“Veggie Teens” A Family Affair

From our friends at Healthy Monday…

When your mom’s a doctor and your dad’s a spa chef, what’s a meatless tween to do? Well in the case of then 12 year old Elyse May, she harnessed her well-rounded knowledge and wrote a teen’s meatless cookbook. Initially a junior high school project, Veggie Teens: A Cookbook and Guide for Vegetarian Teenagers grew to an award-winning, nationally published cookbook that has since spun off to a popular Veggie Teens blog. In her more recent posts, Elyse shares her unique perspective on various veggie topics ranging from meatless cooking to home grown food to plant based diet nutrition- and all at the ripe old age of 14.

“Just because we don’t like to eat animals doesn’t mean we don’t like to eat” Elyse writes about her family’s passion for meatless meals. Veggie Teens blog can serve as an excellent guide for those unfamiliar with just how many ways that anyone can go meatless. Elyse profiles a variety of plant based diets- from veganism to lacto vegetarianism to ovo vegetarianism- opening the doors to expand our way of thinking about dietary preferences. In the cookbook labels are used to distinguish dishes and recipes are marked as appropriate for which group.

Elyse’s parents get in the act, often serving as guest writers on the blog. Elyse’s Mom, Dr. Michelle May wrote a post advising parents on what to do if you child chooses a plant based diet. Elyse’s dad, Chef Owen May, cooked side-by-side his daughter to collaborate in creating the Veggie Teens Cookbook recipes. The family even grows their own food together, blogging as their gardening takes them from preparation to planting to harvesting to (our personal favorite) eating their meatless culinary concoctions.

Elyse’s recent entries have given meal ideas for anyone wanting to go meatless on Monday. In a recent review, Elyse speaks out for moderation in the interest of sustaining healthy eating. She gives advice to teens thinking about going meatless, recommending that they to start small and gradually decrease meat intake while learning about nutrition and meal planning. Elyse’s parents echo this health and wellness focus as Elyse’s mom and dad provide Chefs Notes and MD Notes to the Veggie Teens blog, alongside Elyse’s Teen Notes. Elyse, Michelle and Owen’s tips all come from a distinct perspective, but blend together on Veggie Teens blog harmoniously; proof that meatless cooking can be an absolutely delectable family affair.