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Plant Chat: Nelson Campbell

Sharon Palmer

Today I’m excited to invite Nelson Campbell as the honored guest on my blog. Nelson is an entrepreneur who leads a non-profit foundation with the intention to drive a grassroots movement around plant-based nutrition. Nelson, along with his father, T. Colin Campbell and producer John Corry, is the force behind the documentary, PlantPure Nation. The film explores the topical issues of the small family farmer, food deserts, modern medicine and the challenges of getting plant-based nutrition included in the political process. Nelson Campbell also developed and piloted a 10-day nutrition program called Jumpstart in his hometown of Melbane, NC. Offering freshly prepared plant-based meals to a group of residents, he was able to demonstrate the significant and measureable health improvements that can result with proper nutrition in just 10 days.

The filmmakers hope to use PlantPure Nation to create broad grassroots movement. They are spearheading the formation of PlantPure Pods in cities and towns across North America. Members of these groups will help to plant seeds of change around the message plant-based nutrition in their communities. One tool they will use in this effort will be the same 10-day Jumpstart program featured in the film, to give people the experience of a whole food, plant-based diet. Ultimately the goal of PlantPure is to spark a health revolution, getting people to work together at the local level to solve the health crisis in America.

What was the inspiration behind your film, PlantPure Nation

At the top of the list would be simply knowing the power of this idea of eating a whole foods, plant-based diet, and understanding the forces that have suppressed this information for so long. A lot of that inspiration comes from my father (T. Colin Campbell); at the end of the day he was a big factor and helped inspire this film.

 

How has the film been embraced by Americans? 

It has done very well in its theatrical release; it’s getting a great turnout. I’m very, very pleased. It should be in about 120 cities by October. We did a tour at the end of March through June, screening an advanced cut of the film. Since then it’s been released in theaters this summer. Yes, I’m very pleased with the positive reaction to the film. Particularly when I’m on the road, meeting people who have seen the film. There are so many people doing courageous things within their families, worksites, and churches to promote this idea. It has underscored the idea for the need for a bottom up approach to health. The need for a strategy that connects millions of people around this country.

Are you moving forward with the grass roots plan of introducing PlantPure Pods in communities? 

We are seeing interest in PlantPure Pods all over the country. We had hoped to have the web platform done for the program, and we are pretty close. At the end of the month it will be beta tested. This will be the web platform necessary for establishing the Pods. It will be a web platform similar to Meet Up and Facebook combined, it will be what people use to establish their Pod. In September, we will ramp that up. The network will enable you to start something in your own community, with lots of interesting features. People can build a community around their ideas. There will be information, resources, and streaming of PlantPure TV content through these Pod sites. The jumpstart program will be online and available to people. We will be putting a meal plan into production, making it available for people who want to continue to use it. A lot of things will be rolling out. Our Kickstarter campaign brought the film to other cities. We’ve had some funding from outside support, and I’m using a lot of my own resources. I am taking a big risk on all of this. We’re hoping that when this rolls out, we can get outside support. We are organizing this in more of a philanthropic way. It is a socially conscious endeavor, which will generate financial resources to drive it forward. It is service to a higher social cause.

If you could wrap up the power of a whole foods, plant-based diet in one paragraph, what would you say? 

It is the power to take control of your health, but in so doing, to also empower yourself in a mental and spiritual way, as well. The process of taking control of what is the most important thing to us, which is our health and very physical existence is a very empowering thing. It spills over to other aspects of life, such as mental and spiritual well-being. We see this all the time; one of the hallmarks of modern society is that we are disconnected in so many ways, even with our own potential and future. This is a way of empowering people to first take control of their health, and then also control of their lives in general.

What was it like growing up with T. Colin Campbell as your father? 

It was like every other kid growing up with a parent; at the time it didn’t seem like that big of a deal. He went to work just like anyone else’s parent, he talked about his work at the end of the day. We always had dinner together as a family, and he would talk about his work. It was pretty typical, of any family situation. I grew up with hot dogs and hamburgers, but had an allergy to milk and stopped eating dairy when I was young. We started making the transition to a plant-based diet in my late teens; I was completely plant-based by my early 20s. But what’s happened over the course of my life, is that it just kept evolving. When you start out going plant-based, a lot of times you still eat junk food, such as white flour, foods with oils and sugar—I did some of that. Over the course of my life, I’ve learned how to do better and better.

It must be amazing to work on your passions together with your family. What is that like for you? 

Well, I do talk to my dad quite often. My wife Kim authored the Plant Pure Nation Cookbook, which is part of the program. It is nice to have their support. What we are doing is not easy; it’s challenging to promote new ideas like this. We have experienced a lot of challenges and struggles. Having people close to you that provide support is wonderful.

 

Can you tell us a little bit about your own life? How do you like to relax, what activities do you enjoy? 

I go to the gym every day; I do try to stay physically fit. It’s good for physical health and mental health, too. I do try to get that in, if not every day then 5 times a week. I like to go home, read a book, visit with my family, and relax in the evenings. I work a lot, so my sanctuary is when I come home. I unwind, have a nice meal, read books, and read the news.

What are some of your favorite plant-based foods that you simply can’t live without?

We always have different prepared dishes, one constant we always have is fresh produce, such as raw vegetables, carrots, and that sort of thing. I try to fill a bag with raw fruit and carrots and I snack on that during the day between meals. It’s a big constant for me.

What’s on your horizon now? 

What I’m most excited about is the idea of launching a national network of local groups who are out their building a community around this idea, and helping to promote it. To support people who have made this decision to take on this lifestyle, and helping to keep them on the path. One of the big problems we have in our society, is that we are always trying to solve problems from the top down; we are looking to others to solve problems. We need a whole new paradigm in this country to provide organization, education, inspiration, and resources to enable people to come together to solve this problem. We are building a more compassionate society to do this. It can’t flow through government or organizations; it has to be through the hearts of individuals. We are starting to see people to build a more compassionate world. A lot of people hate and express greed through strategies and decisions; they actually use forethought and strategies for hate and greed. We have to do the same thing—use strategies and decisions to enable millions of people to come together to build a compassionate world. I hope we can do that with the PantPure Pods. Give people a sense of that idea, so that they can take a different sort of approach.

Here is one of my favorite plant-powered recipes from the PlantPure Nation’s recipe book. 

 

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Cauliflower Buffalo Bites (Vegan)


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  • Author: The Plant-Powered Dietitian
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x

Description

These are a crowd-pleaser for any event. Chicken wings are never missed when you can have cauliflower bites. Serve these with celery sticks, carrots, and a plant-based Blue Cheez Dressing. 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup nondairy milk
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 cauliflower head, broken into florets
  • 10 ounces oil-free buffalo wing sauce
  • 1 cup Blue Cheez Dressing (page 12 in the book)
  • Carrot sticks, for serving
  • Celery sticks, for serving 

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, flour, and spices.
  3. Place all the cauliflower pieces in the milk mixture and coat thoroughly.
  4. Spread the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet.
  5. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until light golden brown.
  6. Once the cauliflower is crisp and golden, coat them with the buffalo sauce and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  7. Serve with the Blue Cheez Dressing and carrot and celery sticks. 

Notes

From The PlantPure Nation Cookbook by Kim Campbell (BenBella Books, 2015) 

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1

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