Of course it would be wonderful if everyone who came to Farm Sanctuary, or everyone who read my book, immediately became a plant-based eater. I doubt that’s going to happen. But many of Farm Sanctuary’s visitors start on their vegan journey by making small changes in their diet. And small steps often lead to much larger ones.

For instance, just eating less meat is a great start. That’s how my own journey began. When I was in high school, I learned about the cruelty that young calves endure in veal production, and I swore off veal for good.

Here are 10 suggestions to get you started on your own journey.

1.Participate in Meatless Monday, a program endorsed by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It encourages people to forgo meat one day a week.

2.Try learning more about specific food industry practices and then avoid the cruelest animal products, like veal, caged eggs, chicken meat, and foie gras. This discourages inhumane practices and sends a market signal that such cruelty is outside the bounds of acceptable conduct in our society.

3.Use plant-based milks and creamers, like those made from soy, rice, almond, or coconut, in place of cows’ milk on your cereal and in your coffee. There has been a huge increase in the flavors and varieties available in mainstream groceries in the past couple of years. I used soy milk for decades, and today I prefer vanilla-flavored almond milk.

4.Shop at your farmers’ market for fresh seasonal produce–it is healthy and supports a more local, humane, and sustainable food system. My favorites are berries and greens during the summer, and squash and apples in the fall. Fruit is a sweet snack that can be enjoyed right away, and I sometimes snack on the greens as well. When I travel, I love getting to know the local farming community and culture by visiting farmers’ markets.

5.Replace meat in recipes with plant-based options. For example, instead of meatballs, try veggie meatballs or even just veggies in spaghetti sauce. In many recipes, you can leave the meat out entirely. Check out the recipes starting on page 111 for plenty of dishes without meat.

6.Eat ethnic! The animal-centered diet we consume in the United States is a modern development. Explore and rediscover traditional ethnic dishes, including Chinese, Middle Eastern, Mexican, Indian, Ethiopian, and many others, which tend to be plant based.

7.Consider the advice of food experts and authors such as New York Times columnist Mark Bittman, who suggests we go “vegan before 6:00,” or bestselling food expert Michael Pollan, who says, “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”

8.Enjoy fashion with compassion when shopping for clothes. For more information and tips, check out top fashion designer John Bartlett’s suggestions on page 32.

9.Substitute! There’s a whole range of meatless meat substitutes, including veggie burgers and hot dogs, cold cuts, nuggets, cutlets, sausages, fillets, and even roasts. Explore and enjoy the many possibilities. You don’t have to give up your barbecues and picnics, but you can make them much healthier!

10.Get to know beans, the mainstay of the legume family. There are so many different kinds of beans, and there’s so much you can do with them to add protein and flavor to your meals. I use white or garbanzo beans in salads to make them heartier, and I pack my chili with kidney and pinto beans. I like lentils and lima beans on their own with just a touch of seasoning. And I love beans with steamed greens, such as navy beans with kale, or black-eyed peas with collard greens.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this delectable vegan pancakes recipe to Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Baur’s recent book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.”

Says Jason: “I created this recipe when I was leading a vegan food tour in the south of Italy. Everyone really wanted pancakes for breakfast, but I wanted to utilize some of the exceptional ingredients we had. That included a bottle of orange moscato, fresh pine nuts, and oranges picked directly from the orchard outside the villa where we stayed. It’s quintessential Italian.

Not a lot of ingredients so the ones that are there can really shine. Best of all, this is a fancy breakfast that doesn’t take any more effort than making regular pancakes.”

Makes 4 servings

Time to Make: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3–4 tablespoons pine nuts
2⁄3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2⁄3 cup almond milk
2 teaspoons olive oil
Grated peel of 2 oranges
1⁄4 cup agave nectar
3 tablespoons orange moscato*

Directions

In a medium skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts for 1 minute.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder, making sure they are evenly distributed. Whisk in the almond milk and oil until you have a thin batter.

Bring a medium skillet to just above medium heat. Add a very thin layer of olive oil and wait about 30 seconds for it to heat. Pour about 1⁄3 cup of the batter into the skillet and quickly rotate it a couple of times to get the batter to spread out. Cook the pancake for 2 minutes, then flip it and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and keep it warm. Repeat until you are out of batter.

In a medium bowl, combine the orange peel, agave, and moscato.

Plate the pancakes, pour the syrup on them, and top with the toasted pine nuts.

*Skip the moscato and add 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice and 1 tablespoon white wine.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this recipe to Gene Baur’s “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” book. 

Says Jason: “This salad, typically made with whatever fresh oranges are on hand and made with blood oranges here, is a popular winter dish throughout the south of Italy.

Fennel and red onion are popular additions, but my favorite version (this one) concentrates on the interplay of the sweetness of the oranges, the saltiness of the olives, the pop of the basil, and the smoothness of the olive oil. It showcases one of the quintessential elements of Italian cuisine, namely that you don’t need complicated recipes to make outstanding food. You only need outstanding ingredients and the willingness to let them speak for themselves.”

Makes 2 servings

Time to Make: 10 minutes

Ingredients

4 blood oranges or oranges of your choice, peeled and carefully chopped into bite size pieces
3 tablespoons chopped oil cured pitted black olives or
1⁄4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
1⁄4 cup finely sliced basil leaves
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons good-quality extra-virgin olive oil (preferably with a peppery finish)
1⁄4 cup thinly sliced fennel, if in season, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, toss together the oranges, olives, basil, pepper, oil, and fennel, if using. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving. Make it low fat by omitting the oil.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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Jason Wyrick, executive chef of The Vegan Taste and author of “Vegan Tacos” contributed this tacos recipe to Gene Baur’s book, “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life.”

Says Jason: “If the tortilla is the soul of a taco, then the filling is the body, and fresh lime and spicy salsa are the life of it. It’s the fusion of all three of these components that makes tacos the perfect handheld meal. Because the traditional tortilla for a taco is only about 51⁄2″ in diameter, one serving is usually two or three tacos—or four if you’re hungry!”

Makes 12 tacos

Time to Make: 25 to 35 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups fresh masa (corn dough for making tortillas) or 12 small premade corn tortillas
2 medium semi-ripe plantains, peeled
1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil
Grated peel and juice of
2 limes
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
11⁄2 cups salsa verde
3⁄4 cup toasted pepitas
2 cups shredded red cabbage

Directions

Heat a grill, preferably using mesquite wood. If using a gas grill, bring to medium heat and add soaked mesquite chips in the smoking box.

While the grill is coming to temperature, make the tortillas. Bring a griddle or comal to medium heat. Lay plastic wrap over the bottom flap of your tortilla press.

Take 2 to 21⁄2 tablespoons of the masa and form it into a ball. Lay this on the plastic wrap, just slightly off center toward the hinges of the press. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap at least the size of the tortilla press flap over the masa ball. Press down firmly until the masa is flat and you have a tortilla ready to be cooked. This takes a little practice, so if your first few tortillas don’t turn out right, simply re-form the dough into a ball and press it again. Make as many uncooked tortillas as your griddle can handle before laying them on the hot griddle. Typically this will be 2 to 4 tortillas. Make sure to press each tortilla in its own plastic wrap and keep them in the wrap until you are ready to lay them on the griddle.

Remove the top layer of the plastic sheet. Flip the tortilla over and remove the other layer. Gently lay it on your griddle. Cook the first side for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until you see the edges of the tortilla change color.

Flip the tortilla over and cook for 1 minute. Flip it back over one more time and cook it for another 30 seconds. Remove the tortillas from the heat, stacking them and keeping them covered so they don’t dry out.

Brush the plantains with the oil. Grill them until they are heavily browned on both sides. Remove them from the grill and chop into bite-size pieces.

Immediately toss them with the lime peel and juice and then the salt and chile powder.

To each tortilla, add the plantains, 2 tablespoons of the salsa verde, 1 tablespoon of the pepitas, and the cabbage.

Reprinted from “Living the Farm Sanctuary Life” by Gene Baur with Gene Stone. © 2015 by Gene Baur. Photographs © 2015 by Rodale Inc. By Permission of Rodale Books. Available wherever books are sold.

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