The nation’s first plant-based culinary and nutrition education center located in St. Louis, MO
10/16/2025
Our STLVegGirl and Chuck Carroll of Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine sit down on the National Health Association Whole Food Plant Based Travel podcast and chat about breast cancer. 🩷
Can the food on your plate lower your risk of breast cancer? 🌱 In this episode of NHA Today, guest host Chuck Carroll sits down with Caryn Dugan, co-founder...
10/11/2025
continue their tour! Join then for free tomorrows!
10/08/2025
Our medical director, opens up rally in Asheville!
10/01/2025
Can’t wait to see you Redondo beach!!
08/29/2025
How does a deli-style class sound? Pretty good, eh? Join us on September 11 for just that! Cook with Caryn if you choose, or sit back and enjoy learning! You’ll learn
Oil-free roasting with aquafaba for real browning
Building creamy dressings without oil (silken tofu FTW)
Flavor math: caraway, kraut, and brine = “Reuben”
Perfectly craggy smashed potatoes (oven or air fryer)
Easy swaps for gluten-free and weeknight batch cooking
Bring your deli dreams—hold the deli. In this fast, flavor-packed class, we’ll turn roasted, caraway-kissed cauliflower and warm lentils into a Reuben-style salad with a creamy, no-oil “Thousand Island” (silken tofu + pickle brine = magic). On the side, we’ll cook the crispiest smashed Yukon golds, soaked in tangy pickle brine with dill and a hint of horseradish. Expect bold, briny, satisfying plates that hit all the nostalgic notes without meat, dairy, or oil—and without fuss.
Oil-free roasting with aquafaba for real browning
Building creamy dressings without oil (silken tofu FTW)
Flavor math: caraway, kraut, and brine = “Reuben”
Perfectly craggy smashed potatoes (oven or air fryer)
Easy swaps for gluten-free and weeknight batch cooking
"But not all plant-based foods are created equal. Things like refined grains, sugary drinks and packaged snacks might be technically plant-based, but they don’t give you the same benefits as whole foods. Choosing less-processed options most of the time is where the real payoff comes."
This new study adds to evidence that healthy plant-based diets can lower the risk of multiple chronic diseases, while less healthy versions may raise it.
08/18/2025
It's & I'm inviting you to a free 3-day coaching workshop!
Roses are red,
kale is green,
you’ve shared heart-health articles
since 2017.*
You pass friends a recipe,
you nudge with care,
you’re coaching already—
just without the flair.
Ocean Robbins + FRN
are waving, “Hey—come play!”
A free, 3-day online workshop
to level up what you say.
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The nationan’s first plant-based nutrition and culinary education center
Rooted deep in the St. Louis food and wellness scene, I am a plant-based nutrition, culinary and lifestyle educator with a simple mission, “A Plant on Every Plate.”
My name is Caryn and I adopted a plant-based diet in response to tragedy; in 2008, cancer took my dad at an early age and 10 weeks later, I too, was diagnosed. In response to my diagnosis, I searched for an answer and found one in the growing body of literature supporting a whole food, plant-based diet to bolster our natural immune system. I adopted this way of eating and soon, sought to share this knowledge to help others.
In 2011, I studied in Washington, DC, under the direction of Neal Barnard, MD at the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM) Food For Life program and became a certified instructor. I brought this knowledge home, and began teaching immune-boosting, plant-based cooking classes at the Cancer Support Center of St. Louis for the benefit of others who have, like me, met cancer at the door. It was during my first visit to CSC as an instructor where the idea of building a fully plant-based support and education center formulated. The seed was planted.
I then went on to form STLVegGirl, LLC, St. Louis’ first fully plant-based entity providing cooking instruction, personal chef services, meal delivery, and collaborative restaurant events. I remain continually grateful to our local media outlets and regularly appear in cooking and nutrition segments on St. Louis affiliates of NBC, CBS and Fox morning shows.
VIEW ARTICLES
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To remain a good steward of my craft, I continue expand my knowledge of plant-based nutrition and am a graduate of:
Plant-based Nutrition Certificate through eCornell University • The Rouxbe Cooking School Plant-Based Professional Program
Wellness Forum’s Plant-Based Certified Personal Chef Program
Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP) as a Lifestyle Medicine Institute Certified Program Facilitator
Wellcoaches as a Certified Health and Wellness Coach
In 2015, I collaborated with Forks Over Knives and created the first-ever (and only) Forks Over Knives Community Program where over the course of seven weeks attendees learn the science behind a plant-based diet, how to integrate it into their lives and gain lifetime support and friendships from others in our group. It’s so much fun!
Outside of St. Louis, I speak annually and offer culinary instruction in Naples, Florida to 100 attendees at physician-led, Total Health Immersions Health Retreat. Within seven days, participants mark weight and inches lost, a decrease in insulin and blood pressure medication administration and chronic illness reversal. To say this is inspiring is an understatement; watching people go from taking a handful of pills for years, to titrating down those meds considerably within 7 days is truly amazing; the body begins to heal so quickly.
In 2018, I initiated and delivered St. Louis’ first Plant-based Nutrition Summit at Washington University! This summit featured world-renowned experts Michael Greger, MD and Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., MD. We sold the event out and represented in attendance were 16 states and 2 countries. What a day it was! As awesome as it was, there was one problem – where were people suppose to go for more education; essentially- now what?!
Over the years I have watched the plant-based movement grow in strength and size. As plant-based supporting medical studies are published, schools and hospitals grow gardens, and the endless testimonials from people who continue to reverse common (and not-so common) chronic illnesses increases daily, I knew it was time. Time to offer a place where we focus solely on the irrefutable health benefits of a plant-based diet. How to start, how to maintain, and how to teach others.
Most of the time new idea endeavors begin on the coasts and eventually work their way in to the middle; not this time. In the center of the country, in the center of this great movement, I offer the Center for Plant-based Living.
