Vegan Hacks

There was a lot of panic when news broke about a tofu recall. But once you look past the headlines, there’s a much more interesting story.
In this episode, we get into the Hodo Foods recall, what actually happened, and how one small, independent tofu company grew from a farmers market operation into a major national brand. But the bigger question is what happens when an independent vegan-friendly company gets taken over by larger corporate interests.
We also talk about the future of flavored tofu, why most of it still isn't flavorful enough, the strange world of food recalls, and why tofu might be one of the most underrated proteins on the planet.
And then… I go on a rant.
Should vegan creators treat their platforms as a safe space for vegan food, or is it okay to constantly show off the meat and dairy versions alongside their vegan alternatives? Are some creators doing it for authenticity or just for views?
Plus: corporate takeovers of vegan brands, supporting independent vegan businesses with your wallet, and why maybe we should all just make more of our own food.
Stay safe out there. And watch your tofu.
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Beyond Meat was once one of the biggest names in the plant-based movement—but is the company now moving away from the very vegan customers who helped build the brand?
In this episode, I dive into Beyond Meat’s new collaboration with Milk Bar, where Beyond products are being used alongside real eggs and dairy cheese. Is this a smart attempt to reach the massive flexitarian market, or does it undermine the ethical and environmental identity Beyond Meat built its brand around?
I also talk about Beyond’s struggles as a publicly traded company, the shrinking shelf space for vegan products, and why I think vegans need to be careful about putting too much faith in giant corporations.
Then we get into a major recall involving nearly 30,000 pounds of imported Argentine beef—and why stories like this make me ask a simple question: why are we so dependent on animal products in the first place?
I also share my approach to making my own vegan “meat,” including simple ground-beef alternatives made from tofu and walnuts.
Are companies like Beyond Meat allies of the vegan movement or are they simply businesses trying to survive?
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This week, I’m digging into some fascinating and occasionally infuriating vegan conversations happening online.
First up: Miyoko Creamery. Miyoko Schinner reviews the current Myoko-branded cream cheese and explains why she has nothing to do with the product bearing her name. We get into what happened to the company she founded, how the brand changed, and what it means when a vegan brand becomes disconnected from the person and mission that built it.
Then we jump into the increasingly strange world of vegan as a political insult, where politicians are apparently using the word as a culture-war weapon. Why has something as simple as not eating animals become wrapped up in masculinity, politics and identity?
And finally, we get into vegan content creators and the engagement trap. Is “vegan except for ice cream” a useful gateway to eating more plant-based or does it water down the vegan message? And what happens when vegan influencers keep posting old non-vegan food content after they supposedly make the transition?
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Beyond Meat was once the biggest name in plant-based meat. Its stock once traded for nearly $240 a share. Now it’s trading around 41 cents, and the company is taking the dramatic step of a 1-for-30 reverse stock split to avoid being delisted from Nasdaq.  
So what happened?
In this episode, I take a look at Beyond Meat’s financial problems, its attempt to reinvent itself as a broader protein company, and what the company’s current situation says about the plant-based meat industry.
But this isn't just about Beyond.
We also talk about the bigger question: Do vegans really need companies like Beyond Meat to succeed? I love convenience, but when plant-based products become expensive, heavily processed, and increasingly disconnected from what consumers actually want, maybe it's time to rethink the model.
We get into homemade vegan meat, black bean burgers, protein alternatives, the economics of convenience, and whether Beyond Meat can actually find a way back.
Is Beyond Meat the victim of a changing market—or did the company simply lose its way?
And perhaps the bigger question:
What does the future of plant-based meat actually look like?
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My seitan (aka "homemade meat") video just crossed 2.7 million views on TikTok and gained me over 25,000 new followers but it also brought in over 5,000 comments, and a solid 60-70% of them were... not kind.
In this episode, I'm reading through some of the funniest, most confused, most surprisingly thoughtful, and most unhinged comments I got — from people convinced I invented bread, to a self-proclaimed chemistry professor explaining gluten formation, to meat-eaters defending seitan harder than some vegans. I talk about why seitan (a 1500+ year-old Buddhist monk creation) is having a viral moment again, the flour-wash method vs. vital wheat gluten debate, and what it's like watching your food go in front of an audience that has zero context for what they're looking at.
Also: why I think the haters might actually be part of the movement.
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