Exploring Holistic Nutrition with Remy Park

by Jalin Abston

The real story behind the name Veggiekins came from her nickname that a lot of her friends use, Remykins. Remy Morimoto Park initially came up with the name Veggiekins assuming she would change it later, by then it was a little too late. Remy is a health and wellness writer that provides non-toxic living and tips. She creates her own original recipes, but reimagining recipes is what initially inspired Veggiekins. Nowadays her biggest inspiration comes from her Asian—Korean, Japanese, and Taiwanese—cultures.

When Remy first started she would share a lot of very simple salad recipes and very Western dishes that anyone could recognize. When she would eat with her family she realized that there were not as many recipes for traditional Asian dishes that she grew up eating. Remy was eating only American food because that was what she thought vegan food was. She did not think it was possible for the food she ate to be veganized so she began to lean more into creating a new category for recipe ideas. She found that people actually were really appreciative of something new and different. It then became a fun way for Remy to share her culture, like her grandma's recipes, but as vegan or plant-based because it also bridges the gap between feeling disconnected from her family as a vegan. As a holistic nutritionist, Remy features whole food plant based ingredients and the healing power of plants on Veggiekins. She shares recipes that are vegan, gluten-free, and also refined sugar-free and made without any added oils.

Remy left a corporate workplace to pursue Veggiekins. Really loving what she does and how it aligns with her values in every sense is her favorite part of her new job. While in college, Remy created Veggiekins as a food accountability blog as a way to work with her counselor on eating problems and nutrition. She did not want to take time out of school, instead Remy documented. At the same time, she gingerly began her exploration of veganism. Remy could meet people through eating recovery hashtags and created a community with anonymous people. Then, it went viral. Remy recalls the moment Veggiekins blew up. She did not realize that all of her Facebook friends could view it when Instagram and Facebook merged. She did not know what to do at this point. Eventually she decided to enhance Veggiekins because she was not willing to get rid of the account because she loved the people she met through it and her interest in wellness piqued. 

For anyone who is not familiar with the realm of veganism or how to implement more holistic nutrition into their life, Remy suggests adding things to your plate instead of taking away. A part of veganism is removing things such as dairy which is not always easy for everyone to do. She also recommends putting an emphasis on more vegetables as other food elements decrease in portion. Remy says taking baby steps are super important because making any huge lifestyle changes may not be sustainable or may last two weeks but then go back to liking what they are comfortable with because it is too overwhelming. You can start small by finding a replacement for something you drink every day such as a latte. “Can you find a really good plant-based milk that you like? Can we do one ‘Meatless Monday’? These steps are just as impactful and are a little less daunting than going vegan for a month.

I asked Remy about her thoughts on the future of vegan or plant-based lifestyles and how a society can go about creating a healthier food culture, fostering improvements within our relationships with food. Remy agrees that maybe non-vegans view veganism as scary or as a threat to their current diet and lifestyle. She has noticed how vegan and plant-based options are becoming more socially acceptable and normal. When taking an approach of lactose intolerance, almond and oat milks are available on the menu at almost every café. Remy notes that plant-based milks are very much a standard at this point whereas a few years ago she would have to do a Google search to find out which cafes have non-dairy milks.

Another reason she believes veganism is slowly becoming accepted as it continues to enter spheres in which it seems unfamiliar. Today, we see basketball players and football players that are really proud of the fact that they are eating vegan. Remy expects lab-grown dairy to play a huge role in the future of food and nutrition, it pretty much tastes the same as its counterpart. There would be no harm to an animal such as a cow that produces milk. Remy shared that she was invited to a lab-grown salmon event, although it is not vegan, she thinks that it is an incredible option for people who are interested in ways to reduce their harm and environmental footprint, who may not be quite ready to let go of their current diet and lifestyle.

Remy believes that improvements in society’s relationship with food can be made with more awareness about the food system and where things come from. Many people still do not understand what factory farming is or the issues that farmers face. There are many issues surrounding food that have been kept hidden from the public for a reason. and just like it's just Remy hopes that as more people become aware that non-vegan diets and lifestyles do not have to harm animals, especially if you consider yourself an animal lover.

Implementing this change and getting to a point where one can enjoy food or even feel passionate about food can be tricky, as stigmas surrounding veganism still exist. Remy believes that veganism can be very restrictive and act almost like an eating disorder for some people. She finds that oftentimes It is not necessary to say you are going fully vegan but instead, replace this with a thought of eating plant-based whenever you can. Remy also believes in eating vegetables and other produce because it does not have a calorie label, which personally made it easier to motivate herself when it came to cooking at home. Remy did not have many options when it came to going out for dinner or ordering takeout. This took away some of her fear of being in the kitchen and spending time with food. She began to make her own dips and use her hands, almost acting as a form of exposure therapy to food. She eventually found joy in cooking because she was able to take the time to appreciate the different aromas and texture that exist in food. Cooking naturally became an addition to Remy’s process of healing her eating problems and improving her relationship with food. But she recommends finding your own joy in some aspect of the food process to help improve your relationship with eating and food overall.

Remy’s Must-Haves for Plant-Based and/or Vegan Meals 

• Alliums - any kind of garlic, shallots, and/or onions

• Grains - noodles, pasta, rice, or sourdough

• Beans and legumes

• Nutritional yeast

• Nuts and seeds

• Chili oil

• Tamari/other seasoning condiments

• Tofu, or faux meat

Vegan Hiyashi Chuka Recipe

(Japanese Cold Ramen w/ Colorful Vegetable)

Ingredients List

• Tamari or gluten-free soy sauce

• Coconut sugar

• Japanese rice wine vinegar

• Toasted sesame oil 

• toasted white sesame seeds

• fresh ginger

• Japanese chili oil (or any chili oil) [optional]

• Vegan folded egg [optional]

• Salt 

• Neutral oil 

• 2-3 Persian cucumbers

• 1 Tomato

• Small iceberg lettuce (or shredded cabbage)

• Watermelon radish (or other colorful radish)

• Gluten-free noodles

• Any micro green sprout

Remy is a soon-to-be book author, as she shared her plans of publishing and releasing a cookbook in two years.

You can follow Veggiekins on Instagram for more holistic nutrition and food recipes and subscribe to the Veggiekins’ YouTube channel.

Production & Photography by Julia Le

Styling by Remy Morimoto Park

Illustrations by Jalin Abston