How Religions Have Shaped the Foods We Eat: Popular Plant-Based Foods with Religious Roots

Religious traditions have played a significant role in shaping many familiar dishes. Over the centuries, abstaining from eating meat and other animal products for spiritual reasons led to creative, plant-based recipes that have since become cultural staples. I think this matters because it helps legitimize plant-based eating as something deeply rooted in cultural and historical tradition—not a fad or modern invention. It reminds us that meatless eating has long been a meaningful, creative, and essential part of human food culture, shaped by values, ethics, and necessity. And by centering these stories in our collective memory, we reclaim a rich legacy—and challenge the idea that animal products must, or always have, sat at the center of every meal. Enjoy! —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152&utm_source=joyfulvegan) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

Losing an animal companion can be a profound and often overlooked grief. In this episode, I explore what it means to mourn a beloved pet, how to navigate the pain, and ways to honor the bond that never really ends — all through the lens of the life and loss of my cat Charlie. —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

Enjoy my conversation with Mariann and Jasmin from Our Hen House. In this heartfelt conversation, author Colleen Patrick-Goudreau joins Jasmin and Mariann to discuss her eighth book, A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero Waste, Plant-Based and Cruelty Free, exploring how compassion can be a guiding force during challenging times and offering practical ways to manifest it in everyday life. This episode explores: How compassion is often misunderstood and how we can reclaim its true meaning in secular contexts The psychological barriers that prevent people from aligning their actions with their compassionate values Practical ways to make a difference, from rewilding our gardens to support native pollinators to embracing a zero-waste mindset The importance of starting where you are rather than doing nothing because you can’t do everything How Colleen’s personal journey, including her relationship with her mother, shaped her compassionate worldview —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

Enjoy my conversation with World Vegan Travel all about living compassionately and traveling sustainably. Travel just about seeing new places — it can be a way to show what you care about. On this episode, we talk about sustainable travel and vegan travel, and how making smart choices while on the road can help people, animals, and the planet. She encourages travelers to support responsible tourism, like choosing plant-based meals, avoiding activities that harm animals (like elephant rides), and staying in places that respect local people and nature. —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

Enjoy this episode of my conversation with Victoria Moran on her podcast Main Street Vegan. In it, we explore how everyday choices — from the food we eat to the words we use — can reflect and deepen our commitment to compassion, sustainability, and justice. We discuss the power of habit, the myth of perfection, and how to stay hopeful and grounded while navigating a world in crisis. Whether you’re new to plant-based living or a longtime advocate, this conversation offers both practical insight and soulful encouragement. —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

Enjoy this conversation with Toni and Michelle from Plant-Powered People Podcast. Feeling overwhelmed trying to “do the right thing” in a complicated world? You're not alone—and you're not doing it wrong. In this episode, Colleen Patrick-Goudreau helps us move beyond guilt, perfectionism, and burnout by reconnecting with what matters most: compassion. Whether you’re struggling to stay consistent with your values, feeling discouraged by your impact, or unsure where to start—this conversation offers practical, heart-centered guidance for creating real change, one small step at a time. —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.  

I’m working on some new episodes for you, so stay tuned! In the meantime, I am going to share some recent conversations between me and some of my favorite people that took place on THEIR podcasts – amazing people like Victoria Moran, Jasmin and Mariann / Our Hen House, Michelle Cehn and Toni Okamoto from Plant-Powered People Podcast, with Brighde Reed at World Vegan Travel, and more. Enjoy! —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.    

A story about a house, a hillside, and a centuries-old oak tree—and what it teaches us about healing, renewal, and the resilience of nature. In this episode, I explore what it means to be a participant in the restoration of the world around us and ourselves.  —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Thanks to today's sponsor, Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Thank you for listening.  

 A Year of Compassion: 52 Weeks of Living Zero-Waste, Plant-Based, and Cruelty-Free is now available wherever you buy books! I compiled a list for you here of independent and large retailers + where you can find signed copies! —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.

I feel as giddy as when I started Food for Thought Podcast 18 years ago. I have more clarity, control, and calm than I've had in a long time. Listen to today's exciting announcements, and make sure you FOLLOW Food for Thought for some life-changing episodes coming up!  —————— 🌟 Join thousands of like-minded subscribers at my Substack. Community, connection, and inspiration for living compassionately, healthfully, and sustainably.  Visit my website: JoyfulVegan.com Join me on an all-inclusive vegan trip: JoyfulVeganTrips.com AFFILIATE PARTNERS: Complement — Use this link (https://lovecomplement.com/?aff=152) and coupon code "joyfulvegan" and get 15% off my favorite supplements. Plaine Products — Use this link (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/161) and coupon code "compassion" for 20% off my favorite zero waste bath and body products. Thank you for listening.