Black-and-white thinking is rampant in the fitness and nutrition industries. Within the vegan community, it often centres around ethical vs. unethical, or healthy vs. unhealthy. This prevents more nuanced discussion. There seems to be growing pushback against some plant-based product innovations around being “too processed” or “too unhealthy”, and there’s a lot of fear-mongering around certain ingredients (including seed oils).  In this episode, I discuss the above sentiments [and much more] with Chef Karen McAthy, as we dive into some serious myth debunking and unpacking of where these thought processes came from. Karen, a life-long resident of BC’s west coast, is an innovator in dairy-free, vegan, plant-based cultured cheese, and plant-based cuisine. Co-founder of former cpg brand Blue Heron and parent company Lumi Foods, Karen’s focus on innovation in plant-based food is linked to understanding the complex systems of food from growing to finished goods. Currently, Karen is developing starter and adjunct cultures for commercial use in the cultured vegan cheese and dairy-alternative sector.