Hi!

My name is Faith Ralphs. I started this blog in 2018 and now share my recipes with over 20,000 people a month on this website, and with more than 12,000 people on Instagram. I’ve sold more than 10,000 copies of my best-selling cookbook, Plant-Based Cooking for Kids. 

I have a degree in Public Health, and have been a Certified Health Education Specialist.

But where the rubber really meets the road is that I have four children and an athletic husband I feed every 10 minutes (ok, 3 times a day but it feels more frequent). Trying to keep things delicious, appealing, and highly nutritious is a constant challenge, and I share my strategies and recipes that I come up with here!

The recipes on my website are:

–made with only plant-based ingredients (add in animal products if you want but they’re not necessary!)

–naturally oil-free or with an option to be oil-free

–free of white flour

–low in added sugar or sweetened with fruit

–full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and flavor!

Why do I eat Whole Food Plant Based? Here’s my Story

First of all, I absolutely do not judge anyone for eating differently than me! Just as I hope they don’t judge me for eating differently than them.

The Short Story

  • In a nutshell, I eat this way because I am in it for the long haul. More than quick results or convenience, I want longevity. I don’t want to be in a nursing home, have diabetes or cancer, or lose my brain function. I want to be able to do whatever I want to a ripe old age. And I’m willing to pay the price.
  • I’ve studied and become absolutely convinced that a diet of mostly (if not all) plants is the way to longevity and disease-prevention. While most people make food decisions based on protein, I focus on micronutrients and the protein takes care of itself!
  • On top of health, there is great joy and peace in not causing animal suffering from what I eat.
  • I believe in scripture that says God is pleased if we do not eat meat except in times of famine or cold, meaning when plant foods are not available. I do believe animals are ordained for human’s use if needed, but that God is pleased if they don’t have to suffer and die if we don’t truly need that source of food.
  • The story of Daniel in the Bible inspires me. He chose grains and pulses (legumes) instead of the king’s meat and was blessed for eating differently than the norm. 
  • I believe in prophets who have prophesied about health habits long before modern science could prove such benefits. For example, Joseph Smith in 1833 warned against strong drinks and tobacco, long before the harm of those substances was known. In 1979 a prophet of my church, Ezra Taft Benson, said this, “To a great extent we are physically what we eat. Most of us are acquainted with some of the prohibitions, such as no tea, coffee, tobacco, or alcohol. What need additional emphasis are the positive aspects—the need for vegetables, fruits, and grains, particularly wheat. In most cases, the closer these can be, when eaten, to their natural state— without overrefinement and processing—the healthier we will be. To a significant degree, we are an overfed and undernourished nation digging an early grave with our teeth, and lacking the energy that could be ours because we overindulge in junk foods. We need a generation of young people who, as Daniel, eat in a more healthy manner than to fare on the “king’s meat”—and whose countenances show it (see Daniel 1).” In His Steps
  • This way of eating has blessed my life SO MUCH over the 10+ years I’ve followed it, I have no reason to stop. My fertility improved drastically, my weight is effortlessly stable when I eat this way, I have sustained energy as a busy mom (invalueable!), my skin is clearer, my blood work numbers are excellent (best feeling ever!), my immune system is awesome at fighting sickness. I have had four really energetic and easy pregnancies, with quick recoveries from necessary c-sections. I would never say that health is 100% in our control, or that a plant-based diet is a cure-all, but I am thankful that my diet seems to benefit me so far.

The Long Story

I grew up eating what is now referred to as the SAD diet (standard American diet).  We ate lots of fruits and vegetables and whole grains, but also standard meat and cheese, milk, and too many sweets….but everyone was healthy, so why not?

Fast forward to when I was about 15. My grandparents on both sides were suffering from various chronic diseases. It was hard to watch and I think it made my parents think about preventing such problems from happening to them. We also had some friends who didn’t eat refined sugar–ever!– and that inspired us and made me think. My mom read a book called Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman about the power of plant foods and it forever changed the way she cooks. She shared some things she was learning and I decided to join her in not eating meat.  I read a few books and watched some documentaries (which you can find listed among the recommendations on my Resources page).  Through both study and my feelings, I became quite convinced that this was the healthiest way to eat.

I didn’t eat any meat from the time I was 16 to when I left for college at 18. Since then, I’ve been more of a “social meat-eater” as I didn’t want to be awkward at social events where meat was being served. I still really try to avoid it, but I also go by the philosophy that relationships are more important than a perfect diet (if I am doing a special challenge or if I were trying to lose weight or reverse disease I’d be more strict for sure!).  I try to eat completely on-track at home so I have some wiggle room for times when I’m handed a plate of cheesy lasagna and don’t want to make a scene. I want this way of eating to be a fun priority for me in a non-obsessed way.

Anyway, unlike most people who convert to this way of eating, I had no health problems that brought me to a point of desperation and motivated change. Since I’m still young, I’ve always been healthy and thin no matter how I eat. I was just born with a deep respect for my body and a fascination with all things health/nutrition. I am amazed at all the things my body does for me, and the least I can do for it is treat it right.

As I’ve studied the plethora of contradictory health information and diets out there, I’ve wondered which of all the health philosophies is right and which is right for me. Gluten-free? Paleo? Keto? Vegan? Low-carb?  I’ve turned to God and His word. As the Creator of our bodies surely He, and only He, knows best how to care for them. I’ve felt that it is pleasing to both Him and our health to eat meat sparingly, and focus on eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, and seeds.

Every marriage and family has their own food culture, philosophy and health habits. When I got married we had to establish our own. My husband had given up cow milk as a teenager to see if it would clear up his acne and prevent his nearly chronic ear aches. He stopped guzzling the stuff and voila, his skin cleared up and he’s never had an ear ache since. Understandably, he’s quite certain that dairy is not healthy.  Together, we’ve read, experimented, and discussed much and are now on the same page about avoiding overly-processed foods and animal foods. We make exceptions for social situations when it feels appropriate. 

While we’re definitely not perfect outside the home, we are nearly 100% whole-food, plant-based at home. 

We have seen great benefits to this way of eating. We very rarely get sick, and if we do, we recover very quickly. We eat a lot and don’t gain weight, because of the type of food we’re eating.

We enjoy delicious food and don’t feel heavy, greasy, gross or guilty afterward but we do feel satisfied, energetic, happy and even closer to God. Few things are as satisfying as eating a super yummy meal or treat that is also super healthy.

The challenge of finding recipes that are both delicious and nutritious is a constant battle, but a fun one that I’m excited to share with you!