Hi, I'm Toni Okamoto
I'm a cookbook author, recipe developer, and the creator of Food Sharing Vegan, where I share vegan recipes made for gathering around the table with the people you love, whether they're vegan or not. If you're looking for flavorful vegan food that everyone will reach for seconds of, even the meat eaters, you're in the right place.
I've been cooking plant-based since 2007, and I've written four vegan cookbooks along the way. I started Food Sharing Vegan in 2022 to share the crowd-pleasing recipes I make for my own friends and family.
Why I Started Food Sharing Vegan
I grew up in a Mexican and Japanese family where food is an expression of love. My family taught me that cooking a meal for someone is one of the most powerful ways to say "I love you."
I was also raised in a meat-centric household that gathered over pork carnitas and sashimi. When I went vegan, sharing meals with my family changed. Instead of simply inviting everyone over for dinner, I found myself trying to convince them that vegan food could taste good.
A lot of people expect vegan food to be bland or unsatisfying, but that couldn't be farther from the truth. With the right ingredients and a little know-how, vegan food is flavorful, hearty, and fun to eat. Sometimes it's so good that nobody even notices it's vegan.
Vegan Food Made for Sharing
My husband and I sit down to a home-cooked vegan meal together every day, but what we love most is hosting. Most of our friends, family, and neighbors aren't vegan, and yet when they come over for dinner, they've learned to bring a container for leftovers. Many of them have told us they could eat vegan too if they ate the way they do at our house.
I'm not here to tell anyone what they can and can't eat. I just want to share a meal with the people I love and watch everyone go back for seconds. That's why I created Food Sharing Vegan, so families and friends can gather around a great meal no matter what everyone at the table usually eats.
What You'll Find Here
- Make-ahead vegan breakfasts for busy mornings and slow weekends
- Vegan lunches worth stepping away from your desk for
- Hearty vegan dinners and side dishes for weeknights or a crowd
- Holiday menus for Thanksgiving and Christmas
- Vegan desserts and baked goods that win over any sweet tooth
- Quick recipes for your air fryer, Instant Pot, and Ninja Creami
Every recipe is free from meat, eggs, and dairy. Most are built on vegetables, beans, grains, and fruit, and I also love using the good vegan butter, cheese, and meat alternatives you can find at the grocery store today. You can browse all of my vegan recipes to get started.
A Few Reader Favorites
- Vegan Chorizo Tacos with a kick of heat from chipotle peppers
- Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes, a must for Sunday dinners and Thanksgiving
- Vegan Avocado Toast with six savory and sweet topping ideas
- Air Fryer Pizza Rolls for parties and game day
- Dairy-free Vegan Coffee Nice Cream and Pineapple Strawberry Nice Cream
How I Create My Recipes
I develop every recipe on Food Sharing Vegan myself, in my own kitchen, and I make each one until it's something I'd proudly serve to guests. Many of them get their final test at our dinner table with friends and family who aren't vegan, because if they ask for seconds, I know it's ready to share with you. When I suggest an ingredient swap I haven't tried myself, I'll always tell you.
The photos on my recipes show the real dishes, cooked and photographed for this site. I never use AI-generated images to show what a finished recipe looks like.
The cooking, tasting, recipe decisions, and personal stories here will always come from me. I sometimes use AI tools for behind-the-scenes work, like finding the questions readers are searching for, proofreading, updating older posts, and linking related recipes together, and I read and approve everything before it goes live.
More About Me
Before Food Sharing Vegan, I started Plant-Based on a Budget in 2012 to make vegan cooking affordable and approachable, and it's grown into a community of millions.
I've written four cookbooks, including Plant-Based on a Budget and Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy. Plant-Based on a Budget was named VegNews Cookbook of the Year and was a Goodreads Choice Awards finalist, and Quick & Easy made the Publishers Weekly bestseller list.
My work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, CBS News, and NBC News, and in the documentary What the Health. I also co-hosted the Plant-Powered People Podcast with Michelle Cehn, and you may have seen me cooking on morning television shows across the country.
Let's Stay Connected
I'm so glad you're here! Sign up for my emails to get new recipes every week, and follow along on Instagram. I love hearing how the recipes turn out in your kitchen, so leave a comment on any recipe you make, or get in touch.
I hope these recipes bring happy moments to you and your loved ones around the table. Thank you so much for being here!