EXCLUSIVE: Veganism Isn’t Dead. It’s Just Evolving.

From vegnews.com

Plant-based didn’t fail—it got ahead of itself. Now it’s time to rethink what progress actually looks like. Vegan entrepreneur and investor T.K. Pillan dives deep into the state of the plant-based movement

Back in 2006, when I co-founded Veggie Grill, the term “plant-based” was hardly used, and vegan offerings were extremely sparse. Fast forward a decade, and thanks to passionate advocates, health professionals, and entrepreneurs, plant-based eating was firmly on the rise. Between 2016 and 2021, the US witnessed a cultural and commercial breakthrough: dairy-free milk captured more than 15 percent of the retail dairy aisle, meatless meat sales more than doubled, and brands like Beyond Meat and Oatly went public in blockbuster IPOs. Major restaurant chains rolled out plant-based options nationwide, while nearly every grocery store introduced new dairy- and meat-free sections. Plant-based was going mainstream, and momentum seemed unstoppable.

Beyond Meat

So what happened?

In recent years, progress has slowed—and in some cases, reversed. There are several reasons for this, including …

1. The overhyping of “plant-based” as a health cure-all set expectations many products couldn’t meet, leading to disappointment.

2. Industry pushback, with Big Meat funding multi-million-dollar campaigns framing plant-based meat as “ultra-processed,” “artificial,” and “fake” despite many products offering clear nutritional advantages compared to animal meat.

3. Cultural backlash against anything that challenges tradition, painting plant-based food and diets as “woke” rather than a step forward for people and the planet.

4. Market correction, which happens in nearly every promising sector (from dot-coms to solar to electric vehicles) when rapid investment outpaces demand.

These forces have created a period of contraction and consolidation. But we will get past it.

Bettani Farms

Progress continues

Even in this environment, progress continues. Proteins such as lupin, faba, lentils, and mycelium are improving in taste and nutrition. Staples like tofu, tempeh, and beans are finally getting their due recognition. Across the plant-based ecosystem, innovators are proving that better options are possible. Examples include …

1. Berkeley, CA-based Bettani Farms will soon launch a protein-rich, dairy-free cheese that has the same taste, texture, performance, and nutrition of dairy cheese.

2. Beyond Meat is doubling down on clean plant proteins with products like its new Beyond Ground, a four-ingredient blank canvas of a product with 27 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber that consumers can season in flavor to their liking.

3. Other companies bringing new plant proteins and next-generation products to market include Plantible (a protein from super-sustainable duckweed), PureTure (a clean-label animal-free protein shake), and New Culture (a precision fermented, vegan casein-based cheese).

A new path forward

As plant-based enthusiasts and advocates, how do we help rebuild momentum? The challenge is that when confusion and doubt set in, it’s difficult to change perception and habits. So instead of getting caught up in debates around “vegan,” “plant-based,” and “whole” versus “processed,” my recommendation is to rally around a simple, inclusive call-to-action: Prioritize Plant Protein. Here’s why …

1. It’s familiar and inclusive, and speaks to behaviour over identity.

2. It offers nutritional credibility, and is backed by leading health organizations with clear benefits and outcomes.

3. It covers the spectrum from whole foods like beans and tofu to plant proteins like Beyond Ground.

4. It directly counters the idea that we need meat for protein.

Why the phrase “Prioritize Plant Protein”? In case you need a refresher to help sharpen your advocacy, there are countless benefits to plant protein …

1. Plant protein delivers fibre, antioxidants, phytonutrients, and healthier fats that animal protein can’t match, supporting weight management and gut health.

2. Plant protein is linked to reduced markers of chronic inflammation that benefit both physical and cognitive health.

3. Plant protein is associated with lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several cancers.

4. Plant protein supports muscle strength and growth on par with animal protein when intake is matched.

Different approaches for different people

Let’s be clear: following a fully plant-based diet remains the most powerful way to protect animals and the planet, and advocacy that advances that vision—along with exposing the realities of factory farming—remains a foundational piece of the vegan movement.

But to reach the wider public in today’s noisy and polarized environment, “Prioritize Plant Protein” offers a simple, familiar, and powerful bridge. I invite you to try this approach with your friends, family, and community. Because of people like you—advocates, educators, health professionals, and community leaders—we know change is possible. Together, we can take the next step and make plant protein familiar and foundational in everyday diets.

https://vegnews.com/exclusive-veganism-isnt-dead-its-just-evolving 

Recipe: A Vegan Holiday Snack Board Built for Grazing

From poosh.com

When it comes to holiday hosting, the best spreads are the ones that invite people to linger, and this vegan holiday snack board from @saltntahini does exactly that. Designed for grazing, it’s easy to assemble, endlessly adaptable, and full of contrast. Creamy meets crunchy, sweet meets briny, and fresh meets preserved, all in one effortless spread inspired by Seiran’s thoughtful, plant-forward approach to food.

It’s the kind of board you can put out early, replenish as the night goes on, and enjoy without hovering as the host. Festive without feeling heavy, it shows that holiday food doesn’t need to be complicated to feel special.

Vegan Holiday Snack Board

Recipe Type:Snack/Appetizer

Dietary Info:Plant-based

Serving Size:4–6 people (or more for grazing)

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time:None

Total Time:15 minutes

Ingredients

Creamy + Savory:

• Marinated hummus
• Plant-based feta cheese
• Plant-based cream cheese with herbs

Briny + Pickled:

• Pepperoncini
• Cornichons
• Marinated garlic

Crunchy:

• Crostini
• Salted crackers
• Seed crackers
• Pistachios
• Cashew nuts

Sweet + Fruity:

• Dried apricots
• Dried figs
• Grapes
• Physalis (goldenberries)
• Passion fruit
• Fresh figs
• Pear
• Pomegranate seeds

Finishing Touch:

• A selection of marmalades

Instructions

1. Place bowls of hummus and plant-based cheeses around a large board or platter.
2. Add pickled and marinated elements for balance.
3. Layer in crackers, crostini, and nuts.
4. Fill in with fresh and dried fruit, slicing pears and figs just before serving.
5. Spoon marmalades into small dishes and nestle them throughout.
6. Adjust intuitively — abundance over symmetry here!

 

How to Enjoy

• As a pre-dinner spread
• For casual holiday gatherings
• During long afternoons that turn into evenings

• Anytime you want something festive without turning on the stove 

https://poosh.com/a-vegan-holiday-snack-board-built-for-grazing/

These 5 low-effort dinners are why I’ve finally stopped hating weeknight cooking

From vegoutmag.com

By Adam Kelton

If you currently resent weeknight cooking, maybe the problem is the expectations, the recipes, and the pressure you’ve been carrying 

For years, weeknight cooking felt like a personal attack.

I would drag myself home after a long day, open the fridge, and be greeted by half a lemon, some sad lettuce, and a jar of something I did not remember buying.

I would do what most tired, slightly overwhelmed adults do: I’d grab my phone and start scrolling delivery apps.

The irony is I used to work in luxury food and beverage.

I know how to plate a tasting menu, pair wine, and talk about “mouthfeel” with a straight face.

However, on a random Tuesday at 8 p.m., none of that matters: I needed something I could make without thinking, that tasted good, was mostly plants, and didn’t leave my kitchen looking like a war zone.

Over the last couple of years, I’ve slowly built a tiny “portfolio” of low-effort dinners that tick all those boxes.

They are mostly plant-based, flexible, and forgiving.

More importantly, they helped me stop seeing weeknight cooking as a chore and start seeing it as a form of self-respect.

Here are the five that changed things for me:

1) Sheet-pan tofu and vegetables that practically cook themselves

If you only take one idea from this article, let it be this: Put everything on a tray and throw it in the oven.

This dinner is stupidly simple: I grab whatever vegetables are lying around, such as broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, onions, sweet potato, and it all works.

I chop them roughly into bite-sized pieces, toss them on a sheet pan with cubed firm tofu, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic powder, and maybe smoked paprika if I feel fancy.

Then I shove the tray in a hot oven and forget about it for 20 to 30 minutes.

That’s it.

This is more like a framework.

What I love about it is how it reduces friction as this dinner is pure low activation energy; minimal chopping, one pan, and no real technique.

You can eat it as is, pile it over rice, stuff it in a wrap, or throw it on top of salad leaves.

It looks colourful, feels nourishing, and tastes a lot fancier than the effort suggests.

Most importantly, it gives me a small win on nights when the bar is low: cook something at home, don’t hate yourself afterward.

2) Hummus pasta that feels like cheating (in a good way)

The first time I made hummus pasta I felt like I was breaking a rule:

• Cook any short pasta.
• Before you drain it, scoop out a mug of the starchy cooking water.
• Toss the hot pasta with a big spoonful (or three) of store-bought hummus, a splash of that pasta water, some lemon juice, salt, and black pepper.

The heat from the pasta and the water turns the hummus into this silky, creamy sauce.

If I have baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, or frozen peas, I throw them in the pot for the last minute of cooking and call it a day.

From a “fine dining” background, my brain used to scream that this was cheating.

Where is the technique? Where is the reduction? Where is the hand-crafted sauce?

But here’s the thing: My body doesn’t care as it just registers warm, comforting carbs, plant protein, and a decent amount of fibre.

This dish taught me something important about weeknight cooking and, honestly, about life.

Perfection is expensive, while “good enough” is sustainable.

In self-development, we talk a lot about lowering standards in the right places.

Not in terms of values, but in terms of performance pressure.

Hummus pasta is me lowering the bar in a strategic way so I still show up for myself when I’m tired.

3) Lentil coconut curry that feeds both you and your future self

Red lentils are one of the most underrated pantry items on the planet.

My go-to version is simple: I sauté onion, garlic, and ginger in a pot (if I can be bothered; if not, I skip the sauté and dump everything in).

I add red lentils, curry paste or powder, a can of coconut milk, water or broth, and a pinch of salt.

Afterwards, I let it simmer until the lentils collapse into a creamy stew.

Serve it over rice, quinoa, or with flatbread if I have any.

The magic of this curry is that it multiplies.

I always make a big pot, that way Thursday-You gets to thank Tuesday-You when you pull out a container from the fridge and reheat it in minutes.

One of the most practical ideas I’ve picked up from habit books is to think about your “future self” as a real person you care about.

Cooking a double batch of lentil curry is one of the easiest ways I can take care of that guy.

He feels better when he eats something warm, spiced, and plant-heavy instead of scrolling delivery apps.

4) Lazy taco night with black beans and a lot of toppings

If you grew up thinking dinner has to be a single plated dish, taco night breaks that mental rule in the best way.

My lazy version is almost embarrassingly easy.

I heat canned black beans in a pan with a little garlic, cumin, chili powder, and a splash of water.

While that bubbles gently, I warm some tortillas in a dry pan then I raid the fridge.

Anything remotely taco-adjacent goes on the table: Shredded lettuce or cabbage, jarred salsa, sliced avocado, pickled onions, leftover roasted veggies, corn from a can, hot sauce.

It’s more assembly than cooking.

What I love about this dinner is that it feels like an event without requiring party-level effort.

There is also a psychological trick hidden in here: By laying everything out “family style,” I stop thinking in terms of “Is this a proper meal?” and start thinking in terms of “What do I feel like putting in my tortilla?”

That tiny shift matters.

Taco night says: Forget all that and open some cans, chop a few vegetables, and let everyone build their own plate.

5) Grain bowls that clear out the fridge

If sheet-pan dinners are my weeknight workhorse, grain bowls are my catch-all safety net.

A grain bowl is basically this formula: Grain + vegetables + protein + sauce.

On exhausted nights, I start with a microwavable pouch of brown rice, quinoa, or a mix.

While that heats up, I look at what needs to be used before it dies:

• Half a roasted sweet potato from yesterday
• A handful of cherry tomatoes
• Some cucumber
• Leftover sheet-pan veggies
• That random half tin of chickpeas I covered with cling film and forgot about

Everything goes in the bowl.

The real trick is the sauce as I keep a few go-to sauces in my mental toolbox: Tahini with lemon and garlic, peanut butter with soy sauce and lime, or just olive oil with vinegar and mustard.

Whisk in a glass, drizzle over the bowl, done.

What I like about grain bowls is how they turn “random bits in the fridge” into something intentional.

Instead of feeling guilty about food waste, I feel creative.

It also ticks a lot of boxes at once: High in plants, plenty of fibre, satisfying, colourful, quick to assemble, and minimal dishes.

Because I’m assembling rather than cooking, my brain doesn’t add “this is hard” to the narrative!

Why these dinners changed everything

At some point, I realized I didn’t actually hate cooking.

I hated the version of cooking I thought I was supposed to do.

The version where every meal is a new recipe, every sauce is made from scratch, and every night is an opportunity to “elevate” something.

That mindset works in a restaurant, but it does not work when you’ve had a long day, you are a bit tired, and you just want to eat something that will nourish you and not wreck your kitchen.

These five low-effort dinners helped me rewrite my mental script and, honestly, they reminded me of a bigger self-development principle of how consistency beats intensity.

If you currently resent weeknight cooking, maybe the problem is the expectations, the recipes, and the pressure you’ve been carrying.

Try picking one of these frameworks and make it your own, and you might also begin to see cooking as something it was always meant to be: A small, daily way of taking care of yourself!

https://vegoutmag.com/food-and-drink/c-t-these-5-low-effort-dinners-are-why-ive-finally-stopped-hating-weeknight-cooking/

10 Gluten-Free Holiday Recipes

From plantbasednews.org

These holiday recipes are perfect for those avoiding gluten 

The festive season is a great time to bring people together around food, and that includes those who prefer gluten-free options. With so many gluten-free holiday recipes available, it’s easier than ever to put together a full Christmas spread that feels warm, flavourful, and celebratory. You can build a menu that covers every part of the table without complicating the cooking process or changing the spirit of the meal.

On this list, you’ll find classic festive desserts, exciting mains that work well as centrepieces, and simple sides that round out a plate. Each recipe uses straightforward ingredients and familiar techniques, helping you focus on cooking rather than substitutions or workarounds.

Whether you’re hosting guests or preparing something small at home, these gluten-free dishes offer plenty of variety. They make it easy to enjoy a festive menu that feels complete and comforting.

Orange and cranberry roast wreath

Romy LondonIt is time to elevate your nut roast game

The first recipe on our list of gluten-free holiday recipes is this orange and cranberry wreath by Romy London. It forms a festive nut-and-flaxseed roast shaped into a wreath, combining sautéed vegetables, cranberries, and orange for a zesty, savoury centrepiece that bakes to a firm, sliceable texture.

Find the recipe here.

Savoury stove-top stuffing

Amber AsakuraThis vegan stuffing couldn’t be easier to make

Try this savoury stove-top stuffing by Clean Food Dirty Girl next. It mixes toasted bread cubes with mushrooms, lentils, and vegetables, seasoned with herbs and a touch of miso, creating a hearty gluten-free stuffing cooked entirely on the stovetop.

Find the recipe here.

Glazed rainbow carrots

Romy LondonThese colourful roasted carrots are a great side dish

For a colourful side, make Romy London’s glazed rainbow carrots. They roast tender rainbow carrots in a sweet mustard-agave glaze with vinegar and thyme, creating a bright, caramelized side dish that adds colour and warmth to any festive plate.

Find the recipe here.

Festive pickled vegetables with oil

Nadia FragnitoPickling is an age-old preservation method

These festive pickled vegetables with oil from Nadia Fragnito are a great way to use up all the veg in your fridge this December. Plus, they make an excellent addition to your holiday spread. This Italian-style mix preserves blanched cauliflower, carrots, zucchini, and peppers in infused oil with garlic, herbs, and spices, creating a tangy, aromatic side perfect for antipasto boards and festive tables.

Find the recipe here.

Carrot lox with cream cheese canapés

Simon SmithUse nori and lemon to add a fresh ocean-like flavour to this plant-based lox

Gaz Oakley’s carrot lox with cream cheese canapés turn marinated carrot ribbons into a smoky, ocean-like topping for cashew cream cheese. Served on toasted gluten-free bread with capers, lemon, and dill, they make a bright, elegant, festive canapé.

Find the recipe here.

Jaffa cake-inspired vegan chocolate orange dessert

Romy LondonChocolate and orange is a classic festive combination

Romy London’s vegan chocolate orange dessert, inspired by Jaffa Cakes, is an easy dessert to make for your Christmas feast. It blends oat milk, chocolate spread, cacao, and fresh orange juice into a smooth, chilled pudding topped with chocolate sauce and orange zest.

Find the recipe here.

Gluten-free mince pies

Nadia's Healthy KitchenTry this gluten-free mince pie recipe for a bite-sized vegan treat

This recipe from Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen shows you how to make festive vegan mince pies with no gluten. A simple oat and almond crust holds a spiced dried-fruit filling scented with orange, creating small, tender pies topped with crisp pastry stars.

Find the recipe here.

Vegan gluten-free panettone

Chef Day RadleyThis panettone recipe contains tart and sweet fruit

For our last dessert, try making this vegan and gluten-free panettone by Chef Day Radley. It bakes into a tall, tender loaf filled with soaked citrus peel, sultanas, and currants, offering a festive mix of sweet and tangy fruit in every slice.

Find the recipe here.

Whole roasted miso cauliflower

Romy LondonThis roasted cauliflower is a great centrepiece

This whole roasted miso cauliflower by Romy London is another centrepiece option. It roasts into a golden, umami-rich head coated in a miso, soy, and maple glaze, then gets served over a creamy cannellini bean dip for a striking, fully plant-based main.

Find the recipe here.

Festive eggplant and tomato rice bake

Nadia FragnitoTry something distinctly Italian for your holiday dinner this year

Lastly, make this traditional Italian eggplant and tomato rice bake known as a timballo by Nadia Fragnito. It layers tomato-simmered arborio rice with golden fried eggplant and pockets of vegan mozzarella, creating a rich, gluten-free centrepiece that slices beautifully for festive dinners.

Find the recipe here.

https://plantbasednews.org/veganrecipes/gluten-free-holiday-recipes/