Plant-based diets have grown in popularity over the past few years, as vegetarianism and veganism have gone from sideline players to mainstream offerings.
Everyone from Burger King to Starbucks is making use of plant-based meat substitutes from Impossible burgers to Beyond Meat, and more documentaries are released each year detailing the downside of the industrial meat and dairy industries.
See Also: 5 Vegan and Vegetarian Meal Delivery Services to Upgrade Your Veggie Lifestyle
Whether you’re already plant-based and are in search of new recipes, or you're just trying to eat a little less meat and are looking for inspiration, social media is flooded with helpful accounts and foodie influencers that can clear up misconceptions and set you on the right track.
From future doctors who post vegan recipes representing a variety of cultures, to bloggers-turned-cookbook authors who want to keep your life simple and delicious, these vegan influencers to follow have something that will please every palate.
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Formerly known as the Avante Garde Vegan, Gaz Oakley has made it his personal mission to inspire folks around the world to eat plant-based, and he’s doing a great job via recipes for spring quiche, Swedish "meatballs," wild garlic falafel and so much more. Coming to us from Wales, he posts everything from garden updates to seasonal produce hacks, and all his recipes can be found in full on his website.
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About a decade ago, Rachel Ama cut dairy out of her diet, and she says it changed her life—not only because of the benefits she noticed in her health and well-being, but in the way it inspired her to start a home-cooking empire, sharing her bold and flavorful recipes on YouTube, Instagram and in a fun cookbook called One Pot: Three Ways. Born in London with familial roots in St. Lucia, Sierra Leone and Wales, Ama brings worldly flair to her recipes, so if you’re looking for something with deep culture and complex flavors, this is your go-to girl!
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Based in France, this influencer shares vegan recipe content via a weekly newsletter, YouTube and Instagram. Mostly, she spotlights veganized Indian recipes, a culture that has long held space for plant-based cooking. Host Anjali first went vegan in 2016, but she soon stopped because of a lack of cooking skills and nutritional knowledge. After a few years of further education, she returned to veganism with more directions, and she hasn’t looked back since. Now she pursues her Ph.D. in physics, and she shares her knowledge with more than 180,000 followers, spreading the good word about mouthwatering recipes that also hit all your macros.
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Another future doctor on the list, Ahmad Noori is better known to fans and followers as Dr. Vegan. Noori posts recipe videos for all sorts of different flavor profiles and ethnic traditions, from Austrian kaiserschmarrn to Greek gyros, Korean hotteok and more. Everything on this page is made vegan, and he’s garnered more than 900,000 Instagram followers for his efforts. On his page, you'll find different video recipes every week, so you'll never get bored!
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Maya Leinenbach has nearly 3 million followers on Instagram, and has garnered more than 12 million likes on TikTok from her vegan recipe content alone. She posts basic recipes for beginners—a must try being her green goddess dressing—and more advanced recipes including the popular jackfruit rendang. She even released a cookbook with a bunch of her recipes as she continues to grow her platform across different media.
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This vegan influencer became vegan back in 2015 after being raised vegetarian. When she realized her college’s vegan options were lacking, she began to experiment and develop recipes with whole foods and natural ingredients that were also budget-friendly. Her blog From My Bowl was born, and today she boasts more than 440,000 followers on Instagram, a newsletter and a cookbook full of delicious, nutritious and accessible recipes that are also often free of gluten, oil and refined sugars.
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Danielle Brown went plant-based in college and started her blog to help spread the knowledge and recipes she learned over the years. She hopes to inspire others to adopt a healthier, more plant-based diet. Some 3.7 million followers later, she’s developed a brand that stretches beyond recipes into skincare and wellness as well. From a colorful BBQ chopped salad to creamy olive oil ice cream, there’s something on her page for everyone.
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After her video review of a Whole Foods vegan BLT went viral in 2017, Tabitha Brown shot to fame and now enjoys more than 4 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. She has since started a haircare company, is co-owner of a restaurant and continues to host a variety of programs. From delectable recipes to inspirational messages, there’s a reason Brown is referred to by fans as “America’s Mom.”
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Filipino creator Jeeca Uy is taking over the vegan food world. With more than 900,000 followers on Instagram and a cookbook to boot, Uy shares Asian-inspired recipes from her upbringing and her worldly travels one post at a time. Standout recipes include a fan-favorite tofu mixed rice bowl and must-try potato and sweet corn fritters.
Looking for even more plant-based inspiration? Check out our list of drool-worthy YouTube channels run by vegetarian and vegan cooks, and get step-by-step recipes that will make even a carnivore smile.
Photography by: iStock
