RACHEL BREAKEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Cookbook author and vegan chef Charity Morgan knows firsthand what it’s like to commit to a plant-based diet.
She was introduced to veganism in 2017 when her husband, Tennessee Titans linebacker, Derrick Morgan, made the switch to a nutritionist-recommended, plant-based diet to improve his overall performance and wellness.
Inspired by the improvements her husband experienced by making the switch—and having struggled with digestive issues and inflammation of the gut for a long time—she followed suit. “By cutting animal products from your diet, you lower the inflammation in your body,” she says, noting that her husband also saw improved sleep and more definition in his muscle tone.
But along with the benefits, Morgan found that the term “vegan” came with a hint of judgement, so coined the term plegan, which she defines as a transitional space that refers to people that eat grains and animal-free diets, avoiding meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, but who may still use animal byproducts, such as leather. She says it is an inclusive space for people that have a non-animal-based diet, but it’s also a non-exclusionary term for people growing in their awareness and consciousness, making an effort to discover the healthiest and most sustainable diet available.
“Vegans can scare people away,” she says, suggesting an introductory approach to a change in lifestyle. “Instead of going 100 percent vegan, how about a plegan weekend?”
She offers up recipes for new and long- term plegans (and vegans) in her new cookbook, Unbelievably Vegan, available in January. The book is filled with more than 100 recipes that make going plant-based a delicious breeze. Rooted in her Creole and Puerto Rican heritage, Morgan draws from familial larders which burst with bold flavors and unexpected ingredients. Her French onion soup’s star ingredients are red wine with a mushroom bouillon rather than beef broth, and her fish-n-chips trades cod for banana blossoms, a seemingly elusive ingredient that can be found at Nashville’s K&S World Market on Nolensville Road.
Inspired by her husband, the chapters sport football-themed titles like “Kickoffs” (breakfast and brunch), “Playmaking Mains,” “Sideline Sides,” and “Sweet Victories” (desserts). “From banana pudding to carrot cake, I don’t skimp on anything,” Morgan says. And whether she’s cooking for her linebacker husband, her two children (ages 6 and 9), or her clients—including athletes and celebrities—she approaches plegan recipes with heartiness front and center.
“I want to give them something that will sustain them throughout the day,” she says. “The meat is just a middleman. Chickpeas, vegetables, everything has protein in it. When you stop chasing the protein word, you won’t die—I promise you.”
To learn more about the Morgans’ path to pleganism and why they made the switch, watch The Game Changers, an award- winning documentary produced by James Cameron and directed by Oscar-Winner Louie Psihoyos, now streaming on Netflix. Chef Morgan has also signed with a major television network for a 16-part series.
Chef Morgan recognizes that eating a plant-based diet can become particularly tricky when eating out. If you’re on the hunt for some vegan dishes while you’re out and about, check out a few of her go-to Nashville favorites.
TRUE FOOD KITCHEN
3996 Hillsboro Pike, 615-383-7333; truefoodkitchen.com
VUI’S KITCHEN
Multiple locations; vuiskitchen.com
LOVE PEACE & PHO
2112 8th Ave. S., 615-942-0045; lovepeaceandpho.net