Meet Danielle Lutsky

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Danielle Lutsky. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Danielle below.

Danielle, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

To really know Plantidote is to know Cheryl, my mother in law and first experience with the healing power of food.

Cheryl was an incredible hostess and cook. From her smile, to the linens she used on the table, to her perfect preparation Chicken Marbella on an ordinary Tuesday – she was happiest in the kitchen (with a big glass of Decoy Cab). About 10 years ago she got sick, and I stayed back from work in order to cook for her – being Jews and Italians – this was the way to show you really care! We did a 100% plant-based diet, and created a ritual around food. After about two straight months ’round the clock of green juices, soups from Organic Pharmer and other well-thought out, nutrient dense preparations, the results brought hope. My husband, Jordan, would have her walking a few laps each day and we noticed her gait improved tremendously. Her doctors agreed she was strong enough to receive treatments. Literally, the only thing we changed was food and perception of it.

What that experience really taught me, is that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

In 2019, Jordan and I went plant based, just to try it out, see if we felt less inflammation and overall, better. He concocted this recipe, which today is a plant-based patty and my company, Plantidote Foods. The lentil based patties have just 10 ingredients, all that you can see, pronounce and understand, without any oil. What really drives me insane in the “health” food world is that 99.99% of food that’s marketed as plant based, vegan or healthy is filled with absolute garbage. Things we are totally sure aren’t good for you, but improve taste.

Our patties are geared toward people who know good food, and are truly interested in plant-based eating for health, longevity, to thrive. Not a mock-meat, we choose to highlight & brighten the natural textures and flavors of plant-based staples with techniques learned from some of the best chefs in the world (e.g. our use of Kombu when cooking lentils and peas for better digestibility). Your body can’t use what it can’t understand, so we never add fillers, non-nutritious starches, gums or protein isolates you’ll find in most every meatless option at the market. Our patties are your center of the plate protein source when you’re craving variety and something that makes you feel SO GOOD and ready to rock after. Legit good mood food.

Can’t wait to meet you in the kitchen. ❤️

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I own woman-led Plantidote Foods. We focus on making the best veggie burger you’ve ever had. Veggie burgers can have a bad rap – they’re either the ones of the 80s that hardcore vegans survive on, or a fake meat-wanna-be.
I love working in a company that’s driven to completely flip the script. We created a 10-ingredient burger that contains nothing but the essentials: 4 grains and beans, 5 veggies and sea salt. I’m driven by the simplicity in an ever more complex world.

I’ve seen the benefits of a whole food, plant based diet in myself, my athlete husband and my mother in law. My husband’s work is strenuous, and a meat-based meal for lunch always weighed him down. Instead, our veggie burgers leave him feeling “ready to rock.” Who doesn’t want to feel that way mid-day?

Part of our mission is to create sustainable options for our kids’ world. Truly, its scary to think about where we are headed. I’m creating a company the way I wish all new companies would be created: plastic-free, actually interested in the health of our kids & our planet – our future. And to do this all with radical transparency: nothing lab made, processes you can replicate and learn from to make it easier for you to eat this way beyond Plantidote Foods veggie burgers.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Great support team: my husband, my kids, my extended family.
Pure faith in the idea.
Consistency

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

Into the Magic Shop by James Doty.
A neuroscientist, he explains how he went from a life of poverty, to a chance meeting that taught him the steps to meditate, open your heart and get whatever you want in life. He describes the steps in detail. I read it to my daughters – 6 & 8, and I’ll read it again to them when they’re 10 & 12.
So influential in teaching how to lead life and growth from the heart, and change your brain & thought patterns.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://plantidotefoods.com
• Instagram: plantidotefoods.co

Image Credits

Liz Rueven (photo of Danielle)
Jason Welch (photos of food)
HiFi Brands (Photo of Packaging)