Plant Powered Metro New York

Register here!

Explore the delicious world of plant-based baking and cooking without added oils, salt, or sugar. Chef Carole Levy, PPMNY Culinary Educator, will walk us through some of her favorite recipes, made with easy-to-access ingredients.

Event access is by donation or free to anyone unable to contribute. Please choose the option that fits you best and join us!

Registrants will receive recipes and a Facebook Live and YouTube link on the day of the event. Please note that Facebook Live and YouTube streams are available to viewers with or without Facebook or YouTube accounts.

Register here!

Nutrition advice can feel like a moving target. Every five years, the federal government publishes the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, which is supposed to be based on the best available evidence for a healthy diet. In reality, the process and the final guidelines include political compromises — and this year is no different.

Join Plant Powered Metro New York for a timely and engaging conversation with Christopher Gardner, PhD, Stanford professor and member of the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Drawing on decades of research and his firsthand experience, Dr. Gardner will break down the science and the political interests behind the guidelines, offer insights into hot topics like ultra-processed foods and protein, and translate the evidence into practical, everyday choices.

Bring your questions and leave with a clearer, more confident approach to nourishing yourself and your family.

Christopher Gardner, PhD, is the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and a longtime leader at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, where he directs the Stanford Nutrition Studies Research Group. For over 30 years, his research has focused on how different dietary patterns – including Mediterranean, ketogenic, vegan, low-fat, and low-carb diets – impact cardiometabolic health. A nationally recognized expert in nutrition and behavior change, he recently served on the 2025 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee and previously chaired the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee. His current work explores personalized nutrition, the gut microbiome, and how to make healthy eating both practical and appealing.

Register here!

Share in great company and enjoy a wholesome potluck meal with Plant Powered Metro New York when we gather at The Lifestyle Building in Astoria, hosted by Enrica Sacca, PPMNY co-founder and lead organizer.

For the potluck, please choose a plant-based recipe with whole plant foods — whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Please, no animal-based foods, vegan processed foods, white flours, or added oils, and we ask you to minimize added sweeteners and salt.

If this sounds intimidating, don't worry! Contact Enrica at enrica.sacca@ppmny.org to discuss simple dish ideas or check out our recipes at: ppmny.org/recipes.

It's a good rule of thumb to double a recipe you would make at home! Please bring a serving utensil for your dish.

Register here!

Heart disease touches us all. It holds the long-standing title as the leading cause of death in the US despite the millions of statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, anticoagulants, and aspirin prescribed every year. Fortunately, there’s another promising path we can take to protect our hearts. In this series, you’ll hear the powerful and evidence-based facts about the relationship between cardiovascular health and the food on your plate. We’ll explore the science and the health benefits of consuming a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet with our guest medical experts, including cardiologists and nutritionists.

This month on Heart to Healthy Heart, meet Heather McDougall, CEO of the McDougall Program. Heather is an experienced program director, group facilitator, and whole food, plant-based home chef dedicated to empowering people with the knowledge and practical tools to transform their health. She leads a renowned lifestyle medicine program started by her father, John McDougall, MD, that has been helping reverse chronic illness for over 40 years through a whole food, low-fat, starch-based diet.

The Heart to Healthy Heart series is created and hosted by PPMNY community members, Ben Martens, Judy Zerden, and Jim Spellos, who have each experienced heart conditions and found healing and hope through a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.