For some people, going plant-based can be intimidating. There are so many unknowns:

Does it require shopping at special stores?

Subsisting on mock meats and cheeses?

Spending countless hours trying recipes that may or may not taste good?

Cyd Notter, Kathy Davis and Chuck Carroll agree that the answer is a resounding NO.

In fact, they can all say from experience that going plant-based was much easier than they expected—and it’s led to other positive changes in their lives, including better health and more confidence. So much so that Chuck calls the plant-based lifestyle “Life 2.0.”

Together, they offer encouraging insights to help others transition to a plant-based diet regardless of background, age, location or personal food preferences. (Just ask Kathy, who used to hate beans!)

The prevailing theme? Going plant-based is not only easy but also delicious and highly customizable. It’s all about moving away from foods that trigger emotional or binge eating, experimenting with delicious whole plant foods to find the ones you can love for a lifetime and enabling yourself to eat well no matter what the circumstances.

But to stick with the plant-based lifestyle in the long term, there needs to be a central “driving force” behind the decision, something to act as a north star when temptation strikes.

Kathy suggests asking yourself: “Why do you want to eat this way? What outcome are you looking for?”

Chuck adds that staying the course is truly life-changing, and what you gain from “giving up” animal products can be an ongoing source of motivation. Seeing that you can, in fact, make food choices that are both satisfying and great for your health—and feeling the positive effects—boosts confidence and inspires you to keep going.

“You do not have to be a statistic,” he says.

🥗 Episode Highlights

• Tips for going all-in with a plant-based diet if you don’t know where to start

• Why it’s important to talk to your family about your motivations for going plant-based

• A particularly amusing exchange about Kathy’s experience with learning to love beans

• Encouragement for anyone who’s afraid going plant based will be too hard

• How to overcome the struggles many people face when going plant-based

• Why it’s important to have a solid reason—not just a short-term goal—for adopting a plant-based diet

• Why plant-based diets are the gateway to long-term health

• How going plant-based can inspire confidence and vitality in other areas of life</aside>

Top Takeaways for Brands

The insights Cyd, Kathy and Chuck share in this episode provide a window into what your customers are looking for when choosing plant-based products or transitioning to completely plant-based diets—and the information they’re getting when they turn to others for advice.

Here’s how you can apply their advice and tips to improve your products and connect more effectively with your audience:

1. Be mindful of the fact that a lot of people are still confused about what being plant-based actually entails. Marketing messages perpetuating the idea that 1:1 analogs are necessary **for plant-based diets can act as barriers to adoption. Consider positioning your products as enjoyable enhancements to plant-based diets instead of daily essentials.

2. Instead of focusing solely on what your customers want from a product, discover the outcomes they’re hoping for when they go plant-based. Engage with them through messaging that touches on these personal motivations.

3. People need to know that going plant-based isn’t difficult. Think about how your product can make the transition—and long-term adoption—easier, and communicate that in your messaging. Whether it’s a quick and healthy option people can grab when they don’t have time to cook or an ingredient that can make adapting favorite meat-based recipes easier, aim to come alongside your customers as a guide on their plant-based journey.

4. Plant-based eaters who make the switch for health will read labels and hold you accountable for ingredients they don’t view as being in line with their personal dietary goals. Know what they’re looking for and either avoid it or incorporate educational content into your marketing to explain what role each ingredient plays in your product.

5. With the prevailing theme of simplicity and preparedness, there’s an opportunity for brands to simplify plant-based food prep for those who want to make more from scratch but don’t have the time or resources to do so on a regular basis. Kits or starters for popular plant-based recipes like burgers, cheese and energy balls or staples like soups and stews reduce barriers to adoption by giving people a starting point—and more confidence in the kitchen.

Need a guide for your plant-based diet transition?

My ebook, The Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide, has everything you need to get started: foods to eat and avoid, shopping help, example daily meals and nutrition tips.

Grab it now 👉🏻 on Amazon!

About Cyd, Chuck and Kathy

Cyd Notter is a graduate of the Center for Nutrition Studies, a certified instructor for The Starch Solution and other dietary courses, a past newspaper columnist, and the author of the award-winning book The “Plan A” Diet: Combining Whole Food, Plant-Based Nutrition with the Timeless Wisdom of Scripture. Cyd has been helping people transition to a plant-based diet for over 25 years and offers coaching through her 6-week online course.

Kathy Davis is a plant-based lifestyle and mindset coach, the CEO of VegInspired, and the author of three plant-based cookbooks. Kathy empowers high-achieving professionals to elevate their energy by adopting healthy living habits so they can show up at their optimum performance and achieve their goals.

Chuck Carroll is known as “The Weight Loss Champion” for a reason — he has lost and kept off 280 pounds for more than 10 years! Before overcoming a severe food addiction, Chuck weighed a jaw-dropping 420 pounds and had a 66-inch waist. Now he is using his new lease on life to inspire others and host The Exam Room Podcast by the Physicians Committee, which has been downloaded millions of times to become the No. 1 nutrition podcast in nearly 80 countries!

Connect with Today’s Guests

Cyd

• https://cydnotter.com

• Free Webinar: https://cydnotter.com/register

• Plan A Diet Facebook group

• Buy The Plan A Diet

Kathy

• https://veginspired.com

• Instagram @veginspired, @eatmoreplantsacademy

• Amazon author page

Chuck

• The Exam Room podcast

• Instagram: @chuckcarrollwlc

• Twitter: @chuckcarrollwlc

• Facebook: WeightLossChampion

Traditional medicine addresses chronic disease with pills and procedures that control symptoms or attempt to fix damage that’s already been done.

Plant-Based TeleHealth (now Love.Life Telehealth) takes a different approach: lifestyle medicine that uses a plant-based diet and personalized care to get to the root of diseases and help patients heal.

That’s what attracted Dr. Kim Scheuer, Dr. Niki Davis, Dr. Colin Zhu and Dr. Chris Miller to this unique new practice that serves patients across the U.S. They wanted to stop “putting band-aids” on patients’ problems, go beyond what they were able to do in traditional practice and start giving patients the time and attention they needed to get better—for good.

Through Plant-Based TeleHealth, these doctors and their colleagues are able to help patients reduce their medications and improve their health. The patients get less of what they don’t want (more pills) and more of what they do want (freedom from symptoms and disease).

Being part of that process has made practicing medicine more enjoyable.

“We get to watch these people helping themselves get better and start to live their lives again,” says Dr. Davis.

Dr. Scheuer sees an even bigger benefit: “It’s just such a pleasure to see how this affects not only the individual, but it ripples out to the community and to the world.”

It’s true: When patients are given the power to make choices that positively affect their own health, others see the change and want the same for themselves. And because Plant-Based TeleHealth is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., the ripple effect can spread far and wide.

Although the doctors acknowledge that making sweeping lifestyle changes isn’t the easiest approach, Plant-Based TeleHealth gives them the freedom to provide the support, information, accountability and encouragement people need to implement and stick with those changes. This includes making individualized adjustments to plant-based eating plans to ensure optimal results.

In the end, as Dr. Zhu points out, it’s all about the basics. Starting with whole, nutritious plant foods; talking to patients to uncover other factors that could be influencing their disease states; and laying out personalized diet and lifestyle plans provides the foundation for success.

“It’s really about people showing other people that this is possible, that this is wonderful,” says Dr. Davis. “And then it just spreads that way.”

🩺 Episode Highlights

• What makes plant-based lifestyle medicine different from mainstream medical care

• How taking a holistic look at the whole person instead of just their symptoms changes the way medicine is practiced and enables a lifestyle approach

• Why the ability to spend more time with patients is critical to helping them make lasting diet and lifestyle changes

• How quickly plant-based lifestyle medicine can begin to resolve symptoms and control or reverse chronic diseases

• How lifestyle medicine gives people control over health by enabling them to make choices instead of being stuck in a cycle of medications and side effects

• How personalized dietary adjustments can help people achieve the best results when eating plant based

• The need to dig deeper and go beyond nutrition to discover all the potential factors that influence patients’ health

• The importance of understanding what potentially conflicting information patients will get from traditional doctors who don’t understand plant-based lifestyle medicine

• The need for a paradigm shift in health, wellness and medicine to get people back to the basics and on track for long-term healing

• Success stories from the doctors’ practices

Takeaways for brands

1. People are going to want to take charge of their own health in increasing numbers, which will lead them to seek personalized nutrition. If your brand offers specific health or nutrient benefits, use your messaging to show consumers how it can help them meet their goals.

2. If your brand’s messaging leverages the health aspect of plant-based eating, make sure everything about your brand aligns with that promise. This includes ingredients, preparation instructions and all content you create.

3. Think about the outcomes your customers want, not just what product attributes will attract them. Consider how much help they need getting to those goals, and craft your messaging based on the significance of the dietary changes they’re making. People transitioning from a SAD diet to completely plant-based will need more guidance and education than seasoned plant-based eaters looking to optimize their health.

4. Customers have multiple thoughts and concerns around their diets that can influence how and what they buy. Use your messaging to address potential points of frustration or concern, such as nutrient intake. Demonstrate how your product can fill a gap in their diets or help them meet nutrient requirements specific to their health goals.

5. Resist the temptation to shower your customers with information, particularly if you’re marketing to a segment that’s healing from chronic conditions or has struggled with those conditions in the past. Instead, use your platform to provide useful, actionable guidance to make plant-based eating easier and more enjoyable.

Want to try a whole food plant-based diet for yourself?

My ebook, The Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide, has everything you need to get started: foods to eat and avoid, shopping help, example daily meals and nutrition tips.

Grab it now 👉🏻 on Amazon!

About the Doctors & Plant-Based Telehealth

Plant-Based TeleHealth

Plant Based TeleHealth (PBTH) provides offers lifestyle medicine care for patients who have chronic disease and other conditions. Through the powerful, evidence-based practice of promoting healthy behaviors and lifestyle modification, including a whole food, plant-based diet, doctors work with patients to help them go beyond managing symptoms to experience real healing.

Dr. Kim Scheuer is board certified in both Family Practice and Lifestyle Medicine. She is conversant in Spanish and American Sign Language and is licensed to see patients in over 20 states. Kim lives and benefits from the lifestyle she recommends for her patients and loves to share her knowledge with all who want to be healthier and happier.

Dr. Colin Zhu is board-certified in family practice/OMT and lifestyle medicine. Passionate about the intersection of medicine, food, and nutrition, Dr. Zhu trained as a chef and a health coach and launched TheChefDoc in 2017, an online wellness and lifestyle education platform which has been featured in several publications. He is also the author of "Thrive Medicine: How To Cultivate Your Desires and Elevate Your Life,“ and is the podcast host of Thrive Bites.

Dr. Niki Davis is a “rocket scientist” turned lifestyle medicine doctor and is board certified in both family and lifestyle medicine.

Dr. Christina (Chris) Miller is a board-certified emergency physician, a board-certified Integrative Medicine practitioner and certified in both functional medicine and health coaching. Her experience with lupus led her to a plant-based diet, and through Plant-Based TeleHealth, she helps patients with chronic and autoimmune diseases use plant-based nutrition and lifestyle modifications to get on the path to healing.

All the doctors are available for telehealth appointments at PlantBasedTeleHealth.com!

Connect with the Doctors Online

• https://plantbasedtelehealth.com

• Dr. Scheuer: https://dokslifestylemedicine.com/,  Instagram @drkimscheuer

• Dr. Davis: https://drnikidavis.com, Facebook, Instagram @nikidavismd

• Dr. Miller: https://eatandlivehealthfully.com

• Dr. Zhu: https://chefdoczhu.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram @thechefdoc, host of Thrive Bites podcast

Get notified when new episodes go live! Drop your email in the sidebar box. 👉🏻

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Simon Hill’s journey into the plant-based space started at age 15 when he saw his father have a heart attack. The idea that heart disease could “run in families” planted seeds that today have blossomed into a career as a nutritionist, podcast host and author.

Since that first brush with the effects of lifestyle disease, Simon has immersed himself in the science of diet and plant-based nutrition. Rather than supporting any particular dietary dogma in the plant-based space, he provides research-backed advice backed to help people plant their diets appropriately according to goals and life stage.

He cautions against drawing a hard line on issues like protein requirements and oil consumption and instead advocates keeping an open mind to what ongoing research reveals.

“I think it’s important to not always reduce everything to black and white,” he says, “because science is not black and white.”

Science, in fact, has a lot of nuance, and Simon believes certain sections of the plant-based community have jumped to erroneous conclusions based on a handful of studies. This unhelpful approach can lead to obsession instead of awareness and prevent people from truly thriving on plant-based diets.

As an alternative, Simon believes it’s more beneficial to provide tools and information that help people navigate a food landscape that’s designed to encourage the overconsumption of ultra-processed fare. Such actionable guidance can help break down common barriers to making the kinds of dietary changes that lead to better health outcomes.

But there’s one other important piece to the puzzle: enabling people to succeed on plant-based diets once they make the switch. Science shows that people eating plant-based have unique nutrient considerations, which can change depending on age, health status and activity level.

Ideally, Simon would like to see more research into nutritional needs at different ages and life stages. He believes it’s going to take more data across demographics to settle some of the persistent questions about plant-based nutrition and ensure that people have the best information to tailor their diets to changing needs as they age.

He believes “every diet needs to be appropriately planned” and continues to use his platform to provide information and guidance that helps people adopt and stick to healthy plant-based diets.

This is a super nerdy episode! Simon draws his information from hours spent immersed in nutrition science and shares some great insights for anyone who wants to optimize their plant-based lifestyle.

🌱 Episode Highlights

• How seeing his dad have a heart attack spurred Simon to get into plant-based nutrition

• Why educating people about healthy food isn’t the key to improving diets or health outcomes

• How the food environment may prevent people from making healthier dietary choices

• A scientific look at common myths and misconceptions in the plant-based space

• Limitations of measuring one specific biomarker during an isolated moment in time when attempting to  determine a food’s effect on long-term health

• Why being aware of nutrient needs specific to plant-based diets and current life stage is a smarter approach than obsessing over single nutrients or foods

• Why it’s important for the plant-based community to be opened-minded about new discoveries in nutrition science

• The effects of dietary dogma—and how science can help correct erroneous conclusions

• Simon’s tips for maximizing nutrition and health on a plant-based diet

Takeaways for brands

1. People who have or know someone who has a chronic condition diet-related condition tend to be more willing to make dietary changes for health reasons. If you’re marketing to an audience with this mindset, it’s extremely important to deliver on the health aspect of plant based.

2. People don’t need more education on why plant-based foods are healthy; they need help overcoming barriers that prevent them from switching to and sticking with a plant-based diet. In product development, branding and marketing, consider how you can make it easier to choose your product over a more familiar, visible brand that doesn’t offer the same health benefits.

3. It’s important to be aware of the narratives in the plant-based space and know your customers’ foundational beliefs about food. The dietary “rules” people adhere to can influence how they perceive your product. Avoid using messaging that contributes to confusing or damaging messages in the plant-based space. Instead, use your marketing to come alongside your customers and help them achieve their personal health and nutrient goals.

4. Be aware of nutritional needs and concerns in groups you’re targeting, be it relating to activity level, age or stage of life. Emphasize benefits specific to your audience in your marketing. These are areas where you can connect with customers and be a guide on their plant-based journeys.

5. Don’t worry about trying to convince or prove to people that a plant-based diet is the “best diet.” Focus on the benefits that science shows correlate with eating plant foods—and save yourself from getting sucked into the internet diet wars!

About Simon & Plant Proof

Simon Hill is a nutritionist and qualified physiotherapist and the the founder of the popular Plant Proof podcast and blog.

On top of his formal education, Simon spends hours deciphering scientific studies so that he can break down how to fuel your body to promote longevity and reduce the chance of developing disease while simultaneously achieving whatever health and fitness goals you may have.

He is the plant-based food contributor to Chris Hemsworth’s fitness app, Centr, and in 2019 Simon opened a plant-based restaurant, Eden, in his Sydney neighbourhood of Bondi. In 2021 he published his book The Proof is in the Plants with Penguin Australia, which shot to the #1 non-fiction book Australia-wide in its debut week.

Simon frequently shares plant-based food, health and science information on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Follow, Listen to & Read Simon’s Work

• https://plantproof.com

• Twitter: @theproof

• Facebook: TheProofPod

• Instagram: @plant_proof

• The Plant Proof Podcast

• Buy The Proof is in the Plants

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As a registered dietician and a vegan of almost 30 years, Ginny Messina has a lot of experience in the plant-based space. She spends a lot of her time writing books, articles and tweets relating to vegan and plant-based nutrition.

Her goal with all this work? To “ensure that vegans have the best information that will allow them to stay vegan.”

Ginny brings a balanced and reasonable perspective to some of the most common questions and controversial issues within the plant-based community, including protein and fat, oil consumption and whether “ultra-processed” foods and sweet treats have a place in a healthy diet.

While she maintains that anybody can be vegan, she also acknowledges that doing it right requires some attention to nutrition. But she doesn’t see this as a shortcoming for plant-based eating. In fact, she believes taking the extra time to get educated and supplement properly is more than worth it for the health and environmental benefits the diet offers.

Ginny is troubled by narratives within the plant-based community that vilify specific plant foods like oil and nuts, insist that vegans who “do it right” never get sick or promise that plant-based eating is the magical key to weight loss. Rather than adhering to restrictive, dogmatic dietary rules, she  thinks vegans should have the freedom to explore the spectrum of vegan foods from whole food plant based to alternative meats.

“Your diet does not have to be pristine perfection every minute of the day,” she says.

And, in the grand scheme of things, she’d rather see people eating vegan meat alternatives and sweet treats than going back to animal products. The reality is that there’s uncertainty in all areas of nutrition, including plant-based nutrition, and it’s not possible to make 100% hard and fast rules about how every vegan should eat.

As a dietician, Ginny would prefer that people choose whole plant foods over Beyond Burgers and vegan KFC. But in her view, it doesn’t matter how someone does plant-based eating as long as they’re promoting an overall healthier diet that makes a positive impact on people and planet.

🥗 Episode Highlights

• Giving vegans good, accurate nutrition and health formation to help them succeed on a plant-based diet

• Ginny’s balanced views on protein, fat and other hot-button vegan nutrition issues

• The changing nutritional requirements throughout life that vegans need to pay attention to

• Psychological benefits of eating higher protein for people who come from SAD/meat-centric diets (satisfying, helps them stay vegan)

• Why it’s okay (and even beneficial!) to add some oil to your plant-based diet

• Essential and important supplements for plant-based eaters

• Why Ginny thinks veganism is “the ideal way to eat in our world today”—and it’s not just due to the health benefits

• Why the fat shaming in the vegan space needs to stop

• Importance of balance and realism when talking health in the plant-based space

Takeaways for Plant-Based/Vegan Brands:

1. It's important for plant-based brands to pay attention to the conversation around protein and fat. Both macronutrients increase satisfaction, so getting the right balance in your products can help people stick with plant-based diets, especially those transitioning from SAD or meat-heavy diets.

2. Prevailing narratives about veganism, health, weight and “vegan junk food” can skew how consumers perceive of vegan products. Decide whether you want to promote better health or an enjoyable eating experience, and you’ll be better able to position your product within your customers’ lifestyles.

3. Ginny’s three main reasons vegans fail all relate to perceived or actual restriction: finding plant-based eating too difficult, not meeting nutrient needs, or feeling like the outcomes fall short of expectations. Your brand can help with these areas by creating nutritious products and educating consumers on how to incorporate them to create satisfaction on a plant-based diet and achieve their desired results.

4. In your branding and marketing, contribute to a balanced discussion. Avoid making radical claims you can’t back up or promising things you can’t realistically deliver. Instead, focus on sharing helpful information on topics and outcomes your customers care about.

Want more straightforward plant-based diet info?

My ebook, The Whole Food Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide, covers all the basics: foods to eat and avoid, shopping help, example daily meals and nutrition tips.

Grab it now 👉🏻 on Amazon!

About Ginny

Virginia (Ginny) Messina, MPH, RD is a dietitian and public health nutritionist specializing in vegan nutrition. She has a degree in nutrition from Douglass College of Rutgers University and a master's degree in public health nutrition from the University of Michigan.

She has worked as a dietitian for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), taught nutrition to dietetics students at the university level, and was the director of nutrition services for a group of medical clinics serving 50,000 patients in Washington, D.C.

As a long-time vegan, she seeks to share the best and most up-to-date information on vegan nutrition and to make ethical eating an easy and realistic option for everyone. She publishes widely on topics related to vegan diets for both health professionals and the public and is a regular contributor to Our Hen House and One Green Planet.

Connect with Ginny’s Work

• https://theveganrd.com

• Twitter: @theveganrd

• Facebook: TheVeganRD

• Instagram: @GinnyMessina

• Buy Ginny's books on Amazon

For additional balanced views on veganism and plant-based health, check out Mark Rifkin in S1E5.

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What's the difference between "plant-based" and eating plants? Deb Czech knows!

As a knowledgeable student of all things whole food plant based, she shares valuable insights on why going beyond the "plant-based" label to eat closer to the source is important for health and sustainability.

About Deb Czech

Inspired by the movies Forks Over Knives and Food, Inc., in 2012 Deb Czech switched up her meals to harness the nourishing power of plants. She studied plant-based nutrition through the T. Colin Campbell Foundation and eCornell.

Upon finishing the six-week intensive program, she pushed animal foods off her plate for good.

Later, Deb sliced and diced her way through the Forks Over Knives plant-based cooking course at the Rouxbe Online Culinary School.

After establishing Planted Platter in 2018, Deb earned a spot in the selective Food for Life instructor training through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, becoming licensed in 2019 to teach a wide range of the group’s research-supported, plant-based nutrition programs.

Prior to Planted Platter, Deb’s marketing and public relations career has included experience with consumer brands, agriculture, recreation, hospitality, and wellness clients.

Before pursuing recent education in the plant-based nutrition field, she completed her undergraduate degree in political science at Yale University and received an MBA from Simmons College in Boston.

Deb credits her parents for planting an early seed in her mind about healthy eating: they cultivated a large backyard garden behind her childhood home, providing abundant vegetables and berries, and cooked almost all family meals from scratch. Nowadays, when Deb isn’t teaching plant-based nutrition or trying out a new recipe, she puts her plant-powered energy to use leading an active life outdoors and spending time with family and friends.

Find Deb & Planted Platter Online!

• Planted Platter website: https://plantedplatter.com/

• Upcoming classes: https://plantedplatter.com/classes/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PlantedPlatter

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/plantedplatter/

After working with Americorps and a wholesale food distributor, Zoë Geller realized there was a huge gap in both knowledge about and access to nutritious food. It wasn’t long before she did something to address the problem—by founding Fire Ox Foods.

Fire Ox is using delicious flavors inspired by world cuisines to make vegetables attractive and simple to prepare so that people can easily incorporate more whole plant-based foods into their diets.

Zoë and her co-founder, Jason, drew on their mutual love for dishes from around the world as inspiration for their products and are bringing these meals to consumers in a convenient frozen format.

She points out that the average person is still wary of eating their vegetables: “I think a lot of Americans have this really poor relationship with vegetables because they know they’re supposed to eat them, but they don’t really like them.”

That’s why Fire Ox focuses on taste first to make their meals both enjoyable and nourishing. And Zoë keeps her ears open to customer feedback to continue improving Fire Ox products. Whether it’s increasing the amount of food in each meal or calling out the number of vegetable servings on the package, she’s all about staying flexible.

Because, she says, there’s a difference between driving trial and getting repeat customers. “You can get a lot of people to try your product, ... but you need them to keep coming back.”

The secret lies in paying attention to sales data, talking to customers and being willing to stay nimble as the brand adjusts its messaging. And Zoë has some great insights into what to look for and how to make those changes to get products in front of more people.

🥗 Episode Highlights

• Bringing novelty to a specific category like frozen food to excite consumers and give them a chance to explore new foods without friction

• Seeking opportunities to bring unique products to market by identifying gaps where your passion could fill a need

• Supporting brand goals by staying consistent in every area—from naming to ingredients to packaging to messaging

• Using customer feedback to differentiate your products from others in the market

• The importance of split-second differentiation: letting customers know immediately what they’re getting and why they would want it

• Why gathering consumer insights need to be approached intentionally

• The importance of being open to learning more about your customers and how they use or consume your product

• Tips for testing messaging before and after coming to market

• Using sales data, customer data and feedback to hone in on the problem you’re solving for consumers

• Going beyond product to educate and empower consumers through content

About Zoë & Fire Ox Foods

Zoë Geller founded Fire Ox to create a more sustainable food system. Her time at Americorps and Common Market taught her how to grow food and opened her eyes to how the unjust industrial food system shapes our diets and bodies, and this sparked her passion to create good, nourishing food that is better for people and planet.

Zoë is in charge of sales, marketing, and fundraising at Fire Ox. Before creating Fire Ox, she was the third employee at a local food distributor startup called Common Market MidAtlantic, where she helped grow sales of local food significantly. She has an MBA and Masters of Environmental Management from Yale University.

Fire Ox Foods

Fire Ox is on a mission to help people eat better for themselves and the planet by making delicious, vegetable-based foods accessible to all. Their line of vegetable-based frozen meals is inspired by cuisines from around the world—like Braised Ethiopian Greens and Provencal Ratatouille!

Find Fire Ox on the Web (and try the food!)

• https://fireoxfoods.com

• Instagram: @fireoxfoods

• Facebook: FireOxFoods

• Email: hello (at) fireoxfoods (dot) com

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Elysabeth Alfano, David Benzaquen and Irina Gerry are no strangers to the plant-based space. Their collective experience spans from hosting a plant-based business podcast to investment and advising to marketing roles at some of the most well-known plant-based companies.

And they have a ton of insight into how brands can position their products and attract consumers in today’s growing plant-based market. With sub-niches spanning from cultivated meat to unprocessed plant foods, there’s plenty of room for innovation.

One of the biggest areas of opportunity for brands? Fresh and minimally-processed produce.

“I think there’s a tremendous degree of innovation opportunity in the produce aisle,” Gerry says, particularly in the area of “owning” the conversation around nutrition. Whereas meat and dairy camp out on protein, Gerry believes produce brands could win by centering their marketing on unique nutrients not found in animal products.

Benzaquen, however, advises focusing on removing barriers like peeling, chopping and extensive cooking time.

“People already know that fruits and vegetables are healthy,” he points out, “And they’re not consuming them now even though they know that.”

With whole food plant based becoming its own category, it’s more important than ever for brands to understand who they’re marketing to, what those consumers need and the best ways to deliver it through products and messaging.

🥗 Episode highlights

• The broad spectrum of plant-based food and consumers’ perceptions of health

• How brands play a role in plant-based diets—including encouraging consumers to eat more produce

• How plant-based products are helping consumers make more conscious food choices for their health and the environment

• The importance of taking a balanced approach to the plant-based movement and avoiding rigid, purist guidelines

• Getting super specific with marketing to position plant-based products in ways that reach unique market subsets

• The need to understand what words like health and sustainability mean to specific groups of consumers

• Defining and positioning animal-free, plant-based and whole food plant-based products

• Recognizing and overcoming barriers to people incorporating whole plant foods into their diets

• Using branding and marketing campaigns to help consumers understand how to choose, use and prepare whole plant foods

The key takeaways from this discussion? The plant-based (and animal-free) space has a lot of sub-categories that appeal to different consumer groups. From people who are more concerned about sustainability than health to whole food plant-based purists, brands need to understand who they’re talking to and tailor both positioning and marketing to appeal to their unique audiences.

Understanding barriers to adoption—like lack of time or knowledge—can inform product development and marketing to better address specific consumer needs within each category. The more specific and targeted, the better; trying to go too broad runs the risk of the marketing message meaning nothing to anyone.

Gerry sums it up well: “You’ve gotta understand who you’re talking to and what you’re saying. That’s the fundamental principle of marketing: Do not try to be all things to all people.”

About David, Elysabeth and Irina

David Benzaquen is one of the world’s leading experts in the plant-based food industry. He invests in and advises plant-based and alternative protein food disruptors through his firm Mission: Plant. He is also the co-founder of consumer insights firm Moonshot Collaborative and plant-based ecommerce grocery store, PlantBelly.com.

Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech Invest, which advised the VegTech Plant-Based Innovation & Climate ETF (EATV). She is also the Founder of Plant Powered Consulting and the host of the Plantbased Business Hour. A respected thought leader and international speaker on trends in plant-based business, Elysabeth speaks globally on the state of the industry, including recently at the United Nations.

Irina Gerry is a Chief Marketing Officer at Change Foods, a precision fermentation food tech startup, creating animal-free dairy products. Irina has over a decade of experience in consumer marketing space with global giants, Procter & Gamble and Danone, as well as business strategy and operations with Deloitte.

Prior to joining Change Foods, Irina spent 5 years working on two of the best-known plant-based food and beverage brands, Silk and So Delicious. She is a purpose-driven entrepreneur and marketing leader, on a mission to transform the food system and drive widespread adoption of sustainable ways to feed the world. Irina holds an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Get more from today’s panelists

• David’s LinkedIn

• Elysabeth’s LinkedIn

• Irina’s LinkedIn

• https://changefoods.com

• https://elysabethalfano.com

• https://vegtechinvest.com

• https://moonshotcollaborative.com

• https://missionplant.com

• https://plantbelly.com

• Elysabeth Alfano on S1E4: Doing It All For the Plant-Based Cause

• David Benzaquen on S1E28: Advancing Plant-Based Brands for Maximum Impact

It all started when Faiez went vegetarian for 10 days to impress a girl.

That girl was Heather, his (now) wife and co-founder of Prep to Your Door, a whole food plant-based, zero-waste food delivery company that’s bringing fresh, healthy food to people’s doors throughout Austin and Houston.

But Faiez has a much bigger vision than that.

“The supply chain is not designed to get fresh food into our bodies,” he points out. Through Prep to Your Door, he’s looking to change that—and make eating whole food plant-based meals just as easy and convenient as buying packaged food at the grocery store.

His passion for sustainability (and self-proclaimed food system nerdiness) has led Faiez to create a food delivery model based on regional distribution. This allows him, Heather and their team to prepare a wide variety of healthy meals using organic, seasonal ingredients and get them to people’s doors within just a few hours. Everything is delivered in glass containers which are then collected, cleaned and reused.

🥗 Episode highlights

• Prep To Your Door’s history and whole-food, zero-waste premise

• How Faiez’s wife inspired the business with her mason jar salads

• The power of iteration in implementing and improving a business model

• Importance of sticking to brand values in customer retention

• How fresh meal delivery using a closed-loop system differs from other popular meal delivery services

• Rethinking the way people shop for food

• Why friction is the enemy of mass whole food plant-based adoption—and what to do about it

• The logistics of regional fresh food delivery vs. shipping processed food across the country

• Using a diverse and rotational menu to introduce consumers to new foods

• Listening to customers to determine how best to serve unique segments

• Using tech to bring fresh, healthy food to people’s doors instead of to create new food products

For Faiez, this is food tech: leveraging today’s high-tech systems to remove friction, improve access to nutritious food and cut down on single-use plastic waste.

It’s been a wild ride of learning about food and the food system, and Faiez is putting it all into practice with the goal of taking Prep to Your Door national.

“My personality is always such that, when I learn new things, I need to do something with it,” he explains.

By listening to what customers want and always improving on their processes, the Prep to Your Door team is doing much more than delivering meals—they’re changing the face of “convenience food” and redefining what it means to shop for groceries.

About Faiez and Prep to Your Door

Faiez met his co-founder (now wife!) Heather in class at Harvard University. They paired their passions for social entrepreneurship and sustainable business to build Prep To Your Door. Born in Heather's studio Manhattan apartment, the first PTYD jars were mason jar salads that Heather used to nourish herself in the city.

When they moved back to Austin, Faiez pushed for the couple to start a business. Slowly, the pair began perfecting meals in jars with help from their very first customers. Always plant-based, organic, locally sourced and ready to eat, PTYD meals are made without cutting corners or compromising on ingredients.

Since 2017, Prep To Your Door has grown to a team of 40 team members. In 2020, the company served 77,000 meals using less than 3,900 jars – that’s zero single use plastic!

Faiez believes addressing our food chain has the power to reverse several crises of our time: healthcare, climate change, and economic inequality. And he's working with Heather and their team to make organic, sustainable and fresh food at scale the REAL new normal.

Follow Faiez (or try Prep to Your Door!)

• https://preptoyourdoor.com

• Instagram: @preptoyourdoor, @faiezrana‍

• Facebook: PrepToYourDoor

• LinkedIn: Prep To Your Door, Faiez Rana

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But that’s exactly what they did with their line of colorful burgers.

When Jason stopped eating meat for his health, he couldn’t find an alternative to his favorite meat, the beef burger, that met his standards. Although he recognizes plant-based meats as a tasty and helpful “next step” for people transitioning from a standard Western diet to a plant-based diet, he and Hailey wanted to go the next step and offer healthier options.

“It’s crazy to us that you can call it a plant-based product, but there’s not many plants in it,” he says of the many plant-based meat replacements on the market.

🍔 Episode Highlights

• Jason and Hailey’s experience of growing a brand in a category dominated by big names that aren’t whole food plant based

• How making a whole food plant-based product colorful and attractive can drive adoption across demographics and into the mainstream

• Retailers’ and consumers’ increasing demand for healthier plant-based products

• How you don’t need to scream “healthy” to sell products when you have something tasty and attractive

• Innovative ways Actual Veggies is broadening their concept beyond the burger category

• Why customer feedback is critical in product development

• The “plant-forward” trend that’s taking plant-based food to the next (healthier) level

• The changing narrative around plant-based eating and whole food plant based in particular

• Walmart’s potential role in advancing the plant-based movement into the mainstream

• How having advocates who can positively influence the public toward plant-based can help brands in the space grow

Their philosophy is simple: Make something from 100% whole plant foods that looks good, tastes good and is easy to prepare. Without compromising on these principles, Jason and Hailey worked with their team to create a line of burgers in a rainbow of colors—all crafted using veggies, beans, grains and spices.

To their surprise and delight, everyone liked the product. Customers from all across demographics—adults, kids, omnivores, flexitarians, vegetarians and vegans—embraced the burgers and offered feedback that helped Jason and Hailey iterate and make their burgers even better.

Jason encourages other whole food plant-based brands to stick to their principles and persevere through the ups and downs of business.

“Don’t compromise on your foundation or on what you set out to do,” he advises. That’s how he and Hailey turned their passion project into a business they love and that’s making a difference in the plant-based movement—and the world.

About Actual Veggies and Co-Founders Jason & Hailey

Founded in early 2020 and headquartered in New York City, Actual Veggies is redefining what retail and food service consumers consider a plant-based burger with its four different varieties of its ¼-pound, chef-crafted veggie burger patties made with only fresh, actual vegetables, grains and spices. Actual Veggies can be found at Sprouts, HungryRoot, and online at ShopVejii.com and www.actualveggies.com.

A serial entrepreneur by nature, Jason Rosenbaum co-founded Actual Veggies in March 2020 after he personally revamped his diet and realized that “better for you” imitation meats and veggie burger options were highly processed, frozen, bland or loaded with preservatives. He set forth on a mission to create a brand that offers better, healthier and real plant-only veggie burgers.

Jason on LinkedIn

Hailey Swartz is an accomplished digital strategy and partnerships leader who is tapping into her passion for connections and relationships for Actual Veggies. Along with Jason, Hailey is managing the marketing, visibility and partnership opportunities to help grow and expand the reach of the company to other channels.

Hailey on LinkedIn

Find (and Follow) Actual Veggies

• https://actualveggies.com

• Instagram: @actualveggies

• Facebook: ActualVeggies

• Twitter: @actualveggies

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/actual-veggies/

• Where to buy: https://actualveggies.com/pages/where-to-buy

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When her daughter decided to go vegan, Paige Parsons Roache couldn’t have imagined how much her own diet and life would change.

It started with education: reading books, listening to plant-based doctors, watching documentaries and trying vegan food from local restaurants. Pretty soon, Paige was experimenting with recipes and becoming a “chef in her own kitchen” for the first time in her life.

After meeting Jane Velez-Mitchell at a vegan event, Paige found herself inspired to get more involved and more vocal about the plant-based cause. Documentaries like Cowspiracy and What the Health had opened her eyes to the environmental and social impacts of animal agriculture, and she became committed to helping end the suffering connected to the industry.

“If I knowingly was contributing to the harm of another,” Paige says of her realization, “I knew I had to make the change.”

🌐 Episode Highlights

• Paige’s background in the environmental movement, including what inspired her to go plant-based vegan

• Insights from Paige’s journey from a “frozen food vegan” to someone who loves experimenting in the kitchen

• The importance of educating yourself about food, health and the environment

• How UnchainedTV is advancing the vegan and plant-based movements through the resources they provide

• Easy ways to swap whole plant-based foods in place of animal products

• Caring for your body holistically, not just through what you eat

• How to minimize the environmental and social impacts of factory farming

Paige’s passion for the environment, health and animals shows in her words and actions. Through UnchainedTV, Clubhouse and other initiatives, she’s inspiring and encouraging others to get educated about plant-based eating, make the switch away from animal products and take back power for health and wellbeing.

About Paige

Paige’s daughter went vegan at age 13, and Paige joined her 6 months later. Today, she’s committed to bringing environmentally conscious vegan living to the forefront and reports on all the latest animal rights’ aspects, including Animal Save Movement’s vigils, various PETA protests, VegFests, vegan conferences and more.

She’s an active member of Clubhouse and can be found in numerous rooms throughout the week, contributing her knowledge to the plant-based conversation from a variety of angles and offering tips and encouragement to anyone seeking to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.

Connect with Paige and UnchainedTV

• https://unchainedtv.com

• LunchBreakLIVE: https://janeunchained.com/shows/lunchbreak-live/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paigeparsonsroache/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/paigeparsonsroache

• Clubhouse: @paigepr

For further watching

• Sam on Lunch Break LIVE: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?ref=watch_permalink&v=608455253681750

• https://nutritionfacts.org

• Cowspiracy

• What the Health

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Eating plant based is a journey. For some, it starts with an all-in commitment to eat nothing but whole plant foods. But most of the time, the transition to new eating habits is supported by a range of plant-based products that replace meat, dairy and eggs.

Tyler Mayoras is helping the next generation of these products come to life through his brand, Cool Beans. With their portable whole-food wraps, Cool Beans is making healthy eating convenient—and delicious.

🎙️ Episode highlights:

• Market insights from Expo East 2021, including the increasing number of products made with whole-food ingredients

• Advice for brands that want to launch whole food plant-based products, including categories with the biggest opportunities

• Gaps in the market where plant-based and whole food plant-based entrepreneurs can solve unaddressed consumer pain points

• How to bring out maximum flavor in whole plant foods so that they’re more appealing to customers

• Appealing to families with whole food plant-based options

• Beans as the next generation of plant-based protein

• The need for more nutrition education—particularly plant-based nutrition—in medical schools

• Why clarity is important when communicating the whole food plant-based message to the public

According to Tyler, it’s all about taste.

“So many people in the general consumer market are moving toward cleaner and healthier ingredients,” he says. But “it’s hard to build a trend if the stuff doesn’t taste good.”

By complementing the naturally delicious flavors of vegetables, beans and grains with a range of spices, Cool Beans is proving to consumers that eating whole food plant based can be just as delicious as—or even more delicious than—eating processed plant-based products.

Of course, the typical plant-based journey doesn’t just involve food; it’s also a journey of discovery. Information is plentiful, but not all of it is accessible. Tyler believes one of the best ways to educate the public is through avenues like documentaries that communicate the health and environmental benefits of eating whole food plant based. Add in more detailed nutrition education in medical schools, and it creates a winning combination to help everyone pursue true health.

About Tyler

Tyler is the “Cool Executive Officer” of Cool Beans and serves as both an angel investor and mentor to several other plant-based and sustainable brands. He has more than 20 years of experience in private equity investing and consulting with a focus on sustainable food and agriculture. He has personally experienced the benefits of plant-based diets and wants others to join him on the journey!

Connect with Tyler & Cool Beans

Tyler on episode 33 of The Modern Health Nerd, Season 1

• https://www.eatcoolbeans.com

• Store locator: https://www.eatcoolbeans.com/pages/where-to-buy

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eatCoolBeans/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luvcoolbeans

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/eatcoolbeans

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/eatcoolbeans/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylermayoras/

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What if we could break the cycle of disease and premature death just by changing what we eat? Dr. T. Colin Campbell believes it really is that simple.

After decades of studying nutrition's effects on health and disease, Dr. Campbell is convinced that eating plants in as close to their whole, unrefined forms as possible is the best thing we can do to support optimal health.

In fact, he's the one who coined the term "whole food plant-based diet!"

Since first discovering the correlations between plant-based diets and disease reduction, Dr. Campbell has written several books, including The China Study, Whole and The Future of Nutrition.

He has also appeared in several documentary films, including Forks Over Knives, Eating You Alive, Food Matters, and PlantPure Nation and has delivered hundreds of evidence-based nutrition lectures around the world.

In the final episode The Modern Health Nerd Podcast, Season 1, we discuss:

• How the common reductionist approach in nutrition and healthcare supports a system designed to make money instead of create health

• How the current food system negatively impacts health, vulnerable populations and the environment

• The research that changed Dr. Campbell's mind about animal protein's role in health

• Dr. Campbell's thoughts on the growth of the plant-based and alternative protein movement

• Why eating whole, unrefined plant foods is more powerful than focusing on single nutrients

• Why a holistic view is important when interpreting nutrition research results

• Why policy change, particularly relating to dietary guidelines, is necessary to shift the food system toward one that supports health

• The need for better public nutrition knowledge and civil debates between proponents of differing opinions

About Dr. Campbell

T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D. has been dedicated to the science of human health for more than 60 years.
His primary focus is on the association between diet and disease, particularly cancer. Although largely known for the China Study, Dr. Campbell’s profound impact also includes extensive involvement in education, public policy, and laboratory research.

His life's journey has taken him from growing up on a dairy farm to obtaining a master's degree and Ph.D. in nutrition, biochemistry and toxicology at Cornell University and MIT. After 10 years on the faculty of Virginia Tech’s Department of Biochemistry and Nutrition, he returned to Cornell in 1975 where he presently holds his Endowed Chair as the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry in the Division of Nutritional Sciences.

Dr. Campbell has received over 70 grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding (mostly with NIH), served on grant review panels of multiple funding agencies, actively participated in the development of national and international nutrition policy, and authored over 350 research papers, most published in peer-reviewed science journals.

Dr. Campbell is also is the founder of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies and the online Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate in partnership with eCornell.

Connect with Dr. Campbell's Work

• Center for Nutrition Studies

• Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate

• Plant Forward Workshop (October 13-November 17, 2021)

• Plant Pure Communities

• Dr. Campbell’s books

How much control do we actually have over our food choices? According to Michael Moss, it's not nearly as much as we think.

Decades of research and reformulation have given the ultra-processed food industry ("Big Food") the upper hand, but we don't have to be victims of manipulation. We can regain control—and Michael Moss provides the ammunition we need in his detailed food system exposés.

In this episode, we explore:

• How the concept of the "bliss point" has caused sugar to invade nearly every type of product in the grocery store

• How the processed food industry's formulations and marketing tactics to hijack human biology and create addictive eating patterns

• Three main qualities that attract consumers to ultra-processed food

• How the processed food industry insinuated itself into the diet food industry

• How product reformulations can trick consumers into thinking ultra-processed foods are becoming healthier

• Using the processed food industry's own tactics to steer consumers toward healthier food choices

• How it's possible to shift our food preferences simply by building new habits

• Why changing the food system requires a multifaceted approach

• The power of changing the way people value food to consider factors beyond instant gratification

About Michael Moss

Michael Moss is the author of “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” an expose of processed food and #1 New York Times Bestseller published in 2013 by Random House, and “Hooked: Food, Free Will and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions,” a New York Times Bestseller published in 2021.

He is a former investigative reporter with The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, and won the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting in 2010 for his work on contaminated meat. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their two boys.

Connect with Michael & read his books

• https://mossbooks.us

For further listening

• Michael Moss on Chef AJ

Can some of the smallest living things on the planet change the future of the food system—and create a better world? According to Eugene Wang, microalgae has that power.
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Through his company, Sophie's BioNutrients, Eugene and his team are fermenting and extracting unique microalgae proteins suitable for a creating a variety of plant-based food products. Their proteins are sustainable, affordable and can be grown anywhere.

We cover a ton of ground in this super-nerdy episode, including:

• Eugene's unique background in plant-based food manufacturing

• How using fermentation to grow microalgae increases the protein's sustainability and lowers costs

• How quickly and prolifically microalgae grows compared to animal and plant proteins

• How microalgae protein can provide for increased protein demands at a lower financial and environmental cost than common proteins like soy

• Unique products Sophie's BioNutrients has been able to create using its microalgae proteins

• Nutrient profile of microalgae protein vs. soy

• The properties that may make microalgae versatile enough to withstand extreme climate conditions

• Overcoming consumers' innate resistance to change to help them embrace new food categories and flavors

About Eugene

Eugene Wang grew up immersed in the vegetarian food business. Since 2010, his vision for launching Sophie’s Kitchen, the first Plant-Based Seafood Alternative, has manifested into a viable innovation.

Sophie’s Kitchen had won numerous recognitions from companies like PepsiCo and Chipotle.In 2019, Eugene took alternative protein to the microorganism level and started another venture: Sophie’s BioNutrients Singapore. He won $1 million SGD at The Livability Challenge 2019 with this project and started protein fermentation facility in Singapore.

About Sophie's BioNutrients

Using a proprietary strain of microalgae grown in a fermentation tank, Sophie's BioNutrients is creating a new, sustainable plant-based protein. This results in a product that's 60% protein and has a high-quality essential amino acid profile that exceeds the WHO requirements for protein products.

Sustainability is inherent in the process.

The growing system can be set up near metropolitan areas to cut down the needs for agriculture and transportation, improve food security and reduce risks associated with supply chain disruption. The 3- to 10-day production cycle creates protein in a fraction of the time required for soy or beef and can be fueled entirely by industrial food waste.

Sophie's BioNutrients microalgae require very little water and only the land needed to set up an indoor production facility. With no need for fertilizer, herbicide, antibiotics, or growth hormones, it's truly healthy for both the environment and the human body.

Connect with Eugene & Learn More About the Company

• https://www.sophiesbionutrients.com

• LinkedIn: Eugene's profile, Sophie's BioNutrients company page

Being at the head of "the world’s leading source for APAC alternative protein industry news and reporting" gives Sonalie unique insight into many of today's biggest climate, food and sustainability issues.

In this episode, we touch on:

• How Green Queen grew out of Sonalie's own journey to a healthier lifestyle

• The unique characteristics of the alt protein/plant-based movement in Asia

• How Sonalie's early experiences with the new generation of plant-based products led to a shift in focus for Green Queen

• Why Green Queen covers innovations in packaging, fashion, beauty and more in addition to alt protein

• How the lack of transparency in the food industry places the unfair burden of due diligence and label reading on consumers

• How governance, transparency and accountability can have a positive impact on the food system and the climate

• The importance of developing products and policies that address food, ethical and sustainability issues from multiple angles

• The sweeping positive changes that could occur if factory farming was eliminated

About Sonalie and Green Queen Media

Serial social entrepreneur and  trends forecaster Sonalie Figueiras is the founder and editor-in-chief of Green Queen, an award-winning impact media platform advocating for social and environmental change through inspiring and empowering original content and one of the world's leading outlets for alternative protein news.

She is also the founder & CEO of Ekowarehouse, the global sourcing platform for certified organic products and the co-founder & CEO of SourceGreenPackaging.com, the world's first global marketplace for sustainable packaging with a mission to fight single-use plastic waste.

With over a decade of experience in publishing, digital marketing, organic trade, sustainability, alternative proteins and green packaging.

She is an eco wellness industry veteran with a keen eye for market trends and a sought-after international speaker and moderator, sharing her expertise on stages across Asia and beyond, including Harvard Business School and two times at TEDx.

Further, Sonalie is a global advisor at Social Ventures Hong Kong, an Impact Purpose Organization committed to re-imagining Hong Kong as a purpose-driven city, an advisor at The Remedy Project, which revolutionizes access to justice for migrant workers globally, a cause close to her heart, and she is an avid home cook and published cookbook author.

Find (and read!) Green Queen Media Online

• https://www.greenqueen.com.hk

• LinkedIn: Sonalie, Green Queen

• Facebook: Green Queen HK

• Twitter: @GreenQueenHK

• Instagram: @greenqueenhk

You may also like:

Red to Green, Season 2

Can simple changes make a big difference in diet and health—not just on an individual level, but across the food industry?

Mike Fata is living proof that it's possible. Mike has dedicated over 25 years studying and practicing natural health, starting in 1995 when he made the life-changing decision to lose over 100lbs.

In 1998, he founded Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods and spent the next 18 years growing the company, finally selling it to Tilray for $419 million in 2016.

In this episode, we dig into:

• How Mike's own health journey sparked the founding of Manitoba Harvest

• The history and growth of Manitoba Harvest

• Mike's involvement in other plant-based and functional food companies

• Hemp's health and environmental benefits

• Hemp's unique—and sometimes tumultuous—history

• Using science-backed education to overcome barriers of misinformation

• The importance of choosing fresh, organically grown foods over ultra-processed products

• The trend toward brands showing more personality and realism in marketing

• How individual companies can spark widespread positive change in the food system and consumer health

About Mike

Mike is passionate about sharing natural health with the world. He's a keynote speaker and has been featured on various media countless times regarding natural health, nutrition, hemp foods, organic agriculture, sustainable business and entrepreneurship.

Mike has won numerous awards, including Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2004), Top 40 under 40 (2008), OTA Organic Rising Star Award (2016) and Top 100 Health Influencers (2017). He's currently Chief Executive Officer of Fata & Associates, Chairman of the Board of Sol Cuisine, Director (Past Chairman) of the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA) and investor/advisor to a portfolio of companies.

Mike is a homeschooling father👨‍👧‍👦, certified holistic health coach and avid backyard organic farmer. In his free time he enjoys coaching and mentoring natural products industry entrepreneurs, which he does frequently on Clubhouse.

Find Mike & Manitoba Online

• Tasty recipes from Manitoba Harvest

• LinkedIn

• Clubhouse: @mikefata

What can today's eco-conscious companies, including plant-based businesses, do to increase their impact on the world?

Emma Osborne of Citizen Kind would suggest hiring a team of people committed to living out a shared set of values.

Whether you're looking for fulfilling work or building a company dedicated to changing the world for the better, this episode has some fantastic gems. Here's a peek into what we dig into:

• Emma's early entry into vegetarianism and what finally got her to go vegan

• How impactful companies can make better hires

• Tips for finding "top talent" employees who share company values

• The importance of considering diverse perspectives when hiring—particularly when aiming to build a better future

• Why an amazing, committed team is crucial for startups that want to get established and grow

• The importance of vision and values in building a successful company

• The power of building community around a business—internally and with customers

• Why the values a company markets must be reflected in their internal relations and operations

• The importance of developing and adhering to a core value system in business and all of life

About Emma & Citizen Kind

Emma Osborne is the founder of Citizen Kind, a consultancy designed to help accelerate the growth of companies that are creating the future of food, materials and energy.

Through her expertise in talent, business strategy and creative flair, she has been helping solve problems for global startups from her base in London, UK, since launching in 2018. With 17 years recruitment experience, she has worked with large MNCs, agency groups, and SMEs to identify the commercial talent they need to thrive in the modern world. She is on the board with not-for-profits KindEarth.

Tech and Vegan Leaders and is a passionate vegan, foodie and animal advocate.

If you are a conscious consumer or value-based employer, connect with her here and transform your career or invigorate your business!

Connect with Emma

• https://citizenkind.com

• LinkedIn

• Instagram: @citizenkind

• Facebook: Citizen Kind

Why haven't consumers started adopting healthier eating habits despite all the "better-for-you" options on the market?

Jack Bobo would say it's because companies don't understand how consumers think—and are turning them off with the wrong messaging.

Jack is the author of Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices, which exposes the not-so-obvious but real drivers of our complicated relationship to the foods we eat and why it’s proven so hard to change our habits. In this episode, we dive into:

• The disconnect between plant-based messaging and target consumers

• Types of messaging that can create personal and ethical conflicts in consumers' minds

• Why combative messaging isn't the way to move the food system in a positive direction

• How to avoid opposition and backlash resulting from inappropriate messaging or positioning

• Causes of the dramatic shift in American health over the last 50 years

• Why future growth projections for alternative protein may not indicate a reduction in meat consumption

• How dietary guidelines regarding ultra-processed foods may undermine the work of the alternative protein movement

• The psychology behind bad food choices

• The importance of conveying the appropriate use case for alternative proteins

• Scaling messaging as audiences change from the startup phase through growth

• What alternative protein startups can learn from Big Food

...and a lot more! Jack looks at the food system from a unique angle and has some true gems to share for anyone who's trying to market a food product—or change their own eating habits.

About Jack

Jack Bobo is the CEO of Futurity, a food foresight company that advises companies, foundations and governments on emerging food trends and consumer attitudes and behaviors related to the future of food.
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Recognized by Scientific American as one of the 100 most influential people in biotechnology, Jack is a global thought leader who has delivered more than 500 speeches in 50 countries on food technology and policy.

He previously served as the Chief Communications Officer and Senior Vice President for Global Policy and Government Affairs at Intrexon Corporation. Prior to joining Intrexon, Jack worked at the U.S. Department of State for thirteen years as a senior advisor for global food policy.

An attorney with a scientific background, Jack received from Indiana University a J.D., M.S. in Environmental Science, B.S. in biology and B.A. in psychology and chemistry.

Follow Jack's Work

• https://www.futurityfood.com

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jackbobo/

• Twitter: @Jack_A_Bobo

• Instagram: @futurityfood

• Why Smart People Make Bad Food Choices (on Amazon)

Jeffrey Harris believes it can. As one of the creative minds behind Plant Power Fast Food, Jeffrey believes building a network of "vegan McDonald's" can open more people's eyes to the health and environmental benefits of eating plant-based. He sees Plant Power as a bridge between the current state of the food system and—ultimately—a whole food, plant-based, organic future.

In this episode, we get cosmic about:

• How the original vision for Plant Power Fast Food spawned a growing network of restaurant locations

• How plant-based fast food can spark curiosity and open people's eyes to a new way of eating

• Where Plant Power fits into Jeffrey's ultimate vision for changing the food landscape—and the world

• The big impact that even small steps toward a more plant-based diet can have on health and the environment

• Why thinking big may be the key to making a significant and lasting impact on the food system

• The importance of integrating compassion into any business model

• Why whole food, plant-based, organic diets make the most sense for long-term human and planetary health

About Jeffrey & Plant Power

Plant Power Fast Food is a plant-based fast-food restaurant concept. Menu offerings are completely free of any meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, as well as artificial flavorings or colorings. With a selection ranging from burgers, fries, shakes and ‘chicken’ tenders to salads, fresh juices and raw items, they have often been referred to as the “Vegan version of McDonald's”.

‍Jeffrey Harris is both cofounder and co-CEO at Plant Power. The idea for building a nationwide chain of 100% plant-based fast food restaurants started brewing in 2005, and since then, Plant Power Fast Food has grown to 7 operational restaurants, 8 restaurants in development, 21 locations in the franchise development pipeline, an LA-based food truck, a world-class food production facility, a national distribution agreement, new top industry hires from Chipotle and Yum brands and over $14.5 million in brand-wide retail net sales.

Jeffrey himself has been a vegetarian since 1974 and a vegan since 1996. From 1981 through 1987, he worked at two well-known local vegetarian restaurants in Los Angeles (Our Contribution and  Follow Your Heart), where he did everything from washing dishes, preparing food, hosting and waiting on tables.

He met up with partners Mitch Wallis and Zach Vouga in 2014 to begin to develop a 100% plant-based fast-food restaurant chain with the intention to demonstrate a new cruelty-free, environmentally sustainable and healthier version of traditional fast food. The first Plant Power location opened in San Diego in 2016, and the chain continues to introduce more people to plant-based diets every day.

Connect with Plant Power (and try their food!)

• https://www.plantpowerfastfood.com

• Restaurant locator

• Instagram: @PlantPowerFastFood

• Facebook: Plant Power Fast Food

• LinkedIn: Plant Power Fast Food, Jeffrey's profile

• Email: jeffrey.harris (at) plantpowerfastfood (dot) com

Update Feb 2022: ProdHealth is now Terra Health Coaching!

What if it were possible for everyone to start leveraging the power of plant-based eating in an accessible and practical way?

John Dieser is making it possible through his work with the ProdHealth app.

There's a lot to unpack on this topic, and we only just scratch the surface as we explore:

• The mind-blowing research on plant-based nutrition that changed the course of John's career

• Whether plant-based alternative proteins and oils have a place in a healthy diet

• Why accountability and goal setting are important moving more people toward plant-based diets

• The cost burden that chronic disease care places on employers

• How the ProdHealth app helps people eat better, move more and understand how diet affects their overall health

• Why ProdHealth includes a stool journal (It's integral to health!)

• How small diet and lifestyle changes can lead to big improvements in health

• The connection between improving health through food and improving the environment

About John & ProdHealth

John emerged into the digital health space from a career in healthcare investments. He now hopes to replace many of the drugs he once invested in with a more effective approach: lifestyle medicine and plant-forward nutrition.

Thanks to the full-stack ProdHealth app, which securely connects users to health coaches and dieticians, doctor's orders can travel home with patients in the company of essential support and education.

John encourages plant curious individuals, employers, and exhausted medical professionals to reach out and partner to take health home.

Connect with ProdHealth!

• https://prodhealth.com

• Email: john (at) prodhealth (dot) com

• Instagram: @prod_health

• Facebook: ProdHealth

• LinkedIn: ProdHealth, John Dieser

• App: iOS, Android