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
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.
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.
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.)
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.”
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.
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.)
It’s so, so hot and I’m changing my hummingbird feeder daily. As soon as the Agastache, Lobelia, and Monarda bloom (any day now!) I’m going to dispense with the feeders altogether. Native plants are better and safer. #nativeplants for #wildlife
June 23, 2025 at 7:20 PM
It’s so, so hot and I’m changing my hummingbird feeder daily. As soon as the Agastache, Lobelia, and Monarda bloom (any day now!) I’m going to dispense with the feeders altogether. Native plants are better and safer. #nativeplants for #wildlife
As the US government via #MAHA fuels misinformation and embraces pseudoscience, it’s more important than ever to identify reliable nutrition info. Scientific integrity matters especially in our advocacy for veganism and animals. These are my recommendations for #vegan nutrition.
June 2, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Happy St. Gertrude's Day! Gertrude is the saint of all that I love most in the world -- cats and gardens. Why does that other saint get all the attention? #StGertrudesDay
March 17, 2025 at 1:27 PM
Happy St. Gertrude's Day! Gertrude is the saint of all that I love most in the world -- cats and gardens. Why does that other saint get all the attention? #StGertrudesDay
I love vegan cookies, and I love supporting the Girl Scouts.
February 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I love vegan cookies, and I love supporting the Girl Scouts.
The linoleic acid in seed oils lowers cholesterol and is linked to lower risk for chronic disease. And no, it doesn't cause inflammation. We need to push back against misinformation about harmless plant-based choices. Your healthy vegan diet can include seed oils.
www.theveganrd.com/2025/01/seed...
www.theveganrd.com/2025/01/seed...
January 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The linoleic acid in seed oils lowers cholesterol and is linked to lower risk for chronic disease. And no, it doesn't cause inflammation. We need to push back against misinformation about harmless plant-based choices. Your healthy vegan diet can include seed oils.
www.theveganrd.com/2025/01/seed...
www.theveganrd.com/2025/01/seed...
Please help the Pasadena Humane Society with a donation if you can. They are going into burn areas of Los Angeles to rescue injured animals -- strays, pets left behind, wildlife. So many animal victims of the fires are going to need help. give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134#...
January 11, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Please help the Pasadena Humane Society with a donation if you can. They are going into burn areas of Los Angeles to rescue injured animals -- strays, pets left behind, wildlife. So many animal victims of the fires are going to need help. give.pasadenahumane.org/give/654134#...
Our sweet boy Tater Tot spent way too many winters living outdoors by himself. He's still cautious around humans but he loves having a warm place to sleep and seems to enjoy Christmas. #HappyHolidays to everyone who rescues animals. #cats #ChristmasCat
December 24, 2024 at 10:11 PM
Our sweet boy Tater Tot spent way too many winters living outdoors by himself. He's still cautious around humans but he loves having a warm place to sleep and seems to enjoy Christmas. #HappyHolidays to everyone who rescues animals. #cats #ChristmasCat
An article in the NY Times suggests we should learn to love factory farms for their efficiency but that we should ensure animals aren’t “mistreated.” It’s pie in the sky. The efficiency of industrial farming depends on poor treatment of animals, especially pigs and birds.
December 18, 2024 at 10:14 PM
An article in the NY Times suggests we should learn to love factory farms for their efficiency but that we should ensure animals aren’t “mistreated.” It’s pie in the sky. The efficiency of industrial farming depends on poor treatment of animals, especially pigs and birds.
Entertaining is a good opportunity for gentle activism. I introduced the omnivore guests at my holiday party to excellent #vegan cheeses (plus baked Ziti, Tater Tot casserole, mushroom puffs, and Christmas cookies – all of which I was too frazzled to photograph). They seemed to enjoy everything.
December 17, 2024 at 10:44 PM
Entertaining is a good opportunity for gentle activism. I introduced the omnivore guests at my holiday party to excellent #vegan cheeses (plus baked Ziti, Tater Tot casserole, mushroom puffs, and Christmas cookies – all of which I was too frazzled to photograph). They seemed to enjoy everything.
Even if you can’t cook, hate to cook, or don’t have time to cook, you can have #vegan dinner in 10 minutes. Add frozen spinach + chickpeas to a jar of Korma sauce. (I use Taste of Inspirations brand-- don't know if others are vegan.) Serve over precooked rice. It's good! And cheaper than eating out.
December 11, 2024 at 10:27 PM
Even if you can’t cook, hate to cook, or don’t have time to cook, you can have #vegan dinner in 10 minutes. Add frozen spinach + chickpeas to a jar of Korma sauce. (I use Taste of Inspirations brand-- don't know if others are vegan.) Serve over precooked rice. It's good! And cheaper than eating out.
People who aim to disparage veganism like to point out that "not all plant-based foods are healthy." That’s true, but why would it matter? I have full confidence that the average vegan knows that leafy greens are foods to eat often, while potato chips and cookies are treats.
December 6, 2024 at 10:09 PM
People who aim to disparage veganism like to point out that "not all plant-based foods are healthy." That’s true, but why would it matter? I have full confidence that the average vegan knows that leafy greens are foods to eat often, while potato chips and cookies are treats.
My paper on meeting iodine needs in #vegan pregnancy is published in Nutrition Today. Vegans, pregnant or not, need to pay attention to iodine. Seaweed can sometimes be a great source, but the amounts are unreliable and potentially too high. It’s best to opt for supplements or iodized salt.
December 4, 2024 at 4:48 PM
My paper on meeting iodine needs in #vegan pregnancy is published in Nutrition Today. Vegans, pregnant or not, need to pay attention to iodine. Seaweed can sometimes be a great source, but the amounts are unreliable and potentially too high. It’s best to opt for supplements or iodized salt.
When you’re a dietitian who happens to be vegan, people often assume it’s for health. But veganism has nothing to do w/ my needs. And keeping the focus on human needs and preferences hurts animals. I wrote more about this here: www.theveganrd.com/about/defini...
December 2, 2024 at 6:42 PM
When you’re a dietitian who happens to be vegan, people often assume it’s for health. But veganism has nothing to do w/ my needs. And keeping the focus on human needs and preferences hurts animals. I wrote more about this here: www.theveganrd.com/about/defini...
So much gratitude today for my network of vegan friends, online and off. Thank you for living and celebrating with compassion. May you find peace today and the strength to light a candle in the darkness. #Thanksgiving (Photo is from Farm Sanctuary.)
November 28, 2024 at 3:49 PM
So much gratitude today for my network of vegan friends, online and off. Thank you for living and celebrating with compassion. May you find peace today and the strength to light a candle in the darkness. #Thanksgiving (Photo is from Farm Sanctuary.)
Although I did make a pumpkin pie for tomorrow, pie-making is not really one of my talents or preferred activities. Fortunately, Marie Callender's Razzleberry Pie is #vegan and it's also excellent. Just one more example of how easy it is to have a compassionate #Thanksgiving
November 27, 2024 at 9:17 PM
Although I did make a pumpkin pie for tomorrow, pie-making is not really one of my talents or preferred activities. Fortunately, Marie Callender's Razzleberry Pie is #vegan and it's also excellent. Just one more example of how easy it is to have a compassionate #Thanksgiving