Its officially September which means we can enjoy our soup with NO shame (even if it’s still 1 million degrees outside.) This Vegan Broccoli Cheddar Soup is the bowl of the season. A creamy broth with layers of broccoli, potatoes and carrots. Topped with my tofu bacon, chives and vegan cheese? There is truly no other way to indulge this season! So grab your spoons and lets dig in!

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This soup has three main components:

1. A Rich + Creamy Broth

2. Broccoli, Potatoes + Carrots

3. Crowd Favorite Tofu Bacon

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As requested in the Community Group Chat we are starting Vegan Grocery Lists with Meal-Prep below! Let me know if you like this style of meal prep ideas! On the menu we have:

• Garlic Scallion ‘Meat’balls

• Black Bean Cosmic Brownies

• Creamy Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

• Roasted Broccoli + Sweet Potato

• Raspberry Cream Overnight

Some housekeeping here: I make meal plans 2x a month. I don’t believe in allowing any excess ingredients to go to waste! So I follow the same meal plan 2 weeks out of the month.

I will have the grocery list at the top of the with subsequent meals to follow. Looking forward to helping each and every one of you along the journey this week. Feel free to print this out and bring it to the grocery store with you and as always message me if you need any assistance.

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A transition soup should be a thing. In my head it’s a soup that carries you from one season to the next and this is that soup. It’s light, brothy yet still creamy. It still satisfies all the cravings of a soup in that weird space of summer and autumn. Not to mention, its nut free! So for all my vegans that happen to have a nut allergy, you’re enjoy! Save this soup for the chicken noodle needs of the winter and enjoy now with the fleeting heat of summer.

This soup has three main components

1. A Creamy Broth

2. Tofu “Chicken”

3. Noodles

What type of noodles work for a vegan chicken noodle soup?

I know the typical chicken noodle soup has an egg noodle, there are vegan egg noodles that I linked here. You can always sub with spaghetti noodles, orzo, elbow noddles - really any noodle can work! I used Barilla Cellentani Protein+ just to add some more protein to the soup.

How to store?

If you know you wont consume all the soup in one day, be sure to not add in the noodles to the soup. Cook separately and prepare noodles as needed. Store broth in the fridge for up to five days. Cool completely and store broth in the freezer for up to 5 months.

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Since this is the first recipe of our series I have decided to make it free, but I cant promise they will all be free going forward. So please subscribe!

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Now the soup is made of three components:

1. Dumplings

2. Creamy Soup

3. Tofu

It’s truly that simple. As a busy mom, I prefer to not spend too much time in the kitchen so the dumplings are 100% store bought. I prefer to use Immaculate Flaky Buscuit Dough that are surprisingly vegan - but you can use Annies, Pillsburry or truly any that you can quickly find on hand that says ‘CONTAINS WHEAT’ that’s how you know it is vegan. You can also make your own biscuits if that is something that you’re up for!

As far as the tofu, I love to use Protein Tofu because its super firm and really holds up in the soup. There is not need to “press” your tofu, just dice and use!

To tie your herbs you can use a food twine. I linked what I use here.

Substitutions

Now I love to use my cashew cream sauce because its rich and flavorful, but not everyone can consume nuts. Just sub with 1.5 cans high quality coconut milk or you can use 3 cups of soy milk! I prefer these two because they have more fat which will make the soup richer.

Storage

This recipe is best after the first serve. It will hold up in the fridge for up to two days but the dumplings will get soggy if not consumed quickly. Feel free to freeze for best reheating!

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• Homemade Meat Balls

• Banana Protein Pancakes

• Chia Seed Pudding

• Breakfast/Lunch Burritos

I have a video on this meal prep linked below. I decided to omit the “recipe” for the veggies and hummus - pretty self explanatory! Grocery list also below, and as always feel free to message me if you have any questions. Look forward to seeing your meal prep this week!

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1. Two workouts (one must be outside and their must be a 3hr difference between the first and the second)

2. One gallon of water a day

3. Ten pages of a nonfiction book a day

4. Progress picture every day

5. Must follow a diet

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At the end of it all, I lost 20 pounds, gained my confidence back and looked at motherhood completely differently than when I began. Before I get into it all, I want to go back to where we began. Six months postpartum, feeling like I needed change and my husband telling me, “I think I want to do 75 Hard.”

It was a random day of the week and my day had looked the same; wake up at 7:00am right when my daughter does, feed her and go downstairs to grab a coffee. Play with her until her first wake window and put her down. Lounge on the couch and try to think of some creative concepts for BlkandVegan - look up and it’s time to grab her and start the cycle over again until bedtime. I would eat when I could and order what I wanted. Drink coffee throughout the day and justify it because I had just given birth. I felt like I had no time, no autonomy and no desire to workout. It was an interesting factory reset as someone who was known to love to workout, eat healthy and be super productive throughout the day. Although a day like that led me to 75 hard, I am appreciative of that season. That version of myself had gone through the biggest life change and needed to allow the ‘put together’ version of myself to rest. But after six months of days that looked like the above - I knew it was time for a change. So on that random day, I told my husband, “I think I want to join you.”

How the hell did I do it.

Joining the challenge was the easy part, now I had to think of logistics. Let’s be real - I had a 6 month old baby, no gym membership and no help. I stayed at home with my unpredictable 6 month old as my husband went off to work. How in the heck am I going to do this? The first time I did 75 Hard, it was just me. I had nothing but time, a gym nearby and I wasn’t breastfeeding. Quite frankly, this was not my reality anymore. So I decided to do what most mom’s do - I walked. It wasn’t ground breaking but it was stable and consistent.

I realized that waking up with my daughter was not going to work anymore, especially because I still wanted to pursue my passion of BlkandVegan. So I split my days - I would wake up at 5:00 am to do my first morning workout. I would go home, wake my daughter up, breastfeed her, eat my breakfast and weighed coffee (yes, I would weigh my coffee to make sure that I had the proper amount), put her down and go on my second walk. Once that was completed I knew I could transition the rest of my day to BlkandVegan - filming, editing, and posting. At night after I put my daughter down, I would read my 10 pages, take my progress picture and go to bed to do it all over again. Some days I was able to hit my community gym or partake in a fun class with a girlfriend but 90% of the time, I walked.

It was hard at first, but slowly I started to love waking up before my daughter and having the time to myself. On days that I would oversleep (which would happen) I would be sure to feed my daughter and walk together for her first wake window. No matter what, the first thing I did every day - whether alone or not was walk. And that has changed my life forever.

The truth About Breastfeeding during 75 Hard

I am not here to sell you a dream - I am here to tell you the truth. I’m sure that a lot of you may be reading this because you’re breastfeeding and I will tell you this - I completed this challenge and I’m still breastfeeding. It has not stopped my journey but it has altered it. During this challenge, the diet portion required me to take fewer calories, which did alter my milk supply. Therefore, I increased the amount of formula as needed. To be frank - I don’t regret it. I was still able to be my daughters primary source of nutrition all while actually making my body a priority again. And to be clear, I have always combo fed my daughter - I always breastfed her during the day and supplemented with formula for her last feed of the day.

Now when it comes to the breastfeeding cravings - I have been there. Breastfeeding brought a sweet tooth with a vengeance! Honestly, I think that’s what even made me 20 pounds heavier than my usual weight. I was actually smaller the first week postpartum than I was at 6 months. I would order Cookie Society every day and always needed a sweet treat or salty snack. So cutting the excess calories the first three days made me feel starving. My body was so used to eating whatever, whenever that the drastic change did take a minute to adjust to. I will say, that my body did eventually adjust and was totally fine by day three.

My Final thoughts

Postpartum is probably the hardest thing I have gone through in my adult life. It’s almost undetectable, until its all encompassing. The early weeks of postpartum, I actually thought I was doing well physically and mentally. Until I looked up and realized the habits that I was exhibiting finally caught up to me. What I found is the process of changing doesn’t happen instantly, it happens slowly and thats for the good and bad. Waking up every single day, taking some time to myself and going on a simple walk can make all the difference. Choosing to not order the cookies and meal prep makes all the difference. Sometimes it’s not the big changes, it’s the little ones.

Common Asked Questions

What Diet did you follow? The vegan diet of course! I simply portioned controlled based off of my macros which was 89g protein, 56g fat and 209g carbs. Heres some examples of the food I ate:

What books did you read? I made a list here.

What do you think made all the change? Walking and weighing my coffee (including the sweetener!) Trust me once you know, your order may change. I now have one oatmilk latte a day and if I feel like I need a second I get an iced almond milk latte.

When did you see results? I didn’t start to see change until day 50. Now that I am two weeks post challenge I see the MOST changes!

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So say hello to my Loaded Potato Soup. Layered with a rich and creamy potato base, savory-vegan bacon topping and cheese - it truly is a hug in a bowl. So let’s get into it!

This recipe is a three part series:

1. Creamy Base

2. Bacon Bits

3. Toppings Galore

Substitutions: This soup is best with Golden Potatoes although Russet Potato’s also work well. You also can omit the wine if you feel like you need to. I always use Fre wines since I don’t need the alcohol, just the flavor. For this recipe specifically Try to lean towards the more buttery white wines. If you don’t want to spend on cashews - omit to soy milk + water. It’s still going to be creamy for a faction of the cost!

Toppings: the best part of this soup is the toppings in my personal opinion. I load this soup up with delicious vegan cheese, chives, olive oil, pepper and a heap of salt (since I had my daughter I am obsessed with salt). You can also top with vegan sour cream, green onion anything you like to add to a loaded potato. I have linked all the brands I lean towards.

Storage: Store bacon bits and soup separately. Soup is good in fridge for three days, then freeze if needed. Bacon bits last in the fridge for up to a week - but they wont last that long.

Tips: Soak cashews if you don’t have a high powered blender! If you don’t have an immersion blender, either blend half in your blender or mash half with a fork.

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• Smoky Black Bean

• Umami Tofu Bites

• Savory Pancakes

• Classic Banana Bread

• High-Protein Spicy Peanut Pasta Salad

Some housekeeping here: I make meal plans 2x a month. I don’t believe in allowing any excess ingredients to go to waste! So I follow the same meal plan 2 weeks out of the month.

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I will have the grocery list at the top of the with subsequent meals to follow. Looking forward to helping each and every one of you along the journey this week. Feel free to print this out and bring it to the grocery store with you and as always message me if you need any assistance.

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As a vegan person - there are some questions that come with being pregnant. What about Choline? How do I get protein? What pre-natal!? Don’t worry, we’re going to chat about all those things. This article is broken down into five sections:

1. Choline

2. Supplements

3. Doctor Questions

4. What I Ate

5. Helpful Links

And remember, I am not a doctor, nutritionist or even a counselor - I am just a woman who had a successful vegan pregnancy. Now, let’s get into it!

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Lets talk about Choline.

Non-surprisingly Choline is a huge topic while pregnant. If you have never heard of Choline, Choline is an essential nutrient that your body needs for several key functions, though it doesn’t get as much attention as vitamins or more well-known minerals.

What it does

• Brain and nervous system: Choline is a building block for acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter involved in memory, mood, and muscle control

• Cell structure: It’s a component of phospholipids (like phosphatidylcholine), which make up cell membranes throughout the body

• Liver function: Choline helps transport fat out of the liver; a deficiency can lead to fat buildup in the liver

• Fetal brain development: It’s considered especially important during pregnancy, playing a role in fetal brain and spinal cord development

How much you need
Adult women need about 425mg/day, adult men about 550mg/day, and pregnant women need more, around 450mg/day, with some research suggesting even higher intakes may be beneficial.

Food sources

• Animal-based (richest sources): eggs (especially yolks), liver, meat, fish, dairy

• Plant-based: soybeans, cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower), quinoa, mushrooms, potatoes, nuts and seeds

Egg-for-egg, eggs are more concentrated (one egg gets you almost 30% of daily needs in a single bite), but a full cup of cooked soybeans comes reasonably close, at around 107mg vs. 147mg for a whole egg. The gap is more noticeable with processed soy products like tofu and soy milk, which are more diluted by water/processing and provide meaningfully less choline per serving than either whole soybeans or eggs.

For context, adult women need about 425mg/day and adult men about 550mg/day, so relying on soy alone would typically require combining a few soy-based sources (soybeans, tempeh, plus other choline sources like cruciferous vegetables or quinoa) throughout the day to get close to target, whereas 2-3 eggs would cover most of that need in one meal.

How did I get Choline?

To combat the need to eat eggs or double my soybean intake, I supplemented with my pre-natal (which most pregnant women do). I loved Megamind - which has 300mg of Choline in a serving (SCORE!) I also used Ritual Pre-natal which is 55mg of Choline- Ritual also have a specific Choline tablet that is vegan with 550mg in a serving! So if Choline is your concern there are options without opting to eggs.

Supplements

While I was pregnant I was sure to take the following supplements:

• Pre-Natals

• Iron Supplement

• B-12

• Omega-3

Now, most pre-natals will cover the majority of the vitamins you will need during pregnancy. But as vegans it is important that we keep up with the supplements we already should be taking, like B-12 and Omega-3.

Why B-12 matters

• Essential for red blood cell formation and preventing anemia

• Critical for nerve function and myelin (the protective coating around nerves)

• Needed for DNA synthesis

• Deficiency can cause fatigue, weakness, nerve damage, memory problems, and in severe/prolonged cases, irreversible neurological damage

Brand I recommend

Omega-3 Fatty Acids (specifically EPA and DHA)

Why it matters

• EPA and DHA support brain function, eye health, and heart health

• DHA in particular is critical for fetal and infant brain development

• Both have anti-inflammatory roles in the body

Brand I recommend

Both nutrients share the same core issue: unlike protein, iron, or even choline, where plant foods can genuinely close the gap with intentional eating, B12 and omega-3 (in their active forms) are structurally difficult or impossible to get sufficiently from whole plant foods alone. This is why they're the two nutrients most consistently flagged for supplementation, rather than food-based solutions, across vegan nutrition guidance. Therefore, please take these supplements! Even if you’re reading this and you’re thinking about conceiving as a vegan, these are essentials!

Lets talk about iron.

Now, during my pregnancy my doctor did flag that I was starting to get low-iron. I instantly supplemented with MegaFood Iron Builder supplements and my results showed almost instantly after taking it for about a week! I would say, if you are having strong red-meat cravings try supplementing with iron - it could be a sign that your body is low. But enough about me, here’s why it’s important:

Why it matters

• Increased blood volume: Blood volume expands by 30-50% during pregnancy to support the growing baby, and iron is essential for making the extra hemoglobin needed to carry oxygen through that larger volume of blood

• Oxygen delivery to the baby: Iron carries oxygen from the mother’s lungs to the placenta and fetus, supporting healthy growth and development

• Fetal iron stores: Babies build their own iron reserves during the third trimester that they rely on for the first several months of life after birth, before they’re getting significant iron from food

• Brain development: Iron plays a role in fetal brain development; deficiency during pregnancy has been linked to potential effects on cognitive and behavioral development

• Placental development: Adequate iron supports healthy placental function

What happens with deficiency
Iron deficiency anemia during pregnancy is linked to:

• Increased risk of preterm birth

• Low birth weight

• Increased risk of maternal complications, including postpartum hemorrhage

• Maternal fatigue, weakness, and reduced ability to tolerate blood loss during delivery

• Higher risk of needing a blood transfusion after birth

How much is needed
Iron needs roughly double during pregnancy, from about 18mg/day for non-pregnant adult women to 27mg/day during pregnancy, the highest iron requirement of any life stage.

A note relevant to a vegan diet
This is genuinely one of the more manageable “vegan gaps” compared to B12 or omega-3, since plant sources exist (lentils, beans, tofu, spinach, fortified cereals), but non-heme iron (the plant form) is less efficiently absorbed than heme iron (found in meat). A few practical points worth knowing:

• Pairing iron-rich plant foods with vitamin C (citrus, bell peppers, strawberries) significantly boosts absorption

• Coffee and tea can inhibit iron absorption if consumed too close to iron-rich meals

• Many prenatal vitamins already include iron, but some pregnant vegans still test low and need additional supplementation, so bloodwork monitoring (ferritin levels) is typically recommended throughout pregnancy regardless of diet

What did my doctor say?

Believe it or not, being vegan was the last thing my doctor was worried about. I still remember her saying to me, “Just be sure to eat your beans.” I was relieved! It could be because she was vegetarian herself, or because she understands that you don’t need to be a meat-eater to have a successful pregnancy. She didn’t even give me the “where are you going to get your protein?” speech. Which I found interesting. As a very conscious vegan, I know how to center my plate around vegan protein, but for her to not be concerned stood out to me. Her biggest concern was nutrients, fiber, and protein found in a simple bean. Now, I can’t promise every doctor or pregnancy experience will be the same, but I can say my doctor was extremely supportive, and never mentioned consuming meat through-out my pregnancy.

I know some folks are asking about vegan protein while pregnant so my advice is to look at the chart below and center one of these vegan proteins in every meal! It can be a fun way to try new things if you are used to just eating tofu.

What If I am craving meat again?

I got this question a ton, what if I am craving meat again? What do I do? Well my answer may not be what you expect. I think the first place you should check is your iron. Is your iron low? That is typically where the meat-cravings begin. I also think that your should use those cravings as inspiration for your meals because that’s what I did. Every craving I had was tailored to a childhood experience and guess what? I wasn’t vegan in childhood. For some reason that didn’t scare me, I just vegan-ized my cravings!

Lastly, this is a non-judgement zone and article. If you feel like you must indulge, do it. If you’re looking for permission you have it. Being pregnant is hard enough, if you really feel like you are stressing over it, don’t. Do what you must and don’t worry about what other’s may think. Things change and that’s ok. I can fully say this as someone who didn’t eat milk, eggs, or meat my whole pregnancy. It’s not a badge of honor for me, it’s just proof that it can be done.

What I ate during pregnancy:

Now, being pregnant for me was so fun because the foods I ate where alllllll around my cravings. From Vegan Flying Dutchman’s to huge salads - I had such a good time eating while pregnant (other than first trimester!) Here’s some photos of my favorites:

Helpful Links!

This is for those asking about the pregnancy outfits, baby/postpartum care etc. Below is everything I used to prevent stretch marks, baby safe products - you name it - its here!

• Baby Products

• Pregnancy Care/Beauty

• Labor/Postpartum

• Pregnancy Outfits

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As requested in the Community Group Chat I am sharing Vegan Grocery Lists with Meal-Prep! On the menu we have:

• Blueberry Protein Overnight Oats

• Non-Fried Popcorn Chicken

• Classic Chili

• Oil-Free Sweet Potato Pancakes

• Vegan Ceviche

Some housekeeping here: I make meal plans 2x a month. I don’t believe in allowing any excess ingredients to go to waste! So I follow the same meal plan 2 weeks out of the month.

I will have the grocery list at the top of the with subsequent meals to follow. Looking forward to helping each and every one of you along the journey this week. Feel free to print this out and bring it to the grocery store with you and as always message me if you need any assistance.

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As a reminder, I am not a nutritionist. I am not a doctor. I am a vegan cookbook author and new mother with 7 years of plant-based eating telling you what I did. Consult with your babies pediatrician if you have any concerns regarding your babies eating. Otherwise, always feel free to reach out to me for advice!

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Some background: I realize a lot of people don’t know what TVP is. TVP, otherwise known as textured vegetable protein, is a soy substitute that when rehydrated turns into a magical meat like texture that is perfect to create mock ground meat. It’s intimating at first but once you get the hang of using the product you’ll be surprised how many savory dishes you can make with it, from chili to an awesome vegan cheeseburger. Here’s the TVP that I use. Another reason I love TVP - it is super economical. You only need 1 cup to yield a recipe that will comfortably feed 4. Love that for us! You should also be able to find it at your local health store in the dry aisle.

Storing: Now the mock ground recipe yields around 8 burgers at 1/4 cup. If you double that to 1/2 c for a thicker burger, it would yield 4 larger burger patties. You can store this in the fridge for use for up to 5 days or you can pre-make the burger patties and stick them in the freezer until use.

Substitutions: You can sub the soy sauce with AI steak sauce, or vegan Worcestershire. You can also season as desired, the only thing I wouldn’t sub is the nutritional yeast, molasses and liquid smoke. Most people always ask me about the Umami seasoning, this is the blend I use. If you don’t have one in a store nearby, don’t worry too much. Just sub with a herb mix you have on hand.

Additional Ingredients: Vevan Cheese + Grilled Red Onion

Now truly, let’s get into it.

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Background: This recipe relies on alternative meat. If you are not wanting to use alternative meat you can sub that with my mock meat recipe linked here. Simply prep the mock meat before hand and replace the alternative meat with it.

My vegan rib recipe is made out of five essential ingredients:

• Alternative Vegan Ground

• Jackfruit

• Onion

• Seasoning Blend

• BBQ Sauce

Video below example with my mock-meat recipe!

Storing: Store in an air-tight container in your fridge for up to 7 days, but it wont last that long.

Cooking: Bake in oven as directed. I have never cooked it on a grill, although I would suggest to wrap in heavy duty foil before grilling. If you do attempt - please comment! I would love to hear the feedback.

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This recipe is made with very few staple ingredients:

• High Protein Tofu

• Rice Paper

• BBQ Sauce

That’s it. Everything else is a marinade!

Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.

How to enjoy: I love adding it to a pretzel bun - so good. I also love to top with Sauerkraut, mustard, but you can of course top with ketchup, bbq sauce, pickles or whatever your heart desires.

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This recipe has four main components:

• Vanilla Cake

• Homemade Vegan Condensed Milk

• Whipped Topping

• Strawberries

Let me let you in on a secret, I use box cake for the recipe! For those that don’t know, you can veganize almost any pre-made cake mix. Just make sure that the box only says CONTAINS:WHEAT on the back not milk, eggs etc. You can sub the recommended products on the back with a vegan alternative. Examples below:

1. Sub1 Egg for 1 tbsp flax meal + 3 tbsp water or 1/4 c apple sauce or 1/4 c vegan yogurt.

2. Sub Oil (if oil free) for equal parts apple sauce or vegan yogurt.

3. Sub Milk for equal parts soy or oat milk. Almond tends to be more of a thin consistency but it can work as well, I just suggest soy overall.

This is the cake mix I used, but feel free to use any vanilla cake mix. I have NOT tried this gluten free, but if you have please comment below and share!

Storage: Store this cake in the fridge for up to three days. It wont last that long.

Product Swaps: If you don/t want to make your own vegan condensed milk you can always buy it from the store. Here’s one I have used in the past.

As always if you have any questions, please message me and let me know!

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It’s grilling season and vegans deserve all the good things in life! This Vegan Grilled Chicken is delicious, easy to make and show-stopping. It is made with one central whole food ingredient - no soy at all! My Vegan Grilled Chicken will be a staple on the BBQ rotation. Without further-a-due, lets get into it.

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Personally, I don’t think veganism should be limiting. You should be able to enjoy all the things that you used to and more - queue my Vegan Banana Pudding! It’s the perfect cool dessert after a long BBQ, nostalgic and crave worthy. Without further-a-due, let’s get into it.

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As requested in the Community Group Chat we are starting Vegan Grocery Lists with Meal-Prep below! This week we have a focus on ingredient prep. Let me know if you like this style of meal prep ideas! On the menu we have:

• Bacon-a-tor Tofu Scramble

• Non-Fried Popcorn Chicken

• Chipotle Black Beans

• Roasted Broccoli + Sweet Potato

• Lemon Ginger Shots

• Bonus: Cucumber + Tomato Salad

Some housekeeping here: I make meal plans 2x a month. I don’t believe in allowing any excess ingredients to go to waste! So I follow the same meal plan 2 weeks out of the month.

I will have the grocery list at the top of the with subsequent meals to follow. Looking forward to helping each and every one of you along the journey this week. Feel free to print this out and bring it to the grocery store with you and as always message me if you need any assistance.

Read more