Ashley Tisdale sings the praises of plant-based eating with Sweet Earth, interview

As many people remember, Ashley Tisdale was a favorite star in iconic childhood television shows. Disney Channel favorites, like The Suite Life of Zack and Cody to High School Musical, filled the day with smiles. Over the years, Tisdale took the stage with a successful musical career. More recently, she co-founded Frenshe, a community-based platform that makes wellness concepts approachable, understandable, and even affordable. Now, she is taking that same approach to plant-based food choices with the help of Sweet Earth.

Recently, Sweet Earth found that a portion of people who stopped eating plant based food becuase they had negative perceptions of the dishes on the table. While those people might prefer to delete their social media accounts than go back to bland and boring plant-based food options, the reality is that there are good choices on the table. People just have to find them.

As part of the Ashley Tisdale and Sweet Earth partnership, the actress and entrepreneur spoke to FoodSided about plant-based eating, perfecting the dinner party, and why she enjoys incorporating Sweet Earth into her recipe rotation.

While resolutions might come with radical changes, the reality is when plant-based eating becomes overwhelming it can become unsustainable. Tisdale takes a more balanced approach.

“I’ve learned it’s really about balance and finding what works for you. Lots of people see going plant-based as an all or nothing thing, as opposed to something that you can work in throughout the week. Or just collect a few plant-based recipes to put in rotation. I try to have one day each week where I eat 100% plant-based. I’ve noticed that when I incorporate more plant-based choices into my lifestyle, I feel a lot better both physically and mentally.”

Although some people are willing to adapt their food choices at home, gatherings can be more difficult to manage. For example, hosting a dinner party comes with a balance of being a touch adventurous while giving guests a taste of the familiar.

When Tisdale hosts her gatherings, she said, “Variety is the spice of life. I’ve found that evolving a familiar dish to include something new or unexpected is a good way to get everyone to try something new. This works especially well with plant-based because sometimes people won’t even tell the difference until you reveal it to them. I’m lucky to be surrounded by friends who are adventurous eaters, so I’ve never felt like anything was too far.”

Finding new and creative ways to keep the food on the plate engaging is always important. For Tisdale, she commented, “I love to add variety to the menu and pull from a lot of different flavor profiles. I try to incorporate plant-based foods into the spread. My friends and family are pretty adventurous with food, too, which makes it fun to surprise them with new iterations of classic recipes. There are often times friends reach out for a recipe afterwards, and we’re constantly sharing new favorites.”

While the food brings people together around the table, it is often the conversation that flavors the experience even more. Tisdale shares this simple advice for spirited conversation around the table.

“I think being present is extremely important at a dinner party. We’re there not only to enjoy each other’s company and to share a meal, but to also invest in conversations and in growing our relationships. I’ve always been a huge foodie and find it so fun to chat about food memories and food challenges, like going plant-based. I also like to ask friends what’s been challenging or successful during the week and find that follow up questions really help open up the conversation, sometimes pulling in other friends at the table who I know might have thoughts to contribute.”

With spring holidays around the corner, the blooming flavors and bright colors can inspire a little sprucing up around the house. Finding ways to re-vitalize or re-energize that routine can keep everything fresh.

Tisdale recommended, “Flowers and finding ways to optimize schedules now that we’re a few months into the year and routine! Having fresh flowers in the house is such a mood-booster and it’s a lovely ritual to embrace the season and make the indoor space feel more outdoors. I also find that Spring is a perfect time to re-assess your routine to find ways to make it easier and more productive.”

Even though springtime can bring some change, Ashley Tisdale has a lot on her plate in the next couple of months. She shared, “Recently, my husband and I just launched Frens(he), the male-identifying counterpart to the Frenshe community. I’m really proud of what we’ve created and am looking forward to everyone checking it out. I’m also really excited to be teaming up with Sweet Earth to help people rediscover the joy in eating plant-based through the brand’s Veggie Come Back sweepstakes, we’re inspiring others to re-invent the way they do plant-based, as they did with their own products, by hosting an exclusive plant-forward dining experience and sweepstakes for a chance to attend.  Visit veggiecomeback.com for the details!”

Plant-based food can be full of flavor, vitality and celebrating the good life. Why not enjoy one of the new Sweet Earth offerings and rediscover what plant-based foods can be. One bite and everyone could discover just how sweet plant-based food can be.