Welcome to Diana’s Plant-based Beantown Kitchen!

Hi, I’m Diana. After adopting a plant-based diet more than a decade ago, I was delighted to discover how delicious the cuisine can be.

Eager to broaden my skills,  I enrolled in several plant-based culinary certification programs including with Rouxbe Cooking School.   I went on to study at the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies to earn a Certificate in Plant-based Nutrition. I also attended Main Street Vegan Academy to become certified as a Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator.

In response to repeated requests to share my recipes and teach others how to cook them, I launched Beantown Kitchen in 2013, awarded one of the top Plant Based Food Blogs.

Since then, I’ve led culinary classes, hands-on workshops and food demonstrations for the Sierra Club and the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. I’ve also provided culinary nutrition education in local kitchens, and in medical, university and corporate settings nationwide such as Ebay, Samsung, Unilever, Harvard, MIT, Palo Alto Networks, and Snowflake. 

In each setting, I leverage my background — B.S Nutritional Science from Cornell  and M. Ed from Harvard — to teach others how to prepare delicious, nutritious, plant-based foods to enjoy and share with family and friends.  I always focus on this pillar of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine: Strengthening and maintaining relationships and connections with others that bring meaning and purpose to life.

Inspired by this pillar and The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz,  my hands-on cooking experiences aren’t just about delicious, plant-based food—they’re about building community.

As the authors remind us, “People are more likely to flourish if they are closely connected to others.” 

Corporate and Medical Culinary Nutrition Education

I continue to evolve Beantown Kitchen to bring Culinary Programs to medical practices and companies. My goals are to deliver knowledge, skills and healthy food experiences to their patients and employees.

“Extensive scientific evidence supports the use of a whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) dietary pattern as treatment for diet-related chronic diseases.”  ACLM

Given the prevalence of chronic conditions and an aging population, I’m addressing the growing interest in healthy eating and the Food as Medicine movement, which sees food playing a key role in minimizing risk for disease. 

I incorporate into my program design two key focus areas  of the Academy of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM); nutrition and positive social connections. 

I love applying my culinary nutrition knowledge, and expertise in curriculum design to create programs that offer both delicious  food and lively conversation—because community, like a good meal, nourishes us from the inside out.

Diana’s Plant-based Plants For You Cookbook

I’ve always been fascinated by nutrition—especially the connection between food, science and health. For this reason, I studied Nutrition Science at Cornell University.

A real spark of inspiration came during a senior-year food science lab at Cornell. That’s where we applied the scientific method to explore ingredients—experimenting, observing, and uncovering how food and nutrients behave at a fundamental level.

I loved this class.

My professor, who had been watching my enthusiasm all semester said, “Diana, YOU should write a cookbook.”

After hearing over and over again, “I’d eat this way all the time, if only you’d cook for me”, I decided to take my professors advice.

Decades after she shared the advice, I wrote the multiple award-winning Plants For You. The experience of writing the book brought things full circle—I felt like I was back in the science lab approaching cooking and recipe development like a curious scientist. My nutritional science background really paid off in ways that I never anticipated. Most of all, I’m delighted my cookbook is proving to be a valuable resource for anyone looking to add more plant-based foods to their diet.

My Background & Education

I received a B.S. from Cornell University in Nutritional Science and a M.Ed from Harvard University in Teaching and Curriculum. I have a certificate in Plant Based-Nutrition from Cornell University. Additionally, I am certified as a Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator by Main Street Vegan Academy and a Plant-Based Professional Certification from Rouxbe Cooking School. It is an absolute joy for me to share with you my enthusiasm for plant-based cuisine, nutrition and education.

I am a Plant-based Caterer, member of the President’s Council of the Physicians Committee for Reponsible Medicine, Sierra Club Cooking Show Host, and Plant-based Nutrition Educator based in Boston. My blog, Beantown Kitchen, was awarded one of the top 100 plant-based blogs by Feedspot. I love sharing photographs and recipes on my YouTube Channel and Instagram.

2025 Beantown Kitchen- Reprint only by permission of the author