Happy new year! I'm back in Ottawa after a nice family holiday. I was hoping to ease back into work, but it seems I'm hitting the ground running. I was home no less than 24 hours and I received an email from the producer from a local TV news program asking if I would be interviewed for a segment on eating more plant-based meals in 2024.   Of course I agreed, but it wasn't without some nervousness as it's been a while since my last TV appearance.

You can watch the full interview here.  Or if you'd prefer a quick synopsis, here are the speaking points sent to the producer before the show...

Amy's tips for incorporating more plant-based meals in 2024:

1) Go at your own pace. For some people, all or nothing works, but for most people it takes time to make diet and lifestyle changes that last. Start by cooking one plant-based recipe or doing one vegan meal per day, and slowly building up your repertoire and confidence.

2) Swap the beef in your chilli with beans, use chickpeas instead of chicken in your curry, or try making tofu scramble instead of scrambled eggs. Use the internet to help you find vegan versions of your favourite recipes. You'll see that almost anything you can make with animal products can also be transformed into a plant-based version.

3) Try out dairy-free milks, cheeses, ice cream and yogurts. There are so many delicious and innovative products these days using things like cashews and coconut milk to replace things that would traditionally have cow's milks.

4) Attend a plant-based cooking class. This will provide the opportunity to gain new skills, learn culinary techniques specific to vegan cooking, and the chance to work directly with a chef who can provide tips and advice to get you started. 

5) If you're not super confident in your cooking, meal delivery services are a great option.  These services are very popular lately as they help save time and reduce food waste.  Fortunately most of them offer plant-based meal options too!  The food that was featured in the segment was prepared by Naturally Vero, an Ottawa-area meal delivery service.  I sampled the "props" after the recording and everything was so good. If you'd like to try it out visit naturallyvero.com and use promo code VEGANLOVE for 15% off.

As for the on-air cooking demo, I made my chickpea salad. If you haven't tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

I hope 2024 has been good to you so far!