Everyday I’m Brusselin’: 6 Plant Dishes that will Make Your Heart Beet Faster!
Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of attending UC Berkeley’s Plant Futures Symposium. Social impact, sustainability, healthcare, and gastronomical innovation. The 47 speakers shed light on a myriad of topics, supplementing our stomachs while nourishing our minds. We picked six amazing plant-based dishes that will make you want to go vegan! The first three were introduced in the Plant Futures Symposium, inspiring us to go out and find three more phenomenal dishes on our own.
1. Pray 4 Me Burger from Souley Vegan in Oakland, CA
One customer called it “the best vegan burger he ever had”; Founder Tamearra Dyson’s brainchild is a scrumptious, juicy, jam-packed burger that will blow your mind. The sauce of the burger is a tasty concoction, while the fries perfectly complement the softness of the buns. Souley Vegan was selected as one of the best vegan soul food restaurants in the country by the PETA organization, while Tamearra has one of the sweetest stories that you will ever hear in the food industry!
2. The Kelp Burger From Akua
Taste the ocean without tasting the fish: the world’s first kelp-based burger. Akua Founder Courtney Boyd Myers spoke passionately about replacing the most unsustainable way to grow food (factory farming) with the most sustainable method (ocean farming). Myers is leading her company to tackle nutritional and environmental problems that have been long institutionalized in society. Order your 12-pack of kelp burgers at a premium price now!
3. Vegan Algae Protein from Triton
This ingredient from TritonAI is the next groundbreaking food innovation in the sustainable foods space, using fermented microalgae to create alternative protein. You
can find this delicious plant in cookies, parker house rolls, and pasta bowls to name a few. Triton is planning to come out with new plant-based Tuna products as well as a B2B commercial platform so more chefs can create delicious and healthy meals for the public.
4. Killer B.L.A.T from Butcher’s Son in Berkeley, CA
Killer B.L.A.T. stands for (vegan) bacon, lettuce, avocado, and tomatoes, but we think it should stand for boldly luxurious atomic toastwich. Butcher’s Son is one of the premier vegan restaurants in Berkeley, featuring a chic outdoor seating area that sets the joyful tone for your Sunday day brunch.
5. Cheeseboard Pizza in Berkeley, CA
This vegetarian pizza restaurant is famous among UC Berkeley students for its crispy thin crust and delicious green sauce. With vegan and gluten-free options, this pizzeria is the place to try for all plant-based foodies that are visiting the Bay. We NEED a good vegetarian pizza while we are studying for our finals!
6. Roasted Cauliflower & Cheese Ravioli + Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basi Pesto from Trader Joe’s
Last but not least, you know we had to include an item from Trader Joe’s because we are all about that TJ taste. The Roasted Cauliflower Ravioli is by far the best ravioli in stock. It is easy to cook, healthy, and most importantly, tastes amazing. It has a generous amount of filling, the pasta is tender, and there’s an instant burst of flavor when you bite into it. We love to top off the ravioli with the vegan kale, cashew, and basil pesto; trust us, it is MMM SCRUMPTIOUS!
Ending Note:
Only a minuscule of nutrients from inputs are actually converted into final meat products: for beef, 3% is converted while 97% of the nutrition is wasted. These restaurants and food innovators listed above are pioneering the movement to transfer nutrients directly from the plant to your stomach. These foods, like the symposium, were an eye-opening experience that definitely made us want to incorporate more plant-based foods into our diet.