As you jump into the world of plant-based living, it’s a great idea to get familiar with all of the resources at your disposal.
There are so many ways to educate yourself, stay informed and be involved in communities with like-minded people. I’ve found this is the 100% way to be successful.
This lifestyle isn’t just a quick fix; it’s truly a way of life. So the best way to stay motivated and engaged is to surround yourself (digitally and in-person) with resources focused on plant-based living.
I’ve developed this list of plant-based resources to help you along your plant-powered journey. Check out the lists below and feel free to add any additional resources in the comments. I’ll do my best to add them! =)
Feel like jumping around? Click through the table of contents below.
Table of contents:
Educational Sites
These sites have great information to help you explore a plant-based diet and what it can do for your health.
- NutritionStudies.org (website for the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies)
- NutritionFacts.org (science-based, most current research on plant-based nutrition)
- Vegan Health (evidence-based nutrition information for plant based living)
- Plant Based Juniors (evidence-based guidance for raising kids on a plant-based diet)
- Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (evidence-based nutrition and health information for clinicians, medical students, scientists, and the general public)
- Forks Over Knives (resource for those transitioning from an animal-based, highly-processed food diet to a more plant-based, whole food diet)
- Mind Body Green (lifestyle brand dedicated to wellness)
- One Green Planet (recipes, news and trends)
- Vegetarian Resource Group (everything from health, environment to ethics)
- Agricultural Marketing Service (with a list of farmer’s market’s in your area)
Great Reads (Plant Based Books)
These books will help you learn everything there is to know about plant-based research and also provide inspiration. Don’t have time to read? Try an audiobook instead!
- The China Study (the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted and one of the first reasons I decided to venture into veganism)
- How Not To Die (written by Dr. Michael Gregor, founder of nutritionstudies.org, detailing the foods scientifically proven to prevent and reverse disease)
- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease (based on a 20-year scientific study by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr.)
- The Starch Solution (fueling your body primarily with carbohydrates rather than proteins and fats)
- Whole (T. Colin Campbell, rethinking the science of nutrition)
- The Pleasure Trap (discusses sickness and unhappiness in today’s contemporary culture and offers ground-breaking solutions for achieving change)
- The Engine 2 Diet (a Texas firefighter’s 28-day save-your-life plan that lowers cholesterol and burns away the pounds)
- The Mindful Vegan (Lani Muelrath, 30-day plan to health, balance, peace and happiness)
- The Plant-Based Solution (Dr. Joel Kahn, how everyone can cultivate optimal well-being with a whole-foods, plant-based diet)
- Beyond Beliefs (a guide to improving relationships & communication for vegans)
- Proteinaholic (Dr. Garth Davis, an acclaimed surgeon specializing in weight loss )
- The Cheese Trap (Dr. Neil Barnard, a comprehensive program to help readers break free of their cheese addiction)
- The Plant Based Journey (Lani Muelrath, a guide for transitioning to a healthy lifestyle including mindset)
Publications/Magazines
A few magazines bursting with hundreds of recipes, tips and more.
- Thrive Magazine (recipes, food ideas, wellness)
- VegNews (all things vegan)
- Forks Over Knives (tools, recipes and resources for plant-based living)
- Vegan Food and Living (England-based magazine, all vegan)
- Plant Based Magazine (recipes, products and more)
Movies/Documentaries
Documentaries are, many times, the gateway to plant-based eating (that’s definitely the case for me as well).
There’s something about seeing stories and unknown facts unfold on screen that is SO powerful. If you haven’t seen any of these flicks below, I HIGHLY recommend you grab some popcorn and tune in.
- Forks Over Knives (the #1 reason I changed my entire diet!, focuses on diseases of affluence and how we can control or even reverse diseases with a plant based diet)
- What the Health (exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick.)
- Game Changers (meat, protein and strength)
- Seaspiracy (documenting the harm that humans do to marine species)
- Food, Inc. (a look inside America’s corporate-controlled food industry)
- Food Choices (explores the effect food choices have on people’s health, the planet, and the lives of other living species)
- Supersize Me (an experiment on McDonald’s menu for an entire month- yikes)
Bloggers to Follow
As a fellow blogger, I know first hand the work involved in building and running a food blog, and it’s no joke. That’s why I really look up to other bloggers and the determination and hard work it takes to maintain this type of business- and I love to promote them every chance I get.
I recommend signing up for some of their email lists to receive recipe ideas and inspiration weekly.
- Deliciously Ella (in the UK/online, featuring recipes, plant-based products, an app, and cookbooks)
- Healthy Happy Life (vegan recipes- and she likes cats too, so she’s cool in my book) =)
- It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken (focused on veganizing a lot of common non-vegan foods)
- Love and Lemons (vegan and vegetarian)
- Minimalist Baker (vegan and vegetarian, but mostly vegan)
- Namely Marly (all vegan recipes)
- Oh She Glows (all vegan recipes)
- Plant Based On a Budget (affordable and easy-to-make recipes)
- Rachel Ama (recipes, vegan skin care, etc.)
- Simple Vegan Blog (all vegan recipes)
- Spabettie (all vegan recipes)
- Sprouted Kitchen (mostly vegan, vegetable-focused)
- Sweet Potato Soul (all vegan recipes)
- The Colorful Kitchen (all vegan recipes)
- The Korean Vegan (all vegan recipes)
- The First Mess (all vegan recipes)
- The Full Helping (all vegan recipes)
- The Vegan 8 (all vegan recipes)
- The Viet Vegan (all vegan recipes)
- Vegan Richa (all vegan recipes, mostly Indian focused)
- Veggie Chick (all vegan with a focus on whole food, plant based, vegetable-focused recipes)
- Vegan Yack Attack (all vegan recipes)
- Veggies Don’t Bite (all vegan recipes)
People To Know
These are big names in the vegan/whole food, plant based industry, and people worth knowing.
- Alicia Silverstone (this woman is not “clueless” by any means =); she’s a respected vegan activist)
- Alona Pulde, MD (created the medical program used in the Forks Over Knives documentary and author of cookbooks)
- Brendan Brazier (one of the world’s leading authorities on plant-based performance nutrition)
- Caldwell Esselstyn, MD (surgeon, researcher, and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic for more than 35 years)
- Chef AJ (chef, culinary instructor, author, and professional speaker)
- Chef Chloe (winner of Food Network’s Cupcake Wars, award-winning chef, cookbook author, restaurant owner)
- Dean Ornish, MD (author, researcher, speaker, founder and president of the nonprofit ‘Preventive Medicine Research Institute’ in California)
- Doug Lisle, PhD (clinical psychologist, scientist)
- Ella Magers Sexy Fit Vegan (a good friend of mine!, vegan fitness expert, educator, coach)
- Garth Davis, MD (medical director for bariatric surgery, athlete, author of ‘Proteinaholic’, passionate plant-based advocate)
- Joel Fuhrman, MD (board-certified family physician, seven-time New York Times best-selling author and internationally recognized expert on nutrition and natural healing)
- Joel Kahn, MD (cardiologist, prevents and reverses heart disease, author, speaker, tv personality)
- John McDougall, MD (founder and director of the nationally renowned ‘McDougall Program’: a ten-day residential program that he and Mary McDougall host at a luxury resort)
- Kathy Freston (animal activist, author, tv personality)
- Kim Williams, MD (top cardiologist, vegan)
- Lani Muelrath (health educator, professor, best-selling author, inspirational speaker, and TV host)
- Mark Reinfeld (award-winning chef and authority on plant-based cuisine, and the founding chef of the Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy.)
- Matt Lederman, MD (created the medical program used in the Forks Over Knives documentary and author of cookbooks)
- Michael Gregor, MD (physician, New York Times bestselling author, and internationally recognized professional speaker on a number of important public health issues)
- Michael Klaper, MD (clinician, internationally-recognized teacher, and sought-after speaker on diet, health and plant based living)
- Neil Barnard, MD (American author, clinical researcher, and founding president of the ‘Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’)
- Pam Popper, PhD, ND (founder and President of ‘Wellness Forum Health’)
- Rip Esselstyn (a former firefighter and triathlete, is an American health activist and food writer)
- Rich Roll (vegan ultra-endurance athlete and full-time wellness & plant-based nutrition advocate, popular public speaker)
- T. Colin Campbell, PhD (author of ‘The China Study’, American biochemist who specializes in the effect of nutrition on long-term health, one of the lead scientists for plant-based nutrition, pioneer in the industry)
- Thomas Campbell, MD (family physician, researcher)
- Victoria Moran (runs Main Street Vegan, which offers a vegan podcast, certification, classes, blog and more)
In-Person Conferences and Training
- Vegan Fusion Culinary Academy (I’ve taken cooking classes with Mark Reinfeld and highly recommend him!)
- Food Future Institute
- T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies (I’m a graduate)
- Forks Over Knives Rouxbe Cooking course (I’m a graduate)
Cookbooks
- But I Could Never Go Vegan
- Chloe’s Kitchen
- Easy Vegan Breakfast and Lunches
- Eaternity
- Eat Feel Fresh (an Ayurvedic cookbook)
- Forks Over Knives Cookbook
- Forks Over Knives Family
- Fuss-Free Vegan
- How Not to Diet Cookbook
- Isa Does It
- Main Street Vegan Academy Cookbook
- Minimalist Baker’s Everyday Cooking
- N’ice Cream
- No Meat Athlete Cookbook
- Plant Powered Families
- Plant Pure Nation Cookbook
- Rawsome Vegan Baking
- Straight Up Food
- Sweet Potato Soul
- The 30-Day Vegan Challenge
- The 30 Minute Vegan
- The First Mess Cookbook
- Happy Herbivore
- The Homemade Vegan Pantry
- The Make Ahead Vegan Cookbook
- The Oh She Glows Cookbook
- The Plantpower Way
- The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook
- The Vegan Way
- Bad Manners (formerly Thug Kitchen)
- (Vegan) Air Fryer Cookbook
- Vegan Bowl Attack
- Veganomicon
- Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen
- Vegan Under Pressure
Instagram Influencers
Do a search for “Vegan” or “Whole Food, Plant Based” on Instagram and you’ll find A LOT of influencers to follow.
- Anett Velsberg
- Andrea Hanneman
- Best of Vegan
- Cheap Lazy Vegan
- Deliciously Ella
- Ella Magers (Sexy Fit Vegan)
- Environmental Working Group
- Fully Raw Kristina
- Let’s Cook Vegan
- It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken
- Minimalist Baker
- Nutrition Studies
- Olivia Biermann
- No Meat Athlete
- Vegan Yack Attack
- Vegan Shares
- Veggie Chick
- World of Vegan
Facebook Groups
Do a search for “Vegan” or “Whole Food, Plant Based” on Facebook and you’ll find A LOT of groups; some may be local to you.
Note: many are closed groups and you may have to meet certain criteria to join.
- Empowered Vegan Life
- Forks Over Knives Official Plant-Based Community
- Instant Pot Vegan Recipes
- Plant Based on a Budget
- PlantPure
- Plant Based Whole Food Living
- Vegan Recipes to Share
- Veggie Chick
- Whole Food Plant Based Diet- Beginner’s Group
- Whole-Food Plant-Based-Diet.com
- WFPB No-Oil for Life
Apps to Download
- Happy Cow (helps you to find vegan restaurants while you’re on the road)
- Barnivore (vegan beer, wine and liquor guide)
- Is It Vegan? (this app allows you to scan items to see where they fall in the range of vegan of not, super helpful!)
- Vegaholic (for vegan wine options)
- Food Monster- One Green Planet (plant-based recipes)
- Forks Over Knives (600+ whole food, plant based recipes)
- Oh She Glows (healthy, vegan recipes for plant based living)
- Yelp (type in the search term “vegan restaurants”, then find individual restaurants and search their comments sections for the word “vegan”.)
Meal Delivery Services
- Purple Carrot (all vegan)
- Green Chef (not all vegan, but has many vegan options)
- Daily Harvest (fully vegan and very low prep)
- Sakara (meals are 100% plant-based (no dairy, no meat and no seafood), but they do occasionally use honey and bee pollen.
- Mamasezz (all whole food, plant based meals)
Well, I hope you found this list helpful to you in your plant-based journey.
Do you have any suggestion/additions for our “Plant Based Resources” list? Leave a comment below!
And don’t forget to check out more valuable tools and downloadable PDF’s in the “Veg Resources“ section.
John Carston says
I like that you talked that recipes that are plant-based are rich in nutrients and vitamins for your plant-powered journey. My son told me last night that he and his best friend were planning to start their career in food blogging using plant-based recipes because of their fitness journey and medical practice, and he asked if I had any idea what would be the best option for him to begin. Thanks to this informative article, I’ll be sure to tell him that they can acquire more ideas and information from vegan recipes and vegan cooking tips blog.
Christin McKamey says
Hi John, thanks so much for your comment! That’s amazing your son and best friend are getting into the plant-based lifestyle. You must be proud. I’m hoping my article can help! Thanks again. =)