When people ask what I eat on a plant-based diet

Kelsey is a registered nurse & food blogger. She loves using fruits and vegetables that bring bright, bold, and beautiful colors into her recipes 🌈🌱💕. Meatless Movement recently had an opportunity to chat with her.

Please tell us more about yourself

My name is Kelsey Riley, I am a registered nurse and founder of the vegan food blog, Planted in the Kitchen https://plantedinthekitchen.com/.

My love for animals and the environment became a larger focus in my life
@plantedinthekitchen

I currently live in Lexington, South Carolina. I grew up in Connecticut in a household with many animals (cats, dogs, rabbits, horses, chickens), and worked at a small farm in the summers helping to take care of animals, teaching kids about agriculture, composting, etc. and my love for animals and the environment became a larger focus in my life. I later went on to become a registered nurse and in my free time, built the plant-based food blog, Planted in the Kitchen, where I share vegan recipes with my audience.

We soon removed all animal products from our diets and lifestyle
@plantedinthekitchen

My husband started learning more about the negative impact that animal agriculture has on our planet and convinced me that we should stop eating meat. We educated ourselves by reading books and watching documentaries.

I stopped eating meat about 3 years ago, and it has been about 2 and a half years since I first started removing all other animal products. We are so lucky to have supportive family members and friends!! They always make us feel so comfortable and make sure that we have options when we go over to their homes.

The first time I went to visit my Dad’s house after adopting a vegan diet. He was SO supportive and wanted me to feel really comfortable at his house that week with food. He made a list of all of the vegan food in the entire house and taped it to a kitchen cabinet so I would know all of the options I had at his house 🙂

I have a really easy time shopping for vegan food and making vegan food at home. We never feel like we are “limited” in what we are eating and always feel extremely satisfied. It’s a little trickier when going out to eat, especially living in the southern US. We used to live in Boston, MA where there were many more vegan options available when going out to eat, down in SC we are much more limited and sometimes have no options available to us. Pro tip: always check the menu before being seated at a restaurant.

I believe that everyone’s journey to veganism or vegetarianism is different

I love living a vegan lifestyle. I feel good about the foods I am putting in my body and rest easily knowing that my diet and lifestyle isn’t causing the same negative impacts on animals and the environment that it used to. I also feel that now that I eat a plant-based diet, I eat so many more nourishing foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.) than ever before! My body feels so much healthier!

Start by keeping things simple and stick to what feels familiar and good to you. If you’re a huge pasta lover, start with some easy vegan pasta recipes and dishes. If you like soup, look for some vegan soup recipes. If you’re brand new to eating a vegan or vegetarian diet, don’t cause yourself unnecessary stress by trying to bite off more than what you can chew 😉

Best home cooked recipes

Some of my favorite recipes are my Vegan White Bean Chili (https://plantedinthekitchen.com/vegan-white-bean-chili/) and my Vegan Creamy Tomato Soup (https://plantedinthekitchen.com/vegan-creamy-tomato-soup/)

I believe that everyone’s journey to veganism or vegetarianism is different. Don’t be afraid to take the step to make a positive change, and don’t be afraid to reach out for help and advice from anyone you know (or don’t know!) if you ever have questions. No one is perfect, give yourself the grace to know that you’re doing a great job!!