Why is eating plant-based food such a new, novel concept? It’s actually not. Then why do so many people believe that? Today, I'm going to delve into the real history of eating plant-based food and hopefully break misconceptions that vegetarian eating is just something recent generations have normalized.

I’m almost 19, and I’ve been a vegetarian since I was 15. I grew up in the Midwest, in suburban Indianapolis, where eating plant-based wasn’t super common. My goal in this column is to make plant-based diets more accessible. Even the occasional vegan or vegetarian meal can make a big difference.