Toni Okamoto

Toni Okamoto is an American plant-based/vegan cookbook author and food blogger who appears in the 2017 plant-based diet documentary, What the Health.

Early life and education

Okamoto grew up in Sacramento, California. She was raised by her Mexican grandmother, who taught her how to cook "calabasitas, sopa de fideo and tacos," After her father came home from the Navy, she lived with him, and they lived on a diet of processed and convenience foods.

Career

In 2012, Okamoto began posting vegan recipes on her family as a response to the chronic health conditions in her family.

In addition to her writing, Okamoto is the co-host of the Plant-Powered People Podcast, where she interviews guests about plant-based eating, sustainability, and personal wellness journeys. She has also partnered with organizations such as the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

In 2017, she appeared in the plant-based documentary, What the Health.

Okamoto has published four cookbooks. Forbes named her 2019 cookbook, Plant-Based on a Budget, as one of the "Best Vegan Cookbooks" in 2019, and Runner's World listed it as one of the "6 Best Vegan Cookbooks to Get More Plants in Your Diet" in 2022, and was named VegNews’ Cookbook of the Year. It was also a Top 10 finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards for Best Cookbook that year.

Plant-Based on a Budget: Quick & Easy (2023) was nominated for an IVFF award in 2023, and VegNews listed it as one of the "Top 100 Vegan Cookbooks of All Time" in 2024.

Personal life Okamoto is married to American animal welfare writer, Paul Shapiro. The two reside in Sacramento, Calif. with their adopted pit bull Eddie.

Books Plant-Based on a Budget Quick & Easy: 100 Fast, Healthy, Meal-Prep, Freezer-Friendly, and One-Pot Vegan Recipes. BenBella Books, 2023. . The Friendly Vegan Cookbook: 100 Essential Recipes to Share with Vegans and Omnivores Alike. BenBella Books, 2020. . (With Michelle Cehn) Plant-Based on a Budget: Delicious Vegan Recipes for Under $30 a Week, in Less Than 30 Minutes a Meal. BenBella Books, 2019. . The Super Easy Vegan Slow Cooker Cookbook: 100 Easy, Healthy Recipes That Are Ready When You Are. Rockridge Press, 2017. .