The nation’s first plant-based culinary and nutrition education center located in St. Louis, MO
08/02/2026
New U.S. dietary guidance is spotlighting soy as a high-quality plant protein with real benefits.
The Soy Nutrition Institute Global is calling for people to consume more plant proteins at a time when the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans encourage reducing saturated fat intake while increasing protein intake. High-protein calls may lead to increased meat consumption, raising non-...
The viral Fast Food song by Macka B performed live on stage at Goa Sunsplash 2026.Macka B’s Medical Monday anthem about fruits and vegetables being the real ...
01/02/2026
30+ plants represented on each charcuterie board! We'll start this art-filled night with a NA pomegranate Jell-O shot! Join me February 10 Intersect Arts Center ! 💚
We will be exploring our current show, Interstitium, curated by Sarah Bernhardt and featuring work by Wayne Adams, Susan Aldworth, Madeline Brenner, Marcella Hackbrandt, Grant Harris, Joseph Heathcott, Leslie Holt, Megan Kenyon, Dylan Mortimer, Emily Taylor Rice, and Sara Simonson.
29/01/2026
With new physical fitness guidance released by the U.S. military, The Center for Plant-Based Living, through our The Doc and Chef program, was honored to be invited to the Pentagon to present to the U.S. Air Force on how evidence-based nutrition supports performance, recovery, and long-term readiness.
Dr. Loomis shared the science behind foods that support recovery and physical preparedness, while attendees sampled his Recovery Shake and our Chocolate Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Power Bites, practical, portable fuel for real life.
The turnout and conversation were fantastic, and we’re hopeful to return this spring for continued dialogue.
A heartfelt thank you to Colonel Jenny Lovett and Colonel Travis Herbranson for their warm welcome and for serving as our escorts for the day. An incredible honor and experience.
25/01/2026
I'll be starting a 5-part Food for Life from Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine program this Tuesday at Cancer Support Community of Greater St. Louis. The program is FREE and you can attend in-person or virtually. If you attend all 5 sessions in person, we have a book for you!
Join Caryn Dugan, certified Food for Life Instructor, for a class on how food choices impact cancer risk and recovery. Based on research from the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, this class combines education and instruction featuring immune boosting foods that support detoxification.....
08/01/2026
Join Caryn for this super popular 5 part series! In person and virtual all available. cancersupportstl.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/cancersupportstl/event.jsp?event=210497face
29/12/2025
This is great!
Some people loathed the bitter taste of Brussels sprouts as children. But the humble vegetable has been the subject of a decades-long breeding programme to banish the bitterness.
21/12/2025
Thank you Kelley Lamm - Montgomery for including our gal in your soon to be released book!
Culinary Educator
17/10/2025
Thank you South Bay Adventist church for hosting our and ! What a wonderful event!!!!
16/10/2025
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...
11/10/2025
continue their tour! Join then for free tomorrows!
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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.
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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.
