Author: Desty G

7 Powerful Ways to Help Kids Eat More Vegetables (It’s Not Too Late!) Dear Mama, It’s Not Too Late I remember standing in my kitchen one day after school, watching my son push his green beans around his plate with a look of complete defeat. “Do I have to eat this?” he asked, already bracing for my answer. At that moment, I wanted to throw in the towel. I had tried steaming, roasting, dipping, seasoning—all the tricks. And still, it felt like I was fighting a losing battle with a plate of vegetables. Sound familiar? If you’ve ever…

10 Reasons You’ll Love These Loaded Veggie Lentil Nachos (Plant-Based & Protein-Packed) You’re Going To Love These Loaded Veggie Lentil Nachos! Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 20 mins | Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4–6 | Calories: ~375 per serving Course: Appetizer / Main | Cuisine: Tex-Mex The Nachos That Changed Our Plant-Based Game Night Forever We’re a big nacho-loving family over here. Whether it’s movie night, game day, or just a random Tuesday where no one wants to cook a full meal, nachos are our go-to comfort food. But here’s the thing — traditional nachos? Not always…

9 Shocking Health Conditions That Improve on a Plant-Based Diet (Backed by Science!) 9 Shocking Health Conditions That Improve on a Plant-Based Diet (Backed by Science!) If you’ve ever wondered whether changing what’s on your plate could actually change your health, this one’s for you. When I first adopted a plant-based lifestyle, it wasn’t to follow a trend—it was out of desperation, hope, and a need to feel better in my body. What I didn’t expect? Just how powerful plant-based diet benefits would be in ways even my doctors hadn’t explained. Food is medicine, y’all. And in this post, we’re…

Zesty Baked Cauliflower Steaks with Basil: The 1-Veggie Vegan Dinner That Wows Zesty Baked Lemon Garlic Cauliflower Steaks with Basil Cauliflower, But Make It Bold Let’s be honest—cauliflower used to get a bad rap. It was the veggie we pushed to the side of the plate, the bland cousin of broccoli, or the sad little floret lost in a steam bag medley. But not anymore. In today’s plant-based kitchen, cauliflower is a superstar. And these zesty baked cauliflower steaks with basil prove just how bold and beautiful this humble vegetable can be. If you’ve never had cauliflower roasted into a…

Why I Ditched Meat (But Still Love My Culture) Why I Ditched Meat (But Still Love My Culture): A Real Look at Going Plant-Based Without Giving Up Flavor The Smell of My Childhood Was Seasoned and Slow-Simmered Before I ever knew words like “vegan” or “plant-based,” I knew what it meant to come home and smell the aroma of something soulful simmering in the kitchen. Food was a love language in our home. It was how we showed up for each other. How we celebrated, grieved, and gathered. There were recipes passed down through generations, some without measurements—just instincts. A…

Why These Vegan ‘Crab’ Cakes Deserve a Spot on Your Dinner Table Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes Servings: 6 small cakes | Calories: ~120 per cake Course: Appetizer or Main | Cuisine: Vegan, Comfort Food If there’s one thing I always missed after going plant-based, it was crab cakes—especially the crispy golden edges, the flaky texture, and that subtle briny flavor. But then came lion’s mane mushrooms. Y’all, let me tell you—these mushrooms changed the game! Today I’m bringing you one of my favorite plant-based seafood recipes: Lion’s Mane Crab…

Dear Overwhelmed Mama: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Be Plant-Based To the mama trying to do it all: You’re tired. You’ve reheated your coffee three times today. You’re trying to make sure your little ones eat something other than crackers and applesauce while wondering when you last had a real meal yourself. You want to feel better. Maybe you’ve heard about the energy-boosting, inflammation-lowering, mood-stabilizing magic of a plant-based diet. Maybe someone mentioned it helped with their blood sugar, or their skin, or their anxiety. And you’re thinking, “Could this help me too?” But let’s be…

View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Destined Kitchen (@thedestinedkitchen) 7-Minute Latin-Inspired Black Bean Tacos That’ll Blow Your Mind 7-Minute Latin-Inspired Tacos That’ll Blow Your Mind Estimated Time: 25 minutes | Serves: 4 A Flavor-Packed Dinner That Feeds Your Soul There are two types of weeknights: the ones where you’ve got energy to cook something elaborate… and the ones where you stare into the fridge wondering if cereal counts as dinner. This taco night was born from one of those second types. I was standing in the kitchen with a hungry family, a ripe plantain, and a…

$25 Emergency Grocery Budget: 5 Power-Packed Plant-Based Meals When Money’s Tight Struggling to feed your family healthy meals on a super tight budget? Here’s how to stretch $25 into a full week of simple, satisfying, plant-based meals. These recipes are nourishing, affordable, and built for real life. I know what it’s like to stare down a nearly empty fridge, a too-small budget, and hungry kids asking, “What’s for dinner?” There was a season where my grocery trips involved calculators and anxiety. But that’s when I learned this truth: plant-based meals can be a lifeline. Not only are they affordable when…

20-Minute Magic: Budget-Friendly Peanut Butter Noodles That’ll Change Dinner Forever Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 20 minutes | Servings: 4 | Calories per Serving: ~450 Budget-Friendly Peanut Butter Noodles with Vegetables Creamy. Comforting. Customizable. Cheap. This peanut butter noodle dish came to life on one of those wild evenings when I had a half-box of spaghetti, one sad carrot, some cabbage, and a jar of peanut butter. That’s all it took to create a recipe that became a family favorite in The Destined Kitchen. Plant-based Budget-friendly Quick and easy Totally satisfying Perfect for…