Colleen Patrick-Goudreau was a lifeline for Ethan when he first went vegan. Living out in the New Jersey suburbs, it was hard for him to find community and support, particularly because he spent most of his waking hours in New York City at work. Her cookbooks and recipes assured him that he could still enjoy the same delicious foods he always had. Her podcasts helped support him in his committment to living a vegan life. When I went vegan, I delved into all things Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and was similarly impressed by the breadth of her knowledge and expertise. Her knowledge helped me revive many of my baking recipes that I has assumed were no longer viable as they contained things like eggs and dairy. The Joy of Vegan Baking is a constant reference for me. For that reason alone, I am immensely grateful to her, as are those who could once again eat my chocolate chip cookies. However, I was completely impressed by her measured and compassionate approach towards engaging the complex moral and ethical questions vegan face in our society. We met Colleen in person for the first time at the Albany Veg-Fest in November, 2013.
From left: Ethan Ciment, Jenny Brown, Michael Suchman and Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Although it was the first time we met her, it felt like running into an old friend.We’ve kept in touch with her and were thrilled to find out last year that she was taking on the daunting project of self-publishing a re-release of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge (New Edition):The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthfully and Living Compassionately
We couldn’t be more thrilled with how the publication turned out.
Colleen Patrick-Goudreau—dubbed the “Vegan Martha Stewart” by VegNews magazine—wants people to experience the benefits of a plant-based diet and guides them through the process with THE 30-DAY VEGAN CHALLENGE®: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthfully and Living Compassionately.
After 16 years of guiding people to being vegan, Patrick-Goudreau says, “I know people want to make a change. I see it every day. People know ‘why vegan,’ but they struggle with the ‘how vegan,’ and that’s where I come in. I help them undo old habits and create new ones, and I’m with them every step of the way. I know every challenge and question they have because I’ve heard them all—and I’ve been there myself.”
With chapters focusing on everything from the best sources of protein, calcium, iron, and fiber to baking without eggs, eating out, and the easy preparation of plant-based foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert, Patrick-Goudreau offers resources, social strategies, recipes, and meal suggestions for 30 days. In addition to showing readers how to prepare everything from Coconut Bacon, Creamy Leek Polenta, and Vegetable Pot Pie to Mexican Chocolate Cake, Cowboy Cookies, and Strawberry Parfait, Patrick-Goudreau:
➢ Debunks common nutrition myths by emphasizing that the nutrients we need are plantbased, not animal-based. The health problems people have are because they’re going through the animals to get to the nutrients that the animals get because they eat plants. Patrick-Goudreau recommends we skip the “middle animal” and go directly to the source.
➢ Demystifies “vegan food” by pointing out that what we think of as “vegan food” is actually “normal” food we eat every day: fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, mushrooms, herbs, and spices. Even vegan baked goods are made up of familiar ingredients such as flour, sugar, cocoa, chocolate, vanilla, baking soda, baking powder, cornstarch, and yeast.
➢ Encourages readers to see the tangible benefits of adopting a plant-based diet by getting weight, cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, etc. checked before they start and again after they take the 30-Day Vegan Challenge.
➢ Gets people back into the kitchen in a way that makes them feel empowered rather than overwhelmed by cooking. Some invaluable tips include taking a few minutes each day to chop vegetables (rather than having them compost in the fridge!) and planning meals in advance (rather than deciding what to eat for dinner at dinnertime).
➢ Addresses the social aspects of being vegan, helping readers navigate through a nonvegan world—whether they’re in restaurants, traveling, going to dinner at a friends’ house, or hosting holiday get-togethers.
Speaking of Cowboy Cookies, Colleen was generous enough to share the recipe with us and gave us permission to share it with you.
Photo by Marie Laforêt
We know you will love these cookies as much as we do. I mean, chocolate chips, oatmeal and pretzels, what’s not to love? As if sharing this recipe wasn’t enough, Colleen has offered us two copies of The 30-Day Vegan Challenge in eBook form to giveaway to our followers, one copy to each of two people. This book is truly a MUST HAVE for everyone, regardless of where they are on their journey living a compassionate, vegan lifestyle. Enter here for your chance to win one of these eBooks!
