Ginny Messina

Why “Eat Real Food” Isn’t Real Nutrition Advice Real nutrition professionals don’t tell people to “eat real food.” That’s the language of health gurus and wellness influencers, not evidence-based practitioners.

#RealHealthProfessionals don’t tell you to "just #eatrealfood." That's empty and vague wellness influencer language, not language that supports science-based, actionable advice.

Yes we go through a lot of bird seed + corn logs for the squirrels + peanuts for the crows + hay for the bunnies. It gets expensive! But it has been so cold here. Fortunately, even when the temps dipped to -20 degrees at night, the water in the heated bowl didn't freeze -- a good investment.

It’s easy to feel helpless about everything right now. But it’s also easy to bring a little kindness into the world by helping neighborhood animals. We have lots of snow in western Mass, so I’m filling the birdfeeders, and putting out a heated water bowl for whoever needs it.

Don’t Be Fooled by RFK Jr’s Food Guide: Plant-Based Diets are Still Best for Health The New Dietary Guidelines are a Product of Ideology and Incompetence

I wrote about why RFK Jr’s new #dietaryguidelines are so flawed. It’s because they’re the product of ideology, bias, incompetence and hostility toward the concept of health equity.

Why I’m Still Vegan—and Why It’s a Choice that Matters Animals endure immense suffering on factory farms, and many individuals and organizations are working to improve their living conditions. But are these efforts enough? Toni Vernelli, former head of...

I wrote about why veganism is still an impactful choice as we head into 2026. It reduces animal suffering while challenging the dominant narrative around our relationship to animals. It opens the door to deeper conversations about why our food choices matter.

Creating New Traditions without the Thanksgiving Turkey Skipping the turkey at Thanksgiving builds a new kind of legacy for families.

What we serve for Thanksgiving dinner is a part of our legacy -- a way for future generations to remember us. What could be better than a legacy of compassion? (The rescued turkeys in this photo are enjoying a cuddle from a volunteer at @woodstocksanctuary.bsky.social )

A Plant-Based Thanksgiving is Easy and Traditional Give your Thanksgiving a vegetarian makeover with a few simple changes.

Creating a vegan Thanksgiving is so easy. Here are my tips for a meal that embraces tradition while creating a new kind of legacy -- one of kindness, compassion, and respect.

What Horseshoe Crabs Taught Me About Connection and Responsibility At a legislative hearing, horseshoe crabs stole the show — and reminded me just how interconnected all life really is.

Horseshoe crabs were doing just fine for ~400 million yrs until we humans came along. Threats to these animals from the fishing industry also threaten birds and the ecology of the ocean. The story of the horseshoe crab is a humbling reminder of the far-reaching impact of our choices.

Eat Plants and Be Kind to Protect the Health of Your Brain Trump-induced anxiety is a real and legitimate thing and it’s not good for the health of your brain.

A few things you can do to protect your brain.
🍓Eat berries, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, and olive oil.
🍔Ditch red meat, cheese, and pastries.
🫶Choose kindness and compassion.

It's true: plant foods are good for cognitive function. Compassion is linked to improved brain plasticity

A tireless advocate for animals and the planet -- Jane Goodall's life was a gift to us all.

A Cake that Changes Minds and Helps Chickens Long before test kitchens and vegan blogs, resourceful home cooks figured out how to bake without eggs.

Long before vegan baking was popular, home cooks figured out egg-free cakes out of necessity. Crazy Cake is one of those genius recipes—rich, fudgy, and totally cruelty-free. 🌱🍫 Recipe here in the attached article.
#VeganBaking #FoodHistory #AnimalLiberation

Ultra-Processed Plant-based Meat in Healthy Vegan Diets My dinner last night was an amazing salad with lots of greens and chopped vegetables,  almonds, quinoa, chickpeas, and strips of plant-based chicken. Plus a splash of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of...

Plant-based meat alternatives are labelled as "ultra-processed." That doesn't mean they are bad for you. The research on these foods is reassuring. I wrote about it here.

Thank you!

In the Name of “Inclusivity,” Animals and the Planet Lose Again Why Retreating to Meat Undermines Ethical Fine Dining

Eleven Madison Park is adding meat back to their currently #vegan menu in order to be more "inclusive." Their rationale doesn't make sense to me. And I think it represents a narrow view of what it means to be welcoming. I wrote about it here:

Small changes add up to produce real impact. Shifting towards a vegan lifestyle just means looking for better options whenever you can.

“Saving” Monarch Butterflies Can End Up Hurting Them Why farming butterflies is just another way we try—and fail—to control nature.

When we try to control other creatures for our own purposes, we always do harm. Breeding monarchs for schools, weddings, and “conservation” can spread disease and kill more butterflies than it saves. #PlantNative #Milkweed #butterflies #PollinatorGarden #MonarchButterflies

another hot week... you know the drill:
- fill your bird baths
- ensure pets have a cooled space and access to water
- leave water out in any areas wildlife may be present (don't forget to place a rock or stick in the bowl so smaller creatures don't drown)
pls&ty

The next best thing to a vegan restaurant is a restaurant that takes the trouble to offer vegans more than a hummus wrap. This is the Misquamicut Sandwich Company in Westerly, Rhode Island. If you’re in the area, they deserve your business! (I had the Tempeh Lettuce & Tomato and it was excellent.)

Making Food Choices That Matter Coca-Cola drinkers can now choose beverages sweetened with “natural” cane sugar in place of high-fructose corn syrup.

Switching one sugar for another isn’t a win for public health. It’s a distraction from this admin's failure around policies that actually help people access healthy food. Say no to fear-based nutrition and focus instead on what really matters -- which is eating more plants, less animal food.

Yes, plant-based meats fit in a healthy diet! In our paper in Frontiers in Nutrition we concluded that these foods “have health and environmental advantages over comparable animal-derived foods. For most individuals a daily serving of a PBMA fits well within the context of an overall healthy diet.”

Who Needs a Vitamin B12 Supplement? (Chances Are, It’s You) All the vitamin B12 in the world is made by bacteria.

Do you need a vitamin B12 supplement? The answer is yes if you are eating any type of plant-based diet or are over the age of 50. And no, it doesn't mean a vegan diet is “unnatural.” Taking a B12 supplement allows you to choose a diet that supports health and aligns with your values.

If your garden needs water, so do your wild neighbors. Put out bowls of water for the four-legged animals, birdbaths for the feathered ones, and pebble-filled bowls for the pollinators during the dry days of summer.

I’m off to picnic at Tanglewood (outdoor music venue) and to see Graham Nash and Emmylou Harris. I made pasta with plant-based chicken & pesto. Bought broccoli salad (made with Vegenaise), chips & guac, chocolate cake, strawberries, whipped coconut topping. And wine. Easy, breezy vegan dinner.

We need to advocate for animals w/ integrity. That means not over-hyping the health impact of a vegan diet. Here is what I can promise about veganism: It's more sustainable, reduces contributions to animal cruelty, and ends discomfort around choices that conflict with a commitment to compassion.

Beyond Kindness: What We Owe Animals Years ago, while hiking in Olympic National Park, my husband and I came upon a small group of people standing quietly on a ridgetop, binoculars in hand.

Animals enrich our lives in so many ways and they make us better people, too. I wrote about how our choices can reflect a deeper sense of respect and fairness towards them.

Remembering my beloved Tater Tot on this #caturday. Here he is in the catio just about a year ago, watching over the native plants.

Giving Lobsters the Benefit of the Doubt Last year, in an effort to cut ties with Jeff Bezos, I swapped the Washington Post for the Boston Globe. I miss the Post, but I’ve enjoyed the Globe’s focus on New England, where I love living—and whe...

Lobster rolls are everywhere in New England. But the truth is that boiling lobsters alive is a form of cruelty we’ve normalized.
Here are my thoughts on tradition, sentience, & why we need to give all creatures the benefit of the doubt.
#ConsiderTheLobster #LobsterRoll #NewEngland #Vegan #Seafood

I have beautiful basil from the garden which means amazing vegan pesto for the freezer. So easy and healthy. (Recipe is flexible. For 2 cups packed basil I use about 3 tbsp nooch, ½ cup pine nuts or walnuts, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp miso, ¼ cup olive oil.)

Coping with Climate Anxiety Just days after the devastating floods in Texas, we learned that the Trump administration’s Energy Department has hired three researchers who question the science of human-caused climate change. That ...

Just days after the devastating floods in Texas, the Trump admin is hiring climate science deniers. No wonder so many of us suffer from climate-anxiety. But the best antidote is action.
For me, it’s:
• Peaceful protests
• Emails to lawmakers
• Plant-based cooking
• Planting trees