Ivy Pepin
Nutritionist and influencer Stefanie Stevens shares her best tips for following a healthy, sustainable plant-based lifestyle.
When Stefanie Stevens woke up one morning, she had no idea it was the day she’d adopt a fully plant-based lifestyle. But in the years since, it’s become one of her greatest passions—and now she’s on a mission to help others discover the delights of plant-based eating.
The successful nutrition coach, influencer, and wellness expert has dedicated her life and career to supporting people who want to incorporate more plants into their daily meals and routines. She now shares plant-based recipes and tips as part of her brand, Life, Veganized. Stefanie looks to plant-based foods as a way to eat healthier, save money, and help heal the planet—while also fighting back against the animal cruelty rampant in our food system today.
“I used to be really shy about being vegan,” Stefanie says. “A lot of my friends and family didn't even know that I was vegan. I was just so private about it! But when people would find out, there were a lot of positive reactions—people were very receptive and wanted to know. They were very curious, in a good way.”
The questions inspired Stefanie to start her brand, Life, Veganized. A few years later, she became a certified nutritionist. “Health and wellness have always been important to me,” she says. “I've always wanted to treat my body in a positive way. And the more I learned about nutrition, the more it was clear to me that plant-based eating is the way to go.”
Now, as a nutrition coach and recipe curator, Stefanie is a guiding light for people who want to explore plant-based eating. She acknowledges that incorporating more plants is an adjustment—and it sometimes means getting creative! “It’s about thinking outside the box,” she says. “When you're incorporating more plants into your diet, your kitchen changes. It'll look different. Your cart looks very different at the store, too.”
We sat down with Stefanie to get the scoop on some of her favorite tips for going plant-based—in a way that’s healthful, budget-friendly, and sustainable for years to come.
1. Find your “why.”
“I think the most important part is finding your ‘why,’” Stefanie says. “This goes for anything in life. If you decide why you want to do something and why it’s important to you, it really doesn't matter how challenging it is. You can find a way to do it and overcome, easily, if you truly want it badly enough.”
To start, she advocates for a mindset shift. “When you start thinking of veganism as the opportunity that it is, your attitude towards it changes. Such as thoughts like, I love being vegan. This is so rewarding. I'm so glad that I get to practice something that I really believe in every single day. Because you can't say that about every type of cause, you know?”
Luckily, there are so many great reasons to try eating more plants. Do you feel inspired to help the planet? Do you want to nourish your body? Are you passionate about preventing cruelty to animals? All of these are great places to start!
2. Use resources to help guide you.
“Google everything,” says Stefanie. “There are people who want to eat plant-based, and they don't really know how to cook or they think they need loads of free time to learn. But there are so many quick, easy, and cheap vegan recipes you can look up.”
Stefanie’s ultimate favorite recipe? Her sweet potato and black bean burgers. “These have a ton of flavor,” she says. “And the texture is really different; it’s not trying to replicate meat at all, which I really like.” Get the recipe on her Instagram!
3. Start small.
Stefanie acknowledges that it can be intimidating to overhaul your entire diet. So she recommends incorporating small, attainable changes. “Why not try to make something, like a stir fry or a salad, and just leave the meat off?” she suggests. “When people do that, so many times they say, ‘I didn't even miss the meat!’ It can help you realize it’s not as difficult as you might think.”
4. Make sure to eat enough.
“I see a lot of people who want to go towards veganism,” says Stefanie, “and then they just drink coffee, have an apple, and have a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Sure, that's vegan…! But it’s not enough.”
Since many plant-based foods are naturally lighter, Stefanie points out, “a lot of people end up eating less.” She emphasizes the importance of feeding your body enough food to thrive—and having the patience to put in the effort to learn a different way of cooking and eating.
“Going plant-based doesn't have to be hard, but it's going to take some effort, and it will be a change,” she says. “Anything's difficult at the start, and you're learning things in the beginning. You can't be expected to wake up on day one and know everything. When you put forth some effort, even just a little bit, like changing what you're buying at the grocery store, you’re expanding your knowledge of vegan foods a day at a time.”
5. Invest in good cooking tools.
As you’re experimenting with plant-based recipes, Stefanie recommends setting yourself up for success in the kitchen with tools that make cooking easier. “You don't have to be an expert cook or have all the time in the world,” she says.
Stefanie’s favorite kitchen tools? “If you have a blender and an air fryer, you’re set!” she says. “I know that can be a bit of an investment, but I've had my Vitamix for eight years, and I use it every day. I used it twice yesterday! I made a smoothie and a salad dressing. And my air fryer makes everything super easy.”
6. Stock up on frozen produce.
So you can focus on buying more produce at the grocery store—but how do you prevent it from going bad? “I know that a lot of people have trouble with produce going bad right away,” Stefanie says. To combat this, she recommends buying frozen fruits and veggies instead of fresh.
“For stir fries, smoothies, soups—you don't have to buy fresh veggies, because you're going to cook or blend them anyway. And the nutritional profile is just as good as if it were fresh. Freezing doesn't compromise the nutrition content at all.”
“I like buying large bags of frozen pineapple, mango and blueberries for smoothies, and bags of frozen mixed vegetables for stir fry,” she says. “That really cuts your prep time a lot. I'll cook some brown rice on the stove, get out this bag of frozen mixed vegetables, throw that on the stove, put some spices in, put a lid on it, let it sit. It's so easy, because you're not chopping up anything. And it's way cheaper than buying lots of different fresh produce.”
7. …Or freeze your fresh produce!
If you do buy fresh veggies, or you want to cut down on plastic waste, Stefanie points out that you can easily freeze fresh produce as well. “I love kale salads. Love them,” she says. “So I buy kale fresh, but sometimes if I don't get through all of it, I'll wash it off, let it dry, and then throw it in the freezer. And then you can use it in a smoothie!”
Stefanie suggests freezing anything—from cilantro to ginger to bananas. “I really like making cilantro dressings. You can have frozen cilantro in the freezer and then get your blender out one day, cashews, water, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar. Throw your frozen cilantro in there, and then you don’t have to waste it.”
“I do it a lot for bananas, too,” she says. “They're super cheap, and banana-based smoothies are really creamy. I peel them, break them in half, and then put them in a giant reusable bag that I keep in my freezer. That way, whenever I want to make a smoothie I just add some frozen bananas. I do the same thing with ginger root! Peel it, cut it up into little pieces, freeze those, and you can put them in your smoothies, too.”
8. Try container gardening.
Another great way to save money and combat waste? Grow herbs in your kitchen, rather than buying sprigs every time you’re at the store.
“I don't have the greenest thumb,” Stefanie laughs, “but I’ll keep basil or cilantro plants at home. A full starter plant that will keep growing is maybe 4 at the store, while a couple sprigs might be 2.” She suggests tossing herbs into salads for extra flavor and freshness.
9. Revive veggies with a cold water wash.
Already have produce going bad in the fridge? Before you toss wilted greens into the compost, try this next-level tip. “This is something that I do a lot with my lettuce and kale,” Stefanie confides. “If my lettuce is starting to wilt (even if it’s badly wilted), you can take a big mixing bowl and fill it with cold water and a bunch of ice. I put the lettuce in first, pour water over it, then put the ice over that. And sometimes I'll set a big dinner plate on top to keep the greens submerged in the water. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, and then when you rinse it off, it’s completely revived. It's like new!”
10. Don’t be afraid to try new things!
“If you're transitioning towards veganism or vegetarianism, it’s so important not to be afraid to try new foods,” Stefanie says. “If you don't like something, you don't have to keep eating it! You don't have to like tofu, you don't have to like beans. There are lots of people with soy allergies who are vegan so they avoid tofu and other soy-based meat substitutes. You don't have to like any certain type of food to be vegan, but I think it's important to give it a shot.”
Her final word of advice? Just take the leap. “A lot of people are interested in trying more plant-based foods, but then when given the opportunity, they still end up eating what they normally eat,” she says. “There are so many good vegan options now. I see it all the time, non-vegans or new vegans who think they won’t like a certain type of food, and then they end up loving it. I’ve been there, too! Just try them out!”
As for her own goals with Life Veganized, Stefanie shares that she wants to support people in making the best decisions for their health and the health of others. “People have good intentions,” she says. “People want to take care of themselves and their health. They want to take care of their children. They care about animals.”
“And when it comes down to it, I just want to inspire people,” says Stefanie. “I know that people joke about how vegans talk about veganism all the time. And, yeah, vegans do talk about veganism a lot—because we love it! Just like any positive experience in life.”
Keep up with Stefanie and Life, Veganized on her Instagram! And for more tips on plant-based eating, download our free Path to Plant-Based Starter Guide.
