Ginny Messina
@theveganrd.bsky.social
Democrat & dietitian. Reader & writer. Devoted to cats, classic rock, wildlife, and gardening with native plants. Fan of beans, greens & Tater Tots. Seeker, believer, Theist. Evidence-based nutrition. Forever vegan for the animals. TheVeganRD.com
What we serve for Thanksgiving dinner is a part of our legacy -- a way for future generations to remember us. What could be better than a legacy of compassion? (The rescued turkeys in this photo are enjoying a cuddle from a volunteer at @woodstocksanctuary.bsky.social )
Creating New Traditions without the Thanksgiving Turkey
Skipping the turkey at Thanksgiving builds a new kind of legacy for families.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 10:18 PM
What we serve for Thanksgiving dinner is a part of our legacy -- a way for future generations to remember us. What could be better than a legacy of compassion? (The rescued turkeys in this photo are enjoying a cuddle from a volunteer at @woodstocksanctuary.bsky.social )
Creating a vegan Thanksgiving is so easy. Here are my tips for a meal that embraces tradition while creating a new kind of legacy -- one of kindness, compassion, and respect.
A Plant-Based Thanksgiving is Easy and Traditional
Give your Thanksgiving a vegetarian makeover with a few simple changes.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Creating a vegan Thanksgiving is so easy. Here are my tips for a meal that embraces tradition while creating a new kind of legacy -- one of kindness, compassion, and respect.
Horseshoe crabs were doing just fine for ~400 million yrs until we humans came along. Threats to these animals from the fishing industry also threaten birds and the ecology of the ocean. The story of the horseshoe crab is a humbling reminder of the far-reaching impact of our choices.
What Horseshoe Crabs Taught Me About Connection and Responsibility
At a legislative hearing, horseshoe crabs stole the show — and reminded me just how interconnected all life really is.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
October 26, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Horseshoe crabs were doing just fine for ~400 million yrs until we humans came along. Threats to these animals from the fishing industry also threaten birds and the ecology of the ocean. The story of the horseshoe crab is a humbling reminder of the far-reaching impact of our choices.
A few things you can do to protect your brain.
🍓Eat berries, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
🍔Ditch red meat, cheese, and pastries.
🫶Choose kindness and compassion.
It's true: plant foods are good for cognitive function. Compassion is linked to improved brain plasticity
🍓Eat berries, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
🍔Ditch red meat, cheese, and pastries.
🫶Choose kindness and compassion.
It's true: plant foods are good for cognitive function. Compassion is linked to improved brain plasticity
Eat Plants and Be Kind to Protect the Health of Your Brain
Trump-induced anxiety is a real and legitimate thing and it’s not good for the health of your brain.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
October 15, 2025 at 9:01 PM
A few things you can do to protect your brain.
🍓Eat berries, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
🍔Ditch red meat, cheese, and pastries.
🫶Choose kindness and compassion.
It's true: plant foods are good for cognitive function. Compassion is linked to improved brain plasticity
🍓Eat berries, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
🍔Ditch red meat, cheese, and pastries.
🫶Choose kindness and compassion.
It's true: plant foods are good for cognitive function. Compassion is linked to improved brain plasticity
A tireless advocate for animals and the planet -- Jane Goodall's life was a gift to us all.
October 1, 2025 at 8:55 PM
A tireless advocate for animals and the planet -- Jane Goodall's life was a gift to us all.
Long before vegan baking was popular, home cooks figured out egg-free cakes out of necessity. Crazy Cake is one of those genius recipes—rich, fudgy, and totally cruelty-free. 🌱🍫 Recipe here in the attached article.
#VeganBaking #FoodHistory #AnimalLiberation
#VeganBaking #FoodHistory #AnimalLiberation
A Cake that Changes Minds and Helps Chickens
Long before test kitchens and vegan blogs, resourceful home cooks figured out how to bake without eggs.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
September 15, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Long before vegan baking was popular, home cooks figured out egg-free cakes out of necessity. Crazy Cake is one of those genius recipes—rich, fudgy, and totally cruelty-free. 🌱🍫 Recipe here in the attached article.
#VeganBaking #FoodHistory #AnimalLiberation
#VeganBaking #FoodHistory #AnimalLiberation
Plant-based meat alternatives are labelled as "ultra-processed." That doesn't mean they are bad for you. The research on these foods is reassuring. I wrote about it here.
Ultra-Processed Plant-based Meat in Healthy Vegan Diets
My dinner last night was an amazing salad with lots of greens and chopped vegetables, almonds, quinoa, chickpeas, and strips of plant-based chicken. Plus a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of...
www.theveganrd.com
August 28, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Plant-based meat alternatives are labelled as "ultra-processed." That doesn't mean they are bad for you. The research on these foods is reassuring. I wrote about it here.
Eleven Madison Park is adding meat back to their currently #vegan menu in order to be more "inclusive." Their rationale doesn't make sense to me. And I think it represents a narrow view of what it means to be welcoming. I wrote about it here:
In the Name of “Inclusivity,” Animals and the Planet Lose Again
Why Retreating to Meat Undermines Ethical Fine Dining
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Eleven Madison Park is adding meat back to their currently #vegan menu in order to be more "inclusive." Their rationale doesn't make sense to me. And I think it represents a narrow view of what it means to be welcoming. I wrote about it here:
Small changes add up to produce real impact. Shifting towards a vegan lifestyle just means looking for better options whenever you can.
August 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Small changes add up to produce real impact. Shifting towards a vegan lifestyle just means looking for better options whenever you can.
When we try to control other creatures for our own purposes, we always do harm. Breeding monarchs for schools, weddings, and “conservation” can spread disease and kill more butterflies than it saves. #PlantNative #Milkweed #butterflies #PollinatorGarden #MonarchButterflies
“Saving” Monarch Butterflies Can End Up Hurting Them
Why farming butterflies is just another way we try—and fail—to control nature.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
August 15, 2025 at 2:26 PM
When we try to control other creatures for our own purposes, we always do harm. Breeding monarchs for schools, weddings, and “conservation” can spread disease and kill more butterflies than it saves. #PlantNative #Milkweed #butterflies #PollinatorGarden #MonarchButterflies
Reposted by Ginny Messina
another hot week... you know the drill:
- fill your bird baths
- ensure pets have a cooled space and access to water
- leave water out in any areas wildlife may be present (don't forget to place a rock or stick in the bowl so smaller creatures don't drown)
pls&ty
- fill your bird baths
- ensure pets have a cooled space and access to water
- leave water out in any areas wildlife may be present (don't forget to place a rock or stick in the bowl so smaller creatures don't drown)
pls&ty
August 12, 2025 at 6:31 PM
another hot week... you know the drill:
- fill your bird baths
- ensure pets have a cooled space and access to water
- leave water out in any areas wildlife may be present (don't forget to place a rock or stick in the bowl so smaller creatures don't drown)
pls&ty
- fill your bird baths
- ensure pets have a cooled space and access to water
- leave water out in any areas wildlife may be present (don't forget to place a rock or stick in the bowl so smaller creatures don't drown)
pls&ty
The next best thing to a vegan restaurant is a restaurant that takes the trouble to offer vegans more than a hummus wrap. This is the Misquamicut Sandwich Company in Westerly, Rhode Island. If you’re in the area, they deserve your business! (I had the Tempeh Lettuce & Tomato and it was excellent.)
August 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
The next best thing to a vegan restaurant is a restaurant that takes the trouble to offer vegans more than a hummus wrap. This is the Misquamicut Sandwich Company in Westerly, Rhode Island. If you’re in the area, they deserve your business! (I had the Tempeh Lettuce & Tomato and it was excellent.)
Switching one sugar for another isn’t a win for public health. It’s a distraction from this admin's failure around policies that actually help people access healthy food. Say no to fear-based nutrition and focus instead on what really matters -- which is eating more plants, less animal food.
Making Food Choices That Matter
Coca-Cola drinkers can now choose beverages sweetened with “natural” cane sugar in place of high-fructose corn syrup.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
August 11, 2025 at 7:48 PM
Switching one sugar for another isn’t a win for public health. It’s a distraction from this admin's failure around policies that actually help people access healthy food. Say no to fear-based nutrition and focus instead on what really matters -- which is eating more plants, less animal food.
Yes, plant-based meats fit in a healthy diet! In our paper in Frontiers in Nutrition we concluded that these foods “have health and environmental advantages over comparable animal-derived foods. For most individuals a daily serving of a PBMA fits well within the context of an overall healthy diet.”
August 7, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Yes, plant-based meats fit in a healthy diet! In our paper in Frontiers in Nutrition we concluded that these foods “have health and environmental advantages over comparable animal-derived foods. For most individuals a daily serving of a PBMA fits well within the context of an overall healthy diet.”
Do you need a vitamin B12 supplement? The answer is yes if you are eating any type of plant-based diet or are over the age of 50. And no, it doesn't mean a vegan diet is “unnatural.” Taking a B12 supplement allows you to choose a diet that supports health and aligns with your values.
Who Needs a Vitamin B12 Supplement? (Chances Are, It’s You)
All the vitamin B12 in the world is made by bacteria.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
July 31, 2025 at 4:57 PM
Do you need a vitamin B12 supplement? The answer is yes if you are eating any type of plant-based diet or are over the age of 50. And no, it doesn't mean a vegan diet is “unnatural.” Taking a B12 supplement allows you to choose a diet that supports health and aligns with your values.
If your garden needs water, so do your wild neighbors. Put out bowls of water for the four-legged animals, birdbaths for the feathered ones, and pebble-filled bowls for the pollinators during the dry days of summer.
July 30, 2025 at 4:48 PM
If your garden needs water, so do your wild neighbors. Put out bowls of water for the four-legged animals, birdbaths for the feathered ones, and pebble-filled bowls for the pollinators during the dry days of summer.
I’m off to picnic at Tanglewood (outdoor music venue) and to see Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris. I made pasta with plant-based chicken & pesto. Bought broccoli salad (made with Vegenaise), chips & guac, chocolate cake, strawberries, whipped coconut topping. And wine. Easy, breezy vegan dinner.
July 29, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I’m off to picnic at Tanglewood (outdoor music venue) and to see Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris. I made pasta with plant-based chicken & pesto. Bought broccoli salad (made with Vegenaise), chips & guac, chocolate cake, strawberries, whipped coconut topping. And wine. Easy, breezy vegan dinner.
We need to advocate for animals w/ integrity. That means not over-hyping the health impact of a vegan diet. Here is what I can promise about veganism: It's more sustainable, reduces contributions to animal cruelty, and ends discomfort around choices that conflict with a commitment to compassion.
July 28, 2025 at 5:35 PM
We need to advocate for animals w/ integrity. That means not over-hyping the health impact of a vegan diet. Here is what I can promise about veganism: It's more sustainable, reduces contributions to animal cruelty, and ends discomfort around choices that conflict with a commitment to compassion.
Animals enrich our lives in so many ways and they make us better people, too. I wrote about how our choices can reflect a deeper sense of respect and fairness towards them.
Beyond Kindness: What We Owe Animals
Years ago, while hiking in Olympic National Park, my husband and I came upon a small group of people standing quietly on a ridgetop, binoculars in hand.
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
July 25, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Animals enrich our lives in so many ways and they make us better people, too. I wrote about how our choices can reflect a deeper sense of respect and fairness towards them.
Lobster rolls are everywhere in New England. But the truth is that boiling lobsters alive is a form of cruelty we’ve normalized.
Here are my thoughts on tradition, sentience, & why we need to give all creatures the benefit of the doubt.
#ConsiderTheLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #Vegan #Seafood
Here are my thoughts on tradition, sentience, & why we need to give all creatures the benefit of the doubt.
#ConsiderTheLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #Vegan #Seafood
Giving Lobsters the Benefit of the Doubt
Last year, in an effort to cut ties with Jeff Bezos, I swapped the Washington Post for the Boston Globe. I miss the Post, but I’ve enjoyed the Globe’s focus on New England, where I love living—and whe...
open.substack.com
July 17, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Lobster rolls are everywhere in New England. But the truth is that boiling lobsters alive is a form of cruelty we’ve normalized.
Here are my thoughts on tradition, sentience, & why we need to give all creatures the benefit of the doubt.
#ConsiderTheLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #Vegan #Seafood
Here are my thoughts on tradition, sentience, & why we need to give all creatures the benefit of the doubt.
#ConsiderTheLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #Vegan #Seafood
I have beautiful basil from the garden which means amazing vegan pesto for the freezer. So easy and healthy. (Recipe is flexible. For 2 cups packed basil I use about 3 tbsp nooch, ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp miso, ¼ cup olive oil.)
July 15, 2025 at 4:05 PM
I have beautiful basil from the garden which means amazing vegan pesto for the freezer. So easy and healthy. (Recipe is flexible. For 2 cups packed basil I use about 3 tbsp nooch, ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp miso, ¼ cup olive oil.)
Just days after the devastating floods in Texas, the Trump admin is hiring climate science deniers. No wonder so many of us suffer from climate-anxiety. But the best antidote is action.
For me, it’s:
• Peaceful protests
• Emails to lawmakers
• Plant-based cooking
• Planting trees
For me, it’s:
• Peaceful protests
• Emails to lawmakers
• Plant-based cooking
• Planting trees
Coping with Climate Anxiety
Just days after the devastating floods in Texas, we learned that the Trump administration’s Energy Department has hired three researchers who question the science of human-caused climate change. That ...
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
July 10, 2025 at 8:33 PM
Just days after the devastating floods in Texas, the Trump admin is hiring climate science deniers. No wonder so many of us suffer from climate-anxiety. But the best antidote is action.
For me, it’s:
• Peaceful protests
• Emails to lawmakers
• Plant-based cooking
• Planting trees
For me, it’s:
• Peaceful protests
• Emails to lawmakers
• Plant-based cooking
• Planting trees
A single food choice may seem too small to matter.
But small shifts—oat milk over cow’s milk or beans over beef—can shift mindsets and challenge speciesism. Compassionate choices aren’t just personal; they’re political.
🌱✊ #Vegan #Speciesism #FoodPolitics
But small shifts—oat milk over cow’s milk or beans over beef—can shift mindsets and challenge speciesism. Compassionate choices aren’t just personal; they’re political.
🌱✊ #Vegan #Speciesism #FoodPolitics
Every Food Choice is An Opportunity to Challenge Oppression
Does it really matter if you choose oat milk over cow’s milk—or skip the beef in your chili and use beans instead?
theresistancekitchen.substack.com
June 26, 2025 at 3:36 PM
A single food choice may seem too small to matter.
But small shifts—oat milk over cow’s milk or beans over beef—can shift mindsets and challenge speciesism. Compassionate choices aren’t just personal; they’re political.
🌱✊ #Vegan #Speciesism #FoodPolitics
But small shifts—oat milk over cow’s milk or beans over beef—can shift mindsets and challenge speciesism. Compassionate choices aren’t just personal; they’re political.
🌱✊ #Vegan #Speciesism #FoodPolitics