This week, I released something close to my heart: The Plantiful Family Favorites Cookbook.
But before I tell you what’s in it, let me tell you why.
Every time another diet trend comes along—low-fat, low-carb, high-protein—it’s easy to lose sight of something simpler: real food, nurtured just down the road, shared with your friends and neighbors.
That’s what plant-based eating is about for me. It’s not about rules. It’s not about restrictions. It’s not about a number on the scale. It’s about reconnecting — with myself, with the seasons, and with people. It’s about making meals that really matter. So, if you’re wondering, “why plant-based?”
This cookbook is my answer. In it, I share not only recipes, but how to make plant-based eating as easy and as joyful as possible.
The Plantiful Pantry grew into a meal subscription service and then café with a big dream: to prove that healthy, plant-based food could be delicious, not restrictive. But more than that, to offer food that was rooted in connection—to the land, to the seasons, to each other.
In just a few short years, we built a community around those meals—people stopping in for lunch, grabbing weekly meals for their families, or simply finding comfort in a warm bowl of cheesy broccoli soup (paired with The Local Crumb Seeded Sourdough Bread, of course).
When we closed the café, I didn’t expect how many people would keep asking for the recipes. But the more I heard it, the more I realized: this food meant something. The flavors had become part of people’s lives—part of their stories. I wanted them to live on.
So I did what any entrepreneur-turned-author would do. I sent out a survey asking my community to tell me their most-loved dishes—like Mexican street taco bowls, Buffalo glow wrap, wicked dill pickle soup, mac n’ cheez and bruschetta toast. Then I also asked about what would help them eat more plants. And they told me meal plans, cooking tips and classes.
I spent the next three months pulling together 45 of the recipes that made the top of the list, adding not only cooking tips, but the information I would teach in a class.
Inside the cookbook, you’ll also find:
Plantiful secrets and tips on every recipe page. A Protein by Ingredient guide to help you fuel up with confidence. A flexible meal planning system that works even when life doesn’t. Pantry essentials and easy swaps to help you make the most of what you have. Special sections for smoothies, nachos, and our beloved loaded mac ‘n’ cheez. A flavor boosters guide to up your seasoning game. A seasonal produce chart so you can shop seasonally and locally. And a local shopping directory featuring co-ops, farmers markets, and small businesses that made The Plantiful Pantry what it was
It’s a digital download you can start using right away, with links to all of the tools and information right in the table of contents.
This isn’t a rulebook. It’s not a diet. It’s a real-life companion—a celebration of plant-based meals that are flavorful, flexible, and full of heart.
As one community member shared:
“The Plantiful Pantry has shown me different ways veggies can be prepared so they aren’t boring, and I’ve been able to get my picky eaters to actually start enjoying them.”
You can download the ecookbook at www.theplantifulpantry.com
As for me, I’ll be keeping the Plantiful vibes alive in my new role as food service director at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha. I know it wasn’t a coincidence that as soon as I wrapped up the last section of my cookbook, I was led to this new opportunity. In my new role, I get to continue exploring the sacred connection between food, land, and spirit—this time in a retreat kitchen tucked into the woods. But the heart of my work remains the same: creating food that nourishes, comforts, and connects.
I’d love to hear how you connect with the book.
Mariah Andrews is a plant-based innovator, founder of The Plantiful Pantry, cookbook author and food service director at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center. She loves creating simple, nourishing meals inspired by her family and the food grown by local farmers near where she lives in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
