The current pandemic has caused us to take a step back and focus more on our health, as well as our personal impact on the environment. These four plant-based pioneers share a common goal of making plant-based diets accessible, without compromising on taste or tradition. They have joined forces through A Better Plant-Based Future to challenge us all to try one day of a plant- based diet, showing that healthier, more sustainable lives can be just as delicious. Visit the website to watch a series of mini-documentaries about these pioneers, and take part in the plant-based challenge with #ABetterPlantBasedFuture.
The Vegan Nigerian
Tomi originally made the switch to a plant-based diet to improve her health, and lost over 50lbs in the process. Tomi found resistance to plant-based diets within the Nigerian community in London, because traditional Nigerian diets are high in meat. She set up The Vegan Nigerian (catering, coaching and writing) to demonstrate that you don’t have to give up your cultural traditions to live a healthier, more sustainable life. Nigerian food is just as tasty when it is made of plants.
“The plant-based lifestyle has definitely added a lot of colour into my fridge and into my life.”
Tomi, The Vegan Nigerian
Compton Vegan
Growing up in Compton, Lemel found that his community was saturated with unhealthy food options. After trialling a plant-based diet and feeling healthier and more energetic, he set up Compton Vegan to offer familiar, tasty food at an affordable price. The company sells and delivers healthy, plant- based versions of American classics like chicken wings, or mac and cheese.
“It’s my duty to shed light on the meaning of having healthier choices in everything we eat.”
Lemel, Compton Vegan
Green Gazelles Rugby Club
As a sportsman, Brendon found that a plant-based diet gave him the strength and energy he needed for his lifelong passion of rugby. In 2018, he founded Green Gazelles Rugby Club in Salisbury, UK. As the world’s first plant-based rugby club, they bring sportspeople together to benefit from healthy diets in the physically challenging world of rugby.
“It’s about breaking down the stigma associated with players or athletes who follow a plant-based diet.”
Brendon, Green Gazelles Rugby Club
The Herbivorous Butcher
Consisting of a brother-sister duo in Minneapolis, The Herbivorous Butcher started out as an outlet to channel the food that Aubrey and Kale’s grandmother used to cook back home on the Micronesian island of Guam. They make delicious, plant-based versions of the meat and cheese that enable to eat sustainably, without ditching the foods they love. They now have a loyal following in Minneapolis.
“A lot of fake barriers have been put up [around plant-based] diets; we’re just trying to bridge that gap.”
Aubry and Kale, The Herbivorous Butcher
These mini-documentaries help to show that a healthy, sustainable diet is achievable for all. Small steps are still valuable steps, and you can start anywhere – whether that means committing to “meat-free Mondays,” or simply switching to plant-based breakfasts. Get inspired over at A Better Plant-Based Future
