The Whole Food Vegan Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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In this rich and heartfelt episode of The Whole Food Vegan Podcast, we sit down with Ed and Jane Harris, better known as The Chef & The Wig Maker. Their story weaves together food, family, culture, and transformation, showing how what we eat can shape how we live.

Ed’s love of food began on the beaches of St. Lucia, where his family owned restaurants and meals were rooted in fresh ingredients and tradition. That early influence carried him to New York, where he trained as a classical chef and traveled widely, gathering flavors and techniques from around the world. Jane, raised in Nigeria and educated in London, met Ed in New York, and their shared passion for food became the foundation of both a marriage and a creative partnership.

Their shift to veganism started at home, sparked by watching What the Health with their children. The most powerful moment came from their youngest son, who at just two years old said he didn’t want to eat animals anymore. That simple, heartfelt clarity stopped them in their tracks. The family chose to go vegan together, a decision that reshaped their kitchen and their lives.

Like many families, they faced the challenge of replacing familiar comfort foods. Instead of perfection, they focused on practicality. Meal prep paired with quick staples like hummus and pita, lifted by bold spice blends and fresh toppings such as olives and radish. Food stayed comforting, but it also became more intentional.

For Ed, spices are the soul of vegan cooking. They bring depth, warmth, and satisfaction, especially when recreating flavors people associate with meat-based dishes. His advice is approachable. Start with familiar spices like garlic powder, cumin, and coriander, then learn the flavor foundations of different cultures. Once you understand the base notes, creativity flows naturally.

One standout example was Ed’s reimagined breakfast sandwich. What once relied on eggs and bacon now features marinated, baked tofu or lion’s mane mushrooms for that familiar, hearty texture. For eggs, he makes his own mung bean version inspired by Just Egg, proving plant-based cooking can be both wholesome and inventive without heavy processing.

Beyond taste, Ed and Jane see food as a tool for healing. Jane shared how going vegan sharpened her awareness of ingredients, labels, and even household products. That mindfulness helped her reconnect with her body, health, and confidence. Ed echoed this, describing how eating whole plant foods gave him a clearer physical intuition. When something doesn’t serve his body, he feels it immediately, like a quiet alarm guiding him back to balance.

Their passion for sharing knowledge led to three cookbooks: Vegan-ish, a gentle introduction to plant-based eating; Vegan Breakfasts, a creative take on morning meals; and Vegan Nigerian, a powerful statement that even traditionally meat-heavy cuisines can be plant-based without losing their soul.

Today, Ed consults with restaurants and food entrepreneurs, while Jane continues her successful wig business. Together, through The Chef & The Wig Maker, they help others grow in food, wellness, and business.

What stands out most

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🌱 Exploring the Southwest Vegan Festival: Inspiration, Delicious Eats, and New Adventures! 🌱

🎉 We had an amazing day at the Southwest Vegan Festival in Southampton, sharing our passion for tasty, nutritious, and easy-to-prepare vegan food. Here’s a glimpse of our experience:

🍽️ Talking Vegan Essentials: We had the chance to chat with new vegans and those just starting their plant-based journey. Our focus? Sharing practical tips on how to eat well without breaking the bank, and where to find inspiration for delicious vegan meals. It was all about food, food, food!

🧁 Sweet Discoveries: We stumbled upon some incredible vegan treats, including Battenberg cake (yes, it's back on the menu!) and plant-based custard tarts made with coconut milk. Who knew marzipan is often accidentally vegan? Time to make that Battenberg at home!

🍌 Plantain Love: Tried plantain for the first time—think of it as a sweet, crispy cousin of the sweet potato. Whether fried or baked, it's a new ingredient we're excited to experiment with. Stay tuned, we might just dedicate an entire episode to this versatile gem!

🌍 Diverse Flavours: We explored flavours from around the world, from Jamaican jerk soya wraps to Mediterranean gluten-free pastries. It was a reminder that vegan food is as diverse and exciting as it gets!

📚 Learning the Science: We met a chef who opened our eyes to the science behind vegan cooking. Creating flavour and texture from scratch is a whole different ball game, and we’re excited to dive deeper into this topic.

This festival was a treasure trove of ideas, inspiration, and of course, delicious food. Whether you’re a new vegan or a long-time plant-based foodie, events like this are a fantastic way to connect, learn, and enjoy all the amazing flavors our lifestyle has to offer.

Check out our latest podcast episode where we dive into these experiences, and don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review!

#VeganFestival #WholeFoodVegan #PlantBasedLiving #VeganInspiration #NoCrapNoAgenda #SouthamptonVegan #HealthyEating

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Welcome to The Whole Food Vegan Podcast, where we're all about celebrating the simple joys of vegan living. No frills, no fuss—just good vibes and great food! Join us, Mark and Sue, as we relive our unforgettable vegan barbecue experience in our latest episode.

We're not your typical cooking show; we're just passionate about sharing our love for whole food plant-based cuisine. Our BBQ shindig was a testament to this ethos, where friends and family gathered to enjoy a spread of delectable vegan delights.

Picture this: sizzling vegan sausages and meatless burgers, homemade seitan patties with melty vegan cheese, and jackfruit pulled in a smoky BBQ sauce. Our guests were blown away by the flavours, and we couldn't help but showcase the magic of vegan alternatives, even on the cheeseboard!

The salads were a vibrant mix of colours and tastes—couscous salads bursting with freshness and watermelon-feta-olive salads that were a revelation. And who could forget the sweet treats? An apple pie that disappeared in seconds and vegan flapjacks that were kid-approved.

We kept the party alive with music and dancing, proving that vegan BBQs are all about good times, great food, and even better company.

So, join us on The Whole Food Vegan Podcast, where we're all about keeping vegan cooking simple, delicious, and downright fun. Stay tuned for more stories, recipes, and tips to embrace the world of plant-based living!

#WholeFoodVeganPodcast #VeganBBQ #PlantBasedParty #SimpleVeganCooking #GoodTimes #VeganLife 🌱🍔🎶

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In this episode we interview Anthony Masiello who successfully used a whole food plant based diet to assist with losing over 11st.

One of the most inspiring parts of Anthony’s story is how it took a life-altering event such as being turned down for a life insurance policy while still in his 30’s for him to understand he needed to make a 180 degree shift in his life. Almost overnight he went from a 17-year career in the pharmaceutical industry to realizing there had to be a better way to live for him and his family. During his time eating meat and dairy he became morbidly obese, was medicated for high blood pressure, and suffering from psoriasis, eczema, migraine headaches, and sleep apnea. With his transition to a whole food plant-based diet and healthy lifestyle, Anthony lost 160 lbs. and reversed all these conditions. Basically, Anthony was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

His commitment to a whole food plant based diet and lifestyle allowed him to basically become an entirely different person. He has maintained that weight loss, optimal health, and an incredible quality of life for more than 16 years and counting. Anthony shares with us the impetus for his lifestyle change, the challenges and the opportunities and goes into detail about the positive health effects eating a WFPB diet and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has made. He is on a mission to dramatically shift the healthcare focus from pill-based management to the prevention and reversal of chronic disease by enabling millions of people to implement lifestyle changes that will truly improve the quality of their lives. Read more about him here https://love.life/telehealth/

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In this episode we talk about:

• Ingredient substitutes
• Meat alternatives
• Additives

We look specifically at how you can replace and veganise:

• Eggs
• Pasta (fresh)
• Cheese
• Cream
• White/Cheese Sauce
• Honey
• Pastry
• Beef/Lamb
• Chicken
• Fish
• Bacon

We then talk about a vegan recipe for Lasagne.

Finally, we mention a whole range of ‘E’ numbers which you might want to avoid as a vegan.

Here’s the vegan/gluten free cake we mentioned, go look up the recipe

We also mentioned a Lebanese flat bread that we had from Vivo Lounge, it’s in their main menu range.

Veganising a non-vegan recipe is a great way to adapt your favourite dishes to be plant-based. Here are some more tips to help you “veganise” a non-vegan recipe:

1. Substitute animal-based ingredients: Replace ingredients like meat, dairy, and eggs with plant-based alternatives. For example, use tofu, tempeh, or seitan in place of meat, plant-based milk (such as almond, soy, or oat milk) instead of dairy milk, and flaxseed or applesauce instead of eggs.
2. Explore dairy alternatives: Use plant-based alternatives like coconut milk, cashew cheese, or nutritional yeast to replace dairy products in recipes. These alternatives can provide similar tastes and textures.
3. Opt for plant-based fats: Replace butter with plant-based oils such as olive oil, coconut oil, or vegan margarine.
4. Experiment with spices and herbs: Enhance the flavours of your dishes with a variety of spices and herbs. Get creative and try different combinations to suit your taste preferences.
5. Boost the protein content: Include protein-rich ingredients like legumes (such as chickpeas or lentils), quinoa, tofu, or tempeh to make your veganised recipe more satisfying and nutritious.
6. Pay attention to texture: Consider the texture of the original non-vegan recipe and choose appropriate substitutes. For example, mashed bananas can replace eggs in some dessert recipes to maintain moisture and binding.
7. Adapt cooking methods: Adjust cooking times and temperatures as needed when using plant-based ingredients. Some vegan ingredients may require less time or different cooking techniques.

Remember, it may take some trial and error to perfect your veganised version of a non-vegan recipe. Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with it! Happy vegan cooking!

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On to the show… we start this show by introducing a wonderful book called the “One Pot Vegan” by Roxy Pope and Ben Pook, we made a wonderful single dish fish and chips, truly easy and tasty.

• There are so many places you can get your vegan inspiration from, and in this episode we talk about a whole range of ideas including:
• Books (please see our booklist at the end of this post close brackets
• Magazines
• Online recipes including Podcasts, blogs, YouTube and BBC Good Food guide
• Newspaper cuttings
• The waitress magazine
• Vegetable suppliers
• Veganising non vegan recipes
• Shows and exhibitions
• Restaurants
• Lunch and supper club
• Meal order kits
• Supermarkets
• Travel

Remember, creativity thrives when you’re open to experimentation, so don’t be afraid to think outside the box, play with flavours, and have fun in the kitchen!

Recommended Books for Vegans

• One Pot Vegan
• Jack Fruit and Blue Ginger
• Vegan 100: Over 100 incredible recipes
• Vegan Comfort Classics: 101 Recipes to Feed Your Face
• Asian Green: Everyday plant-based recipes inspired by the East
• BOSH!: Simple recipes.

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Watch out for series 3 podcasts coming every 2 weeks:

• Dec 9th - Where to get vegan inspiration for meals & Christmas
• Dec 23rd - How to veganise non vegan recipes
• Jan 6th - Going from morbidly obese to healthy weight - an interview with Anthony Masiello
• Jan 20th - BBQa
• Feb 2nd - Eating and cooking vegan food in Japan
• Feb 17th  - Eating and cooking vegan food in Australia

Be sure to subscribe to catch all episodes as they go live.

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In this episode we talk about cost cutting ideas and eating in tune with the seasons.

We mention simple vegan recipes for:

• Kale and Potato cakes
• Barley and Lentil Bake

We then talk about a few ways to avoid processed food, like "cheese" and "ham" alternatives and burgers, we give you some low cost alternatives.

Keeping a well stocked larder is also key and we give some tips on what low cost items to keep in stock, including joining bulk food buying groups like Suma Wholesale.

Meal planning is also a great way to keep costs down and we talk about how you can do this, including repurposing left overs.

We then talk about the clear advantages of eating a seasonal diet with all the nutrients you need for any season.

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In this episode we interview a women's health and fitness coach, Clarissa Gannin from Vegan Fit for Life. We take an interesting tour of Vegan nutrition for both the 'regular' person as well as athletes and discuss some of the common problems Clarissa comes across as a nutrition coach, what do you think some of those mistakes might be?

Please visit our website to comment directly on the post.

We discuss women's health and some of the things women can do to make sure they eat a balanced and healthy diet.

Before the interview we also talk a little about a wonderful Indian takeaway we had and share with you a wonderful fluffy pancake recipe.

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In this episode we are going to be looking at eating a healthier whole food vegan diet. Really useful for people that have given a vegan diet a go for a while and want to make it healthier. And also useful if you are thinking about trying some vegan meals in the week, or perhaps going vegan completely for January during Veganuary 2023.

We're going to give some examples of how to make standard dishes healthier, plus we look at what to eat and what to avoid. We're not here to tell you what to do, we're just giving our experience and advice from our history and experience. Enjoy.

Please visit https://govegan.online/series-2/how-to-eat-a-healthier-vegan-diet/ for full show notes and recipes, or check out out YouTube channel to watch us recording the show. 

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