She started her YouTube channel and blog, Sweet Potato Soul, in 2010 with her husband and went on a full vegan diet by 2011. For Atlanta-born chef, Jenne Claiborne, it was all about veganizing soul food classics so she wouldn’t have to give up on the food she grew up on. The hardest part about going on a plant-based diet is essentially relearning how to make meals you actually enjoy. Jenne Claiborne – YouTuber and Author of the Sweet Potato Soul Cookbook These chefs prove that you don’t have to give up the food you love - you need to rethink how you make them. In this profile, we spoke with five black women who are shaking things up in the food world by leading the charge to create healthier alternatives to the soulful meals we love. With more and more access to information about its health benefits and a variety of options to purchase healthy (but good) food, African Americans are not only interested in veganism, they are learning how to take classic dishes from their childhood and recreate it with fresh, alternative ingredients. With documentaries like ‘What The Health’ causing more and more people to have conservations about the way they eat, it has especially been a long journey for African Americans, a group that has seemingly been hesitant to embrace veganism based on numerous factors such as cost, cultural mindsets and skepticism on taste.

In fact, according to a recent study, one in four people over the age of 17 years old are vegetarians, with over one million in America practicing and adhering to a strict vegan diet plan (perhaps we can thank Beyoncé for that?). In recent years, there’s been a growing trend of people pursuing healthier meal options - specifically vegan and vegetarian.

Sweet potato soul jenne claiborne