Helping individuals and groups achieve their health goals
through a whole-food, plant-powered and planet-friendly way of
eating; specializing in healthy, vegan cooking classes in San Diego
About Veg-Appeal
What started out as a healthy eating group called “The Food Buddies,” has blossomed into a company focused on sharing our love of food, flavors, fun, and health! Individually, we had become accomplished, working in the healthy-eating arena for years, with an interest in sharing the joy and simplicity of eating unprocessed, whole plant foods. Meeting on a regular basis, we discussed the possibility of joining forces to help share our knowledge and experience with others. We wanted to demonstrate that eating healthy is not as difficult as it seems and help people overcome those initial hurdles that often come with a dietary change. Here is a little bit about the three woman who founded Veg-Appeal, a group that is here to help you meet your wellness goals.
My path in life started changing dramatically when in 1978 I no longer had a desire to eat red meat, chicken, fish and eggs. I could no longer tolerate the texture, taste, and the thought of killing the animal in order to eat it. Several years later, I gave up eating all dairy products. I developed an allergy to a milk protein and became violently ill every time I had dairy in my diet.
I started reading as much as I could about healthy eating and in 1990, I decided to officially study nutrition. I continued working while attending college and in 1996, I received my degree in Food and Nutrition from San Diego State University.
That same year I started working at the University of California, San Diego Cancer Center where I held the position of a Dietary Counselor. While there, I worked on many different research projects that studied the relationship between diet and cancer. I counseled hundreds of people during my 13 years with the University.
My passion for teaching healthy eating grows stronger the more I see the health of people in our country deteriorate and our sick care costs increase. My personal progression of eating healthier through the years made me aware that I did not know how bad I felt until I started noticing how much better I felt: no colds, no flu, and more energy.
Through Veg Appeal I can continue to help others in their understanding of how to feel healthier and more importantly, how to be healthier.
Growing up as an omnivore in South Dakota I ate the normal fare of meat and potatoes, but also ate many vegetables and fruits. Unfortunately I over-consumed almost everything and ended up weighing almost 200 pounds by the time I was 37 years old. I developed quite a sweet addiction and struggled with food issues for many years.
In 1993, after taking a vegetarian class from a friend, watching a powerful video by John Robbins (Diet for a New America), and being called to task by a colleague to bring my eating in line with my environmental views, I decided to let go of eating anything from animals. My husband, Keith, joined me on this adventure, and we no longer eat meat, dairy, or eggs. I am not perfect with that, but almost all of my choices are from the enormous variety of plant foods. We love eating and have discovered a whole new way of eating the delicious abundance from the plant world. I used to dislike cooking, but now I enjoy it, especially when I cook foods from my garden.
Since that powerful change almost 19 years ago, I have lost 60 pounds, feel healthy and energetic, and am at peace with my eating. Through eating a plant-based, whole-foods diet and adding daily exercise to my schedule, I stay healthy and fit and love to share what I have learned. My food choices reflect my reverence for life and for the earth, and I am committed to sharing my experiences and knowledge with others who want to feel healthy, vibrant and peaceful with their eating.
I have a Master's Degree in Public Health from UCLA School of Public Health and have a Certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University. I'm trained as a teacher and have taught science, health education and teaching methodology. I've been a healthy eating educator and cooking instructor in community settings for over 12 years and had my own business teaching people about simple and healthy eating.
Tracy Childs This is my dream job!! I’ve been interested in health and food since my teens. My path towards vegetarianism began in 1977, involved in the 4H program. I took the sheep I raised to the Del Mar Fair but didn’t make really make the connection between my “pets” and people’s plates until my parents bid on and bought a lamb from a member of my 4H club. I refused to eat the meat from an animal I had met. Soon after that, my teacher showed us a slide of a cross section of pork in 11th grade biology. Seeing all the “bugs” living in the meat sealed the deal for me. I could no longer eat meat.
I am a Nutritional Consultant, recently receiving certification from the Global College of Natural Medicine. Previously, at the University of Idaho, I received a B.S. in Business Management and an M.S. in Computer Science. A vegetarian in Idaho in the early 1980s you ask? It’s possible, and I survived! I decided to give up all animal products in 1991 after learning about the cruelty in the dairy and egg industries and finding that using these products was unnecessary for the enjoyment of food and for health.
In 2005, I received training from the Cancer Project in Washington, D.C. to teach Food For Life cooking classes in San Diego County. This is rewarding work, as I have a passion for sharing their mission: the power of nutrition in cancer prevention and survival. I am certified to teach Food For Life Diabetes classes with the PCRM (Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine).
Sharing my enthusiasm for healthy food and introducing people to wonderful, creative ways to make meals without animal products is a joyful experience for me. I want to spread the word about health-promoting, plant-based foods and how delicious, easy and satisfying they can be. I truly believe that as more people become interested in eating plant-based diets, the world will be better for all of us.
I am the mother of two active, vegan teens, so with Veg-Appeal I hope to share my experiences of shopping and cooking healthy foods for a busy family with a hectic schedule filled with activities.
Let Veg-Appeal help you achieve your health goals. Click here to get started.
Website design by Keith Mesecher & Mike Collier & Veg-Appeal staff