plant based Archives | Arner Adventures

Our guest today is one of the kindest humans we have ever met. LA Dunn is on the podcast and we couldn’t be more excited! We have wanted to have LA on the podcast for a long time. This conversation was fun, informative, warm, and well, it did not disappoint. We know you are going to love it and we think it will inspire you to put more plants on your plate.

Let us tell you about LA Dunn:

LA Dunn is a plant-based advocate. After having some health issues, she found that many of the foods that she enjoyed were at the center of the problem. Determined to feel better, she began eating mostly plants and moved away from animal products. She leaned into research and took courses in whole foods and plant-based nutrition. The result? Less pain and more energy. She has a wonderful platform called Black Girls Eat where she blogs about her journey and plant-based recipes that are fun and easy to make. She also shows you how easy those recipes are to make on her Instagram platform of the same name: Black Girls Eat.

In this episode we chat about:

What led LA to her plant-based lifestyle?
Her yummy cooking videos on the ‘gram!
Myths when it comes to plant-based dining
Traveling and plant-based eating
How her plant-based lifestyle translates to her family and recommendations she has to others who have those challenges
Her course: Intro to Plant-Based Mindset– 5 Days To Take You From Plant Curious to Plant Focused
Her free e-book 15 Plant-Based Mistakes to Avoid
That butternut squash cream sauce recipe of hers we keep talking about
LA answers our 10 rapid-fire questions, and the most important question, “What does a life well lived mean to you?”

Listen Here:

Episode resources:

To find out more about LA Dunn, visit her website or on Instagram
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In grilling Holidays labor day plant based Vegan ·

Beyond Impossible? Quest for a Delicious Plant Based Burger

The summer months, particularly holiday weekends, bring up memories of cookouts with good old-fashioned hot dogs and hamburgers. The smells produced from a backyard grill stoke memories of the past and make your mouth water in the present. For several years, Shannon and I (Gerry) have not eaten meat. So, the plant-based burger has been the only grilling option during these times when so many grill out and celebrate summer holidays.

Seven years ago, when we began our meatless journey, the only plant-based burger options usually tasted just like that… plants. There was a bit of a dark cloud over the holiday grill when you broke out the “veggie burger” to try to recreate the taste of the beef burgers you were familiar with. There seemed to be no good answers but to just make a big salad and move forward, letting go of the old ways.

Grilling both, Impossible and Beyond Burgers this Labor Day

A couple of years back, something new came along in the forms of the Beyond Burger and the Impossible Burger. These were not your daddy’s plant-based burgers, as they actually tasted like burgers and not plants, nor black beans. It wasn’t long before the burgers made their way into restaurants, fast food, and sit-down dining, alike. We arrive on Labor Day 2020 with both kinds in our refrigerator. Just having that option feels like an embarrassment of riches, from my perspective. It is beyond impossible to say which one is better. Although we both seem to lean towards the Impossible Burger, since eating the Burger King version over the last year, the burger is a little pricey in restaurants, but now with it’s wide spread availability in grocery stores, it’s readily available to grill at home at much better cost.

So whichever choice you may make, Beyond or Impossible, on this Labor Day, these are your two best options if searching for a plant-based alternative. Bonus, no cows will be harmed by your grilling plans.

In conservation plant based sustainability ·

Farmer’s Market Delight

Gerry and I (Shannon) love a morning at the farmer’s market. Wherever we have lived, we always find the local spot to grab locally grown produce, sourced honey, and any other goodies! When we moved to the east coast of NC, it definitely made things a little more difficult in regards to dining out, finding meat-less options, but the farms growing vegetables were of abundance.

There is something about a farmer’s market that stirs the tastebuds, and makes us want to use everything we see to cook a fun, and healthy meal. When we make purchases from local produce growers, we not only feel healthier, but we feel content with the fact that we are supporting local. Plus, I tend to believe that if farmers see that their produce sales are thriving, maybe they will venture away from farming animals.

Some tips for a great farmer’s market haul:

Get there early! The earlier you arrive, the more options there are, and you are able to get the best picks of the fresh produce.
Know your seasonal fruits/veggies- at farmer’s markets this tends to not be such a big deal, I mean, it is rare for you to be buying kiwi or strawberries in the winter at your local produce stand, but be aware. If you see out of season produce, it may not be local.
Bring your own bags- first, you are contributing to keeping the costs low if your local farmer doesn’t have to provide bags, but also, really, it is better for the environment. Do we have to go there?
Bring cash- again, if farmers are having to use card readers on their phone, the cost is higher for their transactions, and often that cost is passed along to you, so help yourself, and the farmer and bring the paper.
Talk to the farmers. We like to talk to the people we are buying our produce from by getting to know more about their fields, their growing practices- are their practices chemical-free and/or organic? If they don’t farm animals, and only grow produce, then I make that farm a priority! It’s really cool to talk to those who source honey; they are passionate and you can learn so much about the process.
Have a meal plan, but also be spontaneous! If you arrive with a general idea of what you will be cooking for the week, you can plan accordingly and make smart purchases. It’s also great to take a stab at something new. See a veggie you don’t usually eat, grab it and be experimental!

I’ve never met anyone who isn’t smiling when they are walking around a farmer’s market. It is a calming place to be, even when it is bustling with vendors and patrons. Ask around and find out where the local farmer’s market is to you and make a plan to visit it, and visit it often. You won’t be disappointed!