Order Up! A Conversation with Lauren Kretzer, plant-based chef, mom, and writer of Plant Magic
You don't want to miss this candid interview with Lauren, a cancer survivor, on feeding a family with intention—not perfection.
Small Bites:
If you’re thinking about adding more plant-based meals this year but don’t want it to feel like a whole project, Hungryroot makes it super easy. They send fresh groceries and simple recipe ideas so you can try new dishes without the overwhelm.
👉 Take the Quiz & Get a Custom Meal Plan
If you want a whole library of doable recipes and a simple way to plan them out each week, the Peas & Hoppiness app is such a helpful sidekick. It makes meal planning feel a lot less… plan-y.
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How Lauren Kretzer reshaped her approach to wellness, and the simple routines that help her family thrive.
January always brings a rush of “new year, new habits” energy, plus a little pressure to overhaul everything at once. But what we loved about this Order Up! interview with Lauren was her simple advice to start with one small change at a time. Lauren Kretzer is a plant-based chef, recipe developer, holistic nutritionist, and the warm, steady force behind Plant Magic, her Substack devoted to seasonal eating, holistic wellness, and living well without overcomplicating life. Her work has appeared everywhere from Vogue to Food52, but she approaches food like a mom who’s in it with the rest of us: juggling school pickups, hungry kids, and the nightly question of “what’s for dinner?”
Lauren’s cooking is deeply influenced by the vegetable-forward kitchens of her Italian and Argentinian grandmothers and strengthened by her own cancer journey, which reshaped how she thinks about nourishment, routine, and what truly matters. Her approach to food and wellness is grounded, without getting caught up in perfectionism or rigid rules. Just small shifts, simple meals, and a gentle confidence that healthy eating can fit into real family life, even when schedules and kids are unpredictable.
She shares the comforting soups she grew up with, the Italian rituals that anchor her home today, and the “meal templates” that keep her sane on busy evenings. She’s honest about picky eaters, generous with practical advice, and endlessly reassuring to parents who want to cook more plant-forward meals without feeling overwhelmed.
If you’re craving a reset that actually feels doable, Lauren’s perspective is exactly the kind of steady, nourishing start to the year we all need. And if you want more of her wisdom, recipes, and seasonal inspiration, you’ll definitely want to check out Plant Magic.
A message from Hungryroot:
Try More Plant-Based, the Easy Way
If you’re hoping to eat a little more plant-based in the new year, Hungryroot is a great place to start. Instead of hunting down new ingredients or guessing what to cook, they send groceries tailored to your goals along with easy, tasty meal ideas that make trying something new feel totally doable, even on busy nights.
You can mix in plant-based meals at your own pace, try flavors you might not pick up on your own, and still keep things quick and family-friendly. If you’re looking for a simple way to bring more fresh, nourishing meals into your routine without adding to your mental load, Hungryroot is a great place to begin.
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A Conversation with Lauren Kretzer
Introduce Yourself: I’m Lauren Kretzer, a professionally trained plant-based chef, recipe developer, and the creator of Plant Magic, my Substack newsletter. My daughters are six and ten years old.
I live in northern New Jersey with my husband, our two daughters, and our two rescue dogs. I focus on teaching people how to cook nourishing, vegetable-forward meals that are delicious and approachable for every kind of eater. As a cancer survivor, I’m deeply committed to modeling an anti-cancer lifestyle for my kids and helping other families bring more plant-based, health-supportive food into their homes.
