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    About

    Greetings! I'm Elizabeth Shah. I'm a writer, vegan and recovering type "A." My husband, Hemant, and I live in Madison, Wisconsin Scottsdale, Arizona with our Toy Fox Terriers, Maisy and Ivy. (I develop the recipes and write, Hemant takes the photos, and Maisy and Ivy are the resident taste-testers and kitchen supervisors.)

    Featured On T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies, Food Network Revolution, She Knows, Buzz Feed and others.
    Healthy Midwestern Girl is a food blog dedicated to sharing whole food plant-based and healthy vegan recipes. Everything's 100% vegan and oil free. Most recipes are naturally low calorie and gluten free, too. This is where I use my 30+ years of cooking experience to create flavorful, healthy food that just about anyone can enjoy.

    While Hemant and I fully embrace the ethical impact of veganism on animals and the planet, we originally adopted this lifestyle to feel healthier (read below). We truly believe food is medicine.

    Most people I talk to know they should eat better, but find the idea of switching to a plant-based diet overwhelming. My hope is to share food that's not too complicated, not too "weird" (you can probably get your carnivore hold-out to at least try it) and just really damn good. 

    My recipes are:

    • 100% vegan & whole food plant-based
    • relatively simple, using basic cooking methods and easy-to-find ingredients
    • oil free, refined sugar free & nutritious. Most are low in fat, low calorie, high fiber & naturally gluten-free or can be made gluten free
    • tested—I won't put anything on the site I don't love
    • full of flavor—for everyone out there like me who lives to eat!
      So welcome and enjoy. And please, let me know how I'm doing.

    Elizabeth

    Note: If you’re wondering (most people do!), my husband pronounces his name “hem-ent.”

    Picture of Hemant in Me.

    Becoming vegan

    Not so long ago, this Midwestern girl wasn’t very healthy at all. I suffered from mysterious ailments my doctor couldn’t explain—fatigue, dizziness, recurring respiratory infections, and so on.

    After several trips to his office and a bunch of tests, he gave me the best advice of my life: try giving up meat, dairy and eggs.

    My immediate reaction was, "HELL YEAH, LET ME RUN HOME RIGHT NOW AND THROW OUT THAT LASAGNA I JUST MADE!" (Not.)

    I was—and still am!—a passionate foodie who loves great restaurants, travel and cooking. In fact, just a month earlier, I’d eaten the meal of a lifetime at the famous French Laundry restaurant. How could I give that up! Besides, Hemant and I had both been vegetarian in the past, but not particularly healthy ones (too much cheese!)

    Picture of our dog, Maisy.

    Maisy, supervising

    But hearing my doctor explain why the wild-caught salmon and free-range chicken we were eating wasn’t as healthy as I thought, I knew I needed to give a whole-food, plant-based diet a try.

    I immediately went home, watched the documentary Forks Over Knives and ordered the book How Not to Die. (I HIGHLY recommend this read!) Hemant and I both found the science absolutely compelling.

    That was in February of 2017, and we’ve never looked back. We’re healthier, happier and just feel "lighter" than ever. And the food we eat now—we think it’s delicious.

       

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Elizabeth Shah

    My husband calls me his "healthy Midwestern girl," because I LOVE TO EAT! Fortunately, I also love to cook. I'm so excited to share my 100% vegan, whole food, plant-based, no oil recipes with you! MORE...

    Certified by WFPB.org

    whole food plant based (WFPB) Certified logo

    Featured On

    Image of logos: T. colin campbell center for nutrition studies, She knows, buzz feed, bloglovin', food network revolution, best of vegan, one bite vegan, live kindly, food gawker, yummly

    Whole food plant-baed diet

    The WFPB Diet -- What the heck is it, anyway?

    Favorite Recipes

    Dish of sauce and spoon.

    Chickpea Cheese Sauce

    Jar of mayo and spoon.

    Vegan Oil Free Mayonnaise - 4 Ways

    Pesto jar and spoon.

    Easy Vegan Oil Free Pesto

    Vegan Mushroom Walnut Bolognese

    vegan alfredo sauce in a bowl.

    Easy Vegan Chickpea Alfredo Sauce

    Lemony lentil turnip chowder bowl.

    Lemony Lentil Turnip Chowder [Vegan]

    eggplant Parmesan slice.

    Easiest Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

    almond ricotta in ramekin with crusty bread on the side.

    Almond Ricotta Cheese

    chile relleno with cheese drizzle.

    Healthy Vegan Chile Relleno

    overhead image.

    Vegan Pizza Rolls with Spinach & Cheese

    As an Amazon associate, I may earn a small commission from your purchase, at no cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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