Thank you for stopping by! This blog is full of recipes and information on how to eat a plant-based diet that is free of salt, oil and sugar. Recipes focus on the use of whole foods (still in their naturally grown state) except for a handful of minimally processed foods used for convenience (canned beans, frozen produce, non-dairy milks). Recipes are all vegan, meaning they don’t call for any animal foods or ingredients. Where applicable I note substitutions to lower fat and eliminate gluten. Recipes are easy to prepare and call for ingredients that are easy to find. For more information, read on!
Who is this blog for?
This blog is for you if (1) your health has been in the dumps for a while and you’re ready to try a new approach, (2) if you’re a parent who is concerned about raising your family in today’s world of overly engineered and processed foods, or (3) if you’ve been vegetarian or vegan for a while but want to clean up your diet even further.
What kind of vegan chef are you?
I consider myself a whole-foods vegan chef. This means that I do not use many of the packaged and processed foods you may have seen in some vegan cookbooks and restaurants, such as foods that look like meat but are soy- or wheat/gluten-based (like hotdogs, burgers, Tofurkey). I also avoid vegan mayonnaise, vegan cream cheese, and plant-based butters (made from soy and olive oil). These products are often stepping stones for people transitioning from the standard American diet to a vegan diet, but I don’t recommend them long-term since so many of them are highly processed and full of salt, sugar, oil and other unhealthy fats, chemicals, preservatives and/or other ingredients that do not promote health.
Do you have a cookbook?
I am working on a cookbook. To be notified of when the book is out, please subscribe to my mailing list in the upper left-hand corner of this page where it says “Subscribe to Our Newsletter.” I will keep folks on my mailing list updated as it gets closer to completion. If you have any requests or suggestions for the cookbook, feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for your interest and support!
Do you ever eat unhealthy foods?
When I’m cooking for myself, at home or for others, I keep it as healthy as possible. When I go to a restaurant or function where there will be non-healthy food (which is a given), I will do my best to choose and order foods that align with my healthy way of eating (or eat before I go). I actually eat out a lot less than I used to, and I don’t miss it; I much prefer my own food. Once in a while I will eat something that I usually don’t, like a vegan baked good containing oil, flour, sugar and/or salt. But I do it consciously of how it will affect my body and make me feel afterwards. I never eat animal foods, however, because not only are animal foods health-harming to humans, they harm animals, obviously, and I don’t want to be a supporter of animal suffering in any way.
Why do you eat this way?
I and many others eat a whole foods, low-fat, plant-based diet because we have done our homework (boy, have we!) and have learned from our reading as well as our personal experiences that it can provide us with incredibly good health and vitality, and in a way that is delicious, sustainable and utterly enjoyable. If you are just starting out, you may be skeptical, but after a while your taste buds will adapt and you will be thoroughly excited about diving into a baked potato with hummus and steamed vegetables. Trust me!
Dismissing the connections between food and health has led our nation down a dangerous road, resulting in sickness and discomfort for so many. Our food choices took a turn during the 1950’s when food industrialists decided to manipulate whole foods from their natural forms. Corn became corn syrup, wheat became Wheaties, and potatoes became artery-clogging French fries.
We became increasingly sick and overweight as we ate more and more of these new, fast and fabulous foods. The more we ate, the more our bodies yelled at us, in the form of pain and discomfort, and the harder it was for us to pass up these unusually high-calorie, hyper-stimulating foods. When we give the human body its favorite whole foods—those that it has shown to run most effectively on, such as fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and nuts/seeds—and leave out the things that aren’t health-promoting (animal foods, oil, sugar, salt, and other ingredients we often find on a food label), we are rewarded with vibrant physical health.
It’s easy to become deceived about the negative effects of food since we are able to eat most anything without immediate discomfort. But even if you cannot feel the negative effects of your diet right away, your body can, as it struggles to compensate for running on the wrong fuel. Imagine if you poured sand into your washing machine instead of laundry detergent; it would still go through the motions, but your clothes would not get very clean, and at some point the washing machine would plug up and make funny noises. Eventually it would stop working all together. Like the washing machine, your body will begin screaming at you in various ways (we call these “symptoms”), urging you to change something you’re doing that is making it hard for it to function correctly.
Most people wait until the screams get unbearable before they consider making dietary and lifestyle changes. Before this point, they may have tried medication to quell their body’s troubles. But while medication may calm things for a while, it does nothing to address the underlying cause or root of the problem, and most often introduces a whole new set of problems in the form of side-effects. Eating a whole-foods, plant-based diet can be your path to avoiding this misery and discomfort.
Have you ever been overweight?
A common question I get when I’m teaching is, “Have you ever been overweight?” It’s a valid question for a skinny cooking teacher I suppose. I think people are hoping I’ll reply, “Yes, very, and now look at me!” But the unexciting truth is I’ve never been overweight. I attribute this to my dad’s tall and lanky genes; growing up with a mom who rarely allowed junk food; and usually being involved in some physical activity, mainly dancing. I’m 5’7” and went from 135 lbs “pre-healthy, non-vegan” to 120 lbs today. I don’t own a scale, but when I’m at my parents’ house I weigh myself, and my weight rarely fluctuates. I’m surprised, especially since I eat a lot of food. This is where my body wants me to be so it can provide me with optimum health. Everyone’s healthy weight will be different. I did not get into this way of eating for weight-loss reasons, but because I am very sensitive to dairy foods. When I discovered that alternatives existed, my health changed immediately, and as I continued to learn and incorporate healthier eating into my life, the small weight-loss that I experienced was a very natural by-product of these actions.
What motivates you to stick with a healthy diet?
For many people, after exploring the link between food and nutrition, their reading and interest in plant-based eating naturally leads them to the discovery of how animals suffer to become our food, whether they are cows raised for beef or dairy, pigs, chickens, ducks, goats or fish. Most live a very unnatural existence of separation: from their natural diet and environment, from their animal families and communities, and from any possibility of living a happy life free of exploitation. As an animal lover, learning the painful truth about what animals go through to become our food was heartbreaking to me. While I had obviously known that bacon came from pigs and steak from cows, I rarely gave the farm animals, and their lives before they were killed, much thought. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since, and I no longer buy animal foods or products, which is one of the most powerful ways that we can all stand up to animal cruelty. If you would like to learn more about farm animals and how they are raised, I recommend a film called Peaceable Kingdom.
After learning how our food choices could so negatively affect humans and animals, I also discovered how industrialized farming has taken a tremendous toll on our natural environment. Earth’s precious forestlands are being clear-cut on a daily basis to make room for cattle grazing, which is absurd since many more people could be fed and fewer resources used by growing and harvesting plants instead of animals. Additionally, our oceans are in peril due to pollution and over-fishing.
Whether you are led to eating a plant-based diet because of your health, because you love animals, or because you value the environment—or all three—it is important to understand that how we eat affects everything. And like a delicate spider’s web, it is all connected, with the whole at its best when the pieces are in harmony. How we choose to live our lives creates a ripple effect: after touching us, our choices impact those around us, and ultimately shapes our communities and the entire planet.
How did you become a plant-based chef?
In my classes and conversations, I am often asked what led me to eating a plant-based diet. As is the case with many other people, it was my health, specifically my intolerance to dairy foods, which caused me painful stomach aches as a kid and into adulthood. Once I determined that dairy foods were the culprit, I became very interested in the relationship between food and health, which snowballed into a full-blown hobby as I devoured books, DVDs, and websites, and attended lectures and cooking classes. I also took a 10-month-long course on nutrition and eventually got jobs working at two nearby health facilities that advocated a plant-based diet. I am a self-taught chef who has learned through extensive reading, watching other vegan chefs, and most importantly, just jumping in an cooking in my own kitchen. For a more detailed read about my professional path to becoming a plant-based chef, click here.
Where did the name “Straight Up Food” come from?
When I was finishing up my nutrition certification, our final project required us to come up with a fictitious business and I came up with “Straight Up Food” as my business name. To me, it meant presenting food information that was honest, open, clearly stated, and easy to understand, with recipes that were easy to make. Also, it sounded grabby and different. When it came time to choose a domain name for my website, I thoroughly brainstormed names that sounded more professional and mainstream; but I couldn’t come up with anything I liked better than “Straight Up Food.”
What will I receive as a subscriber to your newsletter/mailing list?
I send out a newsletter periodically, sharing my latest recipes and articles, and other news that’s going on with me and StraightUpFood.com. Here is an example of my newsletter.
What do you do when you’re not creating new recipes?
In addition to my blog, I work part-time for two health facilities in Santa Rosa, CA: the McDougall Program (me pictured at right with Dr. John and Mary McDougall), and TrueNorth Health Center, headed by Dr. Alan Goldhamer. I teach plant-based cooking classes and assist during health education events. I also work as a freelance writer and editor. When I’m not working, I am happiest taking photographs, reading and learning new things, cooking, and being outside. I have three cats, Rosie, Miles and Leo, who keep me on my toes, and who also eat a nutritious diet. As a native Californian, I thoroughly enjoy being surrounded by the sun, the trees, the mountains, and the abundance of delicious, organic produce. One of my goals is to be a guest chef on the Ellen Show someday, as she is a big supporter of animals and a plant-based diet, and is such a kind-hearted and compassionate person.
Thank you for reading the blog and for your support! I appreciate it so much, and love hearing from everyone around the world! Thank you!
Cathy Fisher
Thx Cathy, well written
Thanks Sid!
Hi Cathy – I subscribed to the Esselstien eating regime for three years and my health improved dramatically. I just found it very hard to adhere to when traveling for work and socializing….I am anxious to get back to it and regain my health. I have looked at several vegan blogs and your looks to be the best in terms of variety of meals and ease of use.
Welcome Bill, and thank you for the kind feedback on the blog.
Glad to hear you are getting back into it, yay!
Hi Cathy,
What is your opinion regarding organic foods?
Thanks.
Michelle
Hi Michelle, I try to buy the majority of my food organic. Organic may not be perfect, but it’s better than non-organic, and tastes better/more natural. Once in a while I might buy a few things like onions or avocados non-organic; but I think organic tastes better, especially when it comes to things like fruit, lettuce, tomatoes, corn. It’s often more expensive but I make it a priority in my budget. If you can’t find organic or feel that you can’t afford it, a non-organic, whole foods diet is still much better than a diet of mostly packaged and processed foods. Check out this list of the things best to buy organic: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
Hi, I think your recipes are wonderful. And your web site is so “clean” and easy to follow. I print out your recipes a lot, to make them at home. Do you have your own cookbook? How do you make a living? Thank you for your good work and wonderful ideas. -Leora
Hi Leora, thank you so much for your comment.
I am working on a cookbook and if you are on my mailing list you will be notified when it comes out. To make a living, I teach cooking classes at TrueNorth and at the McDougall Program, do private cooking and consulting, as well as freelance writing. Thanks again! 
Thank you for this very generous website! My 17 year old daughter recently went vegan and has been vegucating me. We love your recipes! As a physician, I am convinced this is the healthiest way to eat for ourselves and the planet. Best of luck with all your endeavors!
Hi Veronika, thank you so much!
“Vegucating,” I love it. Kudos to you both!
So excited I found you.
Welcome Barb!
After watching Forks ove Knives, something clicked, and so started my path to being a plant based junkie. I clicked on a recipe posted on Engine 2 on facebook and just went through your web site and all the delicious recipies that I cannot wait to try! I think the food industry deceives and brainwashes people so well into thinking that there are “healthy meats and healthy oils”.I once thought that myself and I am a nurse and a health counselor! The truth must be sought after if one is to find it. My blood pressure is slowly coming down and that excites me! Can’t wait to tell my doctor that I won’t be needing those meds anymore!
Hi Tina, oh, I love to hear that!
Yay for you! And I love E2 for sharing my recipes. That’s great news about your BP! Continued success to you along your new healthy path!
Hi Cathy,
I was so happy to find you, I love your recipes! Then I realized you live in Santa Rosa, I do too, so amazing! Where do you teach your classes? I would love to have a chance to take one.
Betty
Hi Betty, I teach at the McDougall Program and at TrueNorth health. Email me and I can give you more info if you like.
I love your recipes – great food for humans. I notice you have three cats that also eat healthy food. I have a 9 year old rescue cat that will only eat Fancy Feast “grilled” fish. Any suggests on how to help my cat enjoy a healthier diet. Thanks, Katharine
Hi Katherine, I will email you, but yes, there are many suggestions.
Hi Cathy,
I stumbled on your blog. Your cooking criteria matches mine almost exactly. The meals you eat resemble mine. I have bookmarked you blog and will try out a few of your recipes – they look delicious.
Cheers,
Peter
Welcome Peter!
My husband and I have just begun eating a plant based diet. In just a week I have already dropped 8 pounds (I do need to lose) and he has lost weight also. We have totally redone our kitchen cabinets and fridge. We have made our kitchen a “safe zone”. We were away for the weekend and found something no matter where we went to eat. It may not have been “perfect” vegan foods, but we managed. I lost almost 4 pounds while away, so I’d say we did pretty well. I started looking at your recipes and am definitely going to try them. The reason we are doing this is we are both over 50, I am overweight and there are high incidences of cancer in both our families. Also we have been doing much research about different choices. I did talk to my doctor and he is very supportive of this change.
Hi, what a great story! Yay! A safe zone is such a good idea. Congratulations, and that’s so nice that your doctor is onboard too.
How have I not found your blog before?!?!?! I’m just up the road in Sacramento. Excited to explore here!
Yay, welcome Kathryn!
Hi Cathy,
I would love to attend one of your classes. I am a vegan also need to avoid Gluten , lemon and tomatoes,
I am finding ways to make my cooking a little flavorful. Your recipes are mostly gluten free too . thank you so much.
Cheers
Shakila
Hi Shakila, hopefully one day I will have online classes too. Welcome!
Hi there – it’s so great that you share all of your expertise and time like you do. I’m 8 weeks into my new lifestyle and going strong, and I’m so excited to find such a high-quality site with recipes that I can use without modification! Your progression from starting out because of health/diet, then learning more about animal treatment etc. is very similar to my own experience, and I agree with what you write. Thanks again, perhaps a trip from frozen MN to one of your classes will be in order someday!
Welcome Patrick!
Thanks for your comments. Perhaps if you’re in Santa Rosa, sure!
I’ve found no-oil vegan blogs but have had a hard time finding no-refined-sugar blogs and recipes. I’m really looking forward to following you and creating your dishes!
Hi Heidi, welcome!
Hi Cathy,
“Forks over Knives” facebook post mentioned your website a few days ago. I love all your recipe ideas and can’t wait to try them. It is always nice to find new vegan recipes. The one thing I cannot give up is margerine on my toast. Do you have an alternative you can recommend? Or the least harmful margerine I can get at the grocery store? I tried smart balance with flax oil but it did not taste well.
Great job on your website!
Rami
Thanks Rami, and welcome!
I can’t think of anything that would be like margerine that wouldn’t be oily. Some people use roasted garlic with white beans (blended) for use with savory dishes. I used to be a toast lover too; eventually I just used jam w/o margerine, and got used to that. My feeling is that if you give yourself enough time without it, you will get used to it; your taste buds will adapt. Not everything is substitutable in a healthy way, so I’ve just let some things go, like anything cheese like (even vegan, full of fat/oil and salt), and vegan ice-cream (got too much sugar and oil and other junk in it).
Hi Cathy, I am thrilled to have found your blog! Your recipes are so flavor-filled and many are kid-friendly (we had your mashed potatoes tonight with the broccoli sauce and my vegan variation of sloppy joe’s). My husband and I have been on a health journey since breast cancer in 2007. We have tried several “types” of plant-based eating…who knew there are so many ways to enjoy plants?! I help other moms improve their family’s diets by learning delicious new ways to incorporate more fruits and vegetables. It’s a challenge to find plant-based chefs who don’t use sugar and other processed, refined products. I will absolutely be sending these moms your way! Keep up the good work!
Welcome Kelli!
Thank you Cathy, for your wonderful site. My Fiance and I are converting to a vegan diet and you are just what we are looking for.
Hi Cathy! I just discovered your easy website thru Esselstyn and I love it! Over a week, I followed your easy recipes and my border line blood pressure is down and I’m feeling much better. Also, I modified some of your recipes with your notes, what a difference on some of the dishes I made. I’m a big fan!
I’m telling all my relatives, friends, and co-workers about it! Thank you!
Hi Gary, thank you for your comment — That is great news! It brought a smile to my face
Thank you for the kudos and sharing the blog with the people in your life. Congrautulations and continued success! Keep in touch! 
-Cathy
Hi Cathy, I can’t tell you how happy I am to have found you. All the information on the internet about healthy eating can be overwhelming. I’m 66 years old and not In good health. My goal is to get to a place where I can say, “I am 67 -68 years young” !
Thank you for this wonderful site. I plan on soaking it all in and in that process transform my life. I am so excited, thank you, thank you thank you. Dianne 
Hi Dianne, welcome and thank you! Soak it in, and don’t look back.
Hi Cathy! This is such a wonderful site, I discovered it by googling ‘cooking without oil’! I was a vegi for a decade and am taking my health to the next level. Thanks to sites like this it is easy; thank you! I am very excited to try the tu-no salad wraps this weekend.
Welcome! Thank you!
Inspiring life story! Thank you for sharing to the world
Hi Cathy
Your blog is great. I’m quite new to this way of eating and look forward to your cook book. It would be wonderful if you could include some daily menus. I’m always a bit stuck by breakfast- it’s wither a smoothie or porridge- is there anything else (I used to be a big fan of boiled eggs and toast…)
PS already get your blog via email so have left out the notifications)
Thanks Carolyn! Yes, I will be sure to inlcude some sample menus. I usually do the same thing for b-fast everyday, just a bowl of fruit followed by a hot grain (quinoa, oats, brown rice, buckwheat, etc.) with non-dairy milk and some cinnamon and walnuts on top.
Cathy, Thank you for this wonderful site and all your recipe’s that you have given freely. I have had close calls with three types of cancer and my husband has had high blood pressure, high cholesterol and high sugar. Since eating plant based now for a year, thanks to the Forks Over Knives and the Engine 2 family and YOU, I have had no more brushes with cancer and my husband is off all his medication. You are a breath of fresh air. Can’t wait for your book! Making your potato and macaroni salads this weekend. Cheers!
Heidi, thank you so much for the comments! I’m so happy for your great progress! Woo hoo!!
So glad to discover your site. Just a note on sautéing without oil. I came across this website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Sv1wXU_gLo
Here the chef recommends using a dry skillet and only to splash on water as needed. Dryer veggies such as broccoli, are added later. What do you think?
Hi Paul, I have heard of this method and talk about it sometimes in my classes as an option to get more flavor from onions. I usually just add 1 or 2 T of water with the onions so I don’t have to stand there and stir it so much, but either way works fine, with slightly different results. Thanks for the comment and link!
Hi Cathy,
I have been following your blog for a while now and just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate and enjoy it. The recipes I’ve tried are fantastic and easy to follow. I became a vegetarian almost four years ago and have gradually moved toward a vegan lifestyle – the exception being eggs which I get from my three hens. As important as it is to me to avoid meat products, I also try to avoid processed/packaged foods and any type of added sugar. That’s why I love your recipes. I appreciate the fact that you use ingredients I already have in my kitchen and don’t add agave nectar, stevia or any other so-called “healthy” sweetener. My friends and family think I’m crazy, but my health has improved as my diet has evolved. They absolutely do not understand how I can eat mostly whole fruits and vegetables. I, on the other hand, don’t understand how they can go an entire day without consuming a single fruit or vegetable. I am very grateful for the resources I have found on the Internet. Yours is, by far, my favorite site and I look forward to every newsletter and new recipe. Thank you so much!
I too am thrilled to find your site! I am just starting on a plant-based diet, and I think your “straight-up” approach will be very helpful. I have a lot of weight to lose, and I want to spend the time it will take to learn how to eat in a healthy manner. Thank you for all this!
Thanks Kathryn.