Javant Benton of Healthy Vegan Eating: Inside the Strategy to Recreate Comfort Foods Without Oil, Wheat, or Refined Sugar

Plant-based cuisine is evolving beyond salads and smoothies — chefs around the world are redefining what it means to cook with whole, plant-based ingredients. How are they creating dishes that are as delicious as they are nutritious? What innovations are shaping the future of plant-based dining? As part of our series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Javant Benton of Healthy Vegan Eating.

Javant’s health journey began nearly 20 years ago. He was prediabetic, prehypertensive, and facing a very serious personal health scare that inspired him to discover the transformative power of nutrition. He improved his diet, lost 80 pounds, and continued nourishing his way to better health. Following years of dedicated self study and research, Javant became certified through Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Education Institute as a coach and cook. In 2022, Javant launched @HealthyVeganEating, an online platform where he shares health information and plant-based recipes designed to empower others on their wellness journeys. All of his recipes are minimally processed, and completely free of oil, wheat, and refined sugar. In 2025, Javant launched the Healthy Vegan Lifestyle App — a tool designed to support people on their health journeys by focusing on what he calls “the four pillars of health”: a nutritious diet, regular exercise, healthy sleep habits, and a positive mindset. Javant has just released his debut cookbook, Make Your Own, where he shares over 120 whole food, plant-based recipes. Make Your Own is now available for preorder everywhere books are sold!

Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share with our readers a story about what inspired you to become a restauranteur or chef?

Honestly, I don’t really think of myself as a chef, my path to cooking was more out of necessity than anything else. Years ago, I was over 80 pounds overweight, prediabetic, prehypertensive, and going through medical tests for what doctors’ thought could be cancer. That was a major wake-up call. It pushed me to really dig into how I could take control of my own health. After a lot of self-study and research, I discovered the power of whole, plant-based foods and it completely changed my life. I lost 85 pounds, reversed my prediabetes and prehypertension, and eventually got a clean bill of health from my doctors. But beyond that, I just felt really good. Once I experienced that transformation, I wanted to help others feel the same way. I started sharing my recipes and what I was learning on social media, and it just grew from there. It’s been amazing to connect with so many people and show that healthy food doesn’t have to feel restrictive. One of the biggest hurdles for people is feeling like they have to give up the foods they love, so I made it my mission to recreate those comfort foods in a healthier way. That’s really what inspired my debut cookbook, Make Your Own, helping people enjoy the classics they love, but in a way that supports their health.

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you became a chef? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

At work, I’m known as the guy who mostly keeps to himself, just doing my thing. So when I started posting my healthy vegan recipes online and my platform started to take off, nobody at work had a clue. One day, I’m chatting with a coworker, and he says, “There’s this vegan recipe guy on Instagram who looks EXACTLY like you.” By the way he said it, I realized that he had no clue that it was me. I thought for a second, then I decided to tell him that it was actually me that he saw online making recipes. He couldn’t believe it. He said there was no way that this outgoing, public figure could possibly be me. It took a minute, but once I finally convinced him we both had a good laugh.

Can you share a challenge you faced in your journey and how you overcame it to achieve recognition in the industry?

I truly value feedback both positive and constructive. It’s been a huge part of my growth as a recipe creator. When I first started sharing my dishes, I had a lot of people with specific dietary needs reach out and ask for adjustments that would work for them. That kind of feedback pushed me to experiment with variations like nut-free versions of some of my most popular dishes, and it opened up my creativity in the kitchen. It also reminded me that food is very personal, people want to feel included and cared for through what they eat. Seeing how much they appreciate those options has been really rewarding.

How do you personally define “whole food, plant-based” (WFPB) eating?

For me, whole food, plant-based eating is all about keeping things simple and minimally processed. I focus on foods like fruits and vegetables, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, and unrefined grains. When foods are heavily refined, they lose many of their most nutritious components, so I try to stick with ingredients that are as close to their natural state as possible while still creating the flavors and textures we all love. That same approach carries through in my recipes too- wholesome, flavorful, and made with ingredients you can actually recognize.

Approximately what percentage of your own meals are WFPB? What draws you to this way of eating, and why do you believe it’s beneficial?

All of the meals I make for myself are whole food, plant-based. Once I learned the power of eating this way, I lost the desire to eat any other way. I focus on getting a variety of high-nutrient foods every day, and honestly, I love it! Not just because it tastes great, but because it feels great. I always say that eating this way is the ultimate form of self-love. When you’re nourishing your mind, body, and spirit with real, whole foods, it’s a beautiful feeling.

Can you please tell us about some of your favorite WFPB recipes or techniques? What spices do you love to use? Do you use added salt, oil or sugar in your recipes?

All of my recipes are completely free of oil, wheat, and refined sugar. I’ve found ways to swap these ingredients while still creating dishes that are flavorful and satisfying, without the negative health effects they can have. For example, I use nuts and seeds instead of oil, and dates in place of refined sugar. While I personally don’t use salt, I do include it in my recipes because I know it’s one of the hardest changes for most people to make when transitioning to healthier eating. In my Make Your Own cookbook, I also share tips for gradually reducing or even eliminating salt if that’s your goal. I find that including vibrant flavor combinations with spices like smoked paprika, cumin, garlic, sage, fennel and curry (just to name a few) in my dishes really shows people how flavorful and satisfying this way of eating can be even without oil, refined sugar, or ultra processed ingredients. It’s a great way to show that healthy eating doesn’t mean bland or boring meals.

If someone wanted to lose a lot of weight, and keep it off permanently, do you think eating more whole food, plant-based meals would be a good way to do it? If so, why?

Absolutely! When you start eating a well planned, whole food, plant-based diet, you naturally cut back on processed and refined foods, which are often high in calories but low in nutrients. I always recommend focusing on a variety of nutrient-dense foods, not just to lose weight, but to boost your overall health.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Be a Highly Successful Chef” and why? Please share a story or an example for each.

1. Purpose — I’ve always been purpose driven. When it comes to creating recipes, I have witnessed how teaching people to prepare food healthfully changes lives, that’s what keeps me focused and motivated.
2. Passion — For me, passion goes hand in hand with purpose. When the two align, it doesn’t just motivate me it makes every step of the journey exciting. I remember experimenting with plant-based versions of some classic dishes, and they didn’t always turn out as I had imagined. But even then, my passion for creating something both delicious and nourishing, something that could help people improve their health, kept me going. That energy is what drives all my recipes today.
3. Knowledge — Of course, understanding the ingredients, techniques, and flavors is everything. That foundation lets me create recipes that are both healthy and delicious with confidence.
4. Adaptability — People’s needs and tastes change, and as a successful recipe creator I need to adapt. I’ve learned to tweak recipes for nut-free, salt-free, and low-fat diets without losing flavor.
5. Focus — For me, staying focused on my vision, goals, and purpose are key. It helps me push through challenges, keep refining my craft, and continue creating recipes that make a real impact.

What unique qualities or skills do you believe set you apart from others in the culinary industry?

I think what sets me apart is that my recipes focus on both health and flavor. I created them to taste great while still being good for you. Plus, my niche of creating whole food, plant-based dishes that are completely free of oil, refined wheat, and refined sugar really makes my approach unique. Also, I specialize in creating familiar comfort foods that people often struggle giving up. With my recipes, they don’t have to.

What’s the one dish people must try if they visit your establishment?

Oh boy, this is a tough one to answer! I love so many of the dishes in my Make Your Own cookbook. I guess if I had to choose, I would say my Vegan Sausage Lasagna, and for dessert, my Better Than Soft-Serve Chocolate Vegan Ice Cream. It still amazes me that both of these dishes can taste so good without the use of any dairy, oil, refined wheat, or refined sugar.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I honestly feel like I’m already inspiring a movement through my social media platforms, a movement of people who are ready to shift away from the foods we’ve been conditioned to eat and start putting their health first. I truly believe this movement has the potential to impact generations to come. Though I didn’t create this movement, my job is to do my part by promoting and expanding the movement to touch as many people as it can worldwide.

Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!