quality of life and increase their quantity of life with the power of plants. Parked with purpose in a food dessert near you.
Christina, who has a long family history of severe diabetes, decided to go vegan for health reasons in hopes of changing the current and future health of her family. On the podcast, Christina shares her experience transitioning to veganism as a Puerto Rican who was raised heavily on traditional meat dishes and how she managed to make the jump to eating plant-based (hint: slowly, one animal product at a time, with a strong support system around her).
After going vegan, Christina started to notice more mental clarity and more brain space for creativity, which led her to question her corporate job and consider other ways to make an impact and make a living. She started selling juice + smoothies out of a trailer–or as she refers to it: “a shack”--to provide her community, which exists in a food desert, with healthier options.
The business she created successfully grew into more, and now Juice For Us is a fully built out food truck that still serves the original juice and smoothies alongside full meals as well.
Christina and I dive into the details of what it was like starting and growing her business and what it really takes being an entrepreneur.
In this episode, we cover:
Christina’s reasons for going vegan
How to slowly and sustainably transition into eating vegan
Thinking of what you can ADD to your diet rather than focusing on what you’re no longer eating
The inspiration behind Juice For Us, and the importance of existing in a food desert
The lack of black and brown-owned juiceries and what makes Juice For Us different
Vegan entrepreneurship, leaving corporate life, and the realities of being your own boss
Navigating business during a pandemic
The importance of affordability for vegan food
The growing vision for Juice For Us + providing healthy food options to our communities
Contact Juice for Us:
The “shack” we mentioned in the episode
162. Vegan Baking, Blogging Isn't Dead & Food Photography with From the Comfort of My Bowl
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On this episode, I chat with food blogger and photographer Jhanelle Golding (From The Comfort of my Bowl) about her overnight transition to veganism, blogging, vegan baking tips, and so much more.
As you know, I always start out asking my guests about how they went vegan.
While most of my guests explain that it’s a slow process transitioning to veganism, Jhanelle shares a totally different perspective: going vegan overnight.
Going vegan overnight is a much different approach than most long-term vegans suggest, so be sure to tune in to hear how Jhanelle made the decision and how giving up animal products very suddenly worked for her.
Jhanelle also shares her perspective from living abroad, specifically being vegan in Japan and then traveling as a vegan in Southeast Asia.
She talks about how it was very difficult to eat out as a vegan in Japan and how cooking every meal every single day for herself was a huge reason why she started sharing her recipes on social media.
Her tip for vegan travel? Know how to cook if you have to get by in a place that’s difficult, or choose locations that already include vegetarian or vegan dishes as part of their culture so you can easily order food out while traveling.
If you’re wondering how to become a food blogger, this episode of course has some entrepreneur tips and tricks for you!
I ask Jhanelle about how she started growing an audience on social media, why blogging is still the best strategy for growth, and the importance of SEO for vegan food blogs.
When you check out From The Comfort of My Bowl and Jhanelle’s baking blog How To Bake Vegan, you’ll notice the amazing food photography.
So, of course you know I asked Jhanelle to share her secrets for content creation and blog photography.
Tune in to this episode to hear more about:
Going vegan overnight
Why you should make a vegan version of your favorite dishes as an easy way to start a vegan journey
Sharing what you eat as a vegan as a way to hold yourself accountable
How to travel as a vegan
Delicious vegan baking tips
Why blogging is more relevant than ever before AND why you should consider starting a blog instead of focusing all your time on Instagram
Easy food photography tips for beginners
Jhanelle’s process for creating content including her schedule for posting recipes consistently
Contact Jhanelle:
From the Comfort of My Bowl blog
From the Comfort of My Bowl Instagram
How to Bake Vegan blog
How to Bake Vegan Instagram
Resources Mentioned:
Violife vegan cheese