Why would I hire a plant-based nutrition coach? There are so many free resources online.

Spend two minutes online and you can find free resources for literally anything (free “Cat Guide to Dating” download, anyone? 🤣).

So if you Google ‘easy plant-based recipes’ or ‘how to eat more plant-based,’ you’ll get more results in 0.2 seconds than you could possibly read in a lifetime. 

And honestly, that's where most of us start when the idea of switching to a more plant-based diet starts to take up more space in our brain.

I certainly did. 

I downloaded at least four different versions of a “Plant-based for Beginners” guide, searched for ‘simple plant-based recipes’ about 534,869 times, and read about 2837 plant-based diet blog posts.

When it was all said and done, I probably lost about six months of my life falling down plant-based internet rabbit holes. 

Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It got me where I am today.

And I did it for the same reason a lot of people hesitate when they are considering working with a coach.

🤷‍♀️ Why would I pay for coaching when there are so many free resources out there? I can figure it out on my own. 

And obviously it is possible to do that. I’m living proof. 

So, if that thought has crossed your mind, I totally get it. I have a really hard time paying for something I know I could figure out myself. (Like painting 🏠. Did I paint about ⅔ of my old house all by myself in less than a week? Yes. Did it take three months for the tendonitis in my hands to go away afterwards? Also yes.)

I hear it all the time, which is why I wanted to take a minute to unpack it a little bit in this post… not to convince you of anything, but to help you decide whether investing in coaching is the right next step for you.

Let’s dive in.

Why free feels safer (and that little ‘But…’ you can’t shake)

I won’t even pretend to sugar coat it…  life is expensive right now.

I feel it, too. Groceries, gas, utilities – it feels like the price of everything has gone up lately. And spending money on something you feel like you could probably figure out on your own feels like a luxury you’re not sure you can afford. 

And if you’re like a lot of people my age (Gen X, represent!) you’re probably juggling other major financial responsibilities, too –  kids’ college tuition, saving for retirement, wondering why alllll the appliances always seem to die at the same time 🤦‍♀️ – and you’re just trying to make every dollar stretch. 

With all of that on your plate, it’s hardly surprising that spending money on coaching feels more like a  “nice-to-have” or a “maybe later” thing... rather than something to prioritize.

Add in the fact that the internet provides an endless supply of free plant-based recipes, curated meal plans, and plant-based advice, it’s no wonder you’re thinking “Why pay when I can just Google it?”

It’s a valid question… one that comes from decades of life experience, and from a place of trying to take care of yourself and the people you love.

But... (you had to have known that was coming, right?), here are a few things to consider that most people don’t think about.

Not all spending is created equal

Here’s the thing: even though free resources are everywhere, when it comes right down to it, a lot of them don’t actually save you money in the long run. Plus, they cost you something else – your time, your energy, and sometimes… your sanity. 

When you’re piecing together advice from a bunch of different places, it can get overwhelming fast. It’s easy to second-guess yourself and spin your wheels ‘doing more research’ without making any real progress. 

That’s where the “free” path can start to feel pretty expensive.

And then there’s the other side of spending – the stuff we all do without even thinking about it. The dinners out. The fancy face cream that promises miracles. Wandering aimlessly through Target… and letting Target tell us what we “need.”  

Those little splurges are fun, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. But let’s be honest… the “high” usually fades pretty fast, and that money still has to come from somewhere.

Plus, now you’ve got a $40 tube of face cream that makes your skin itch, and a random throw blanket that’s a pretty color but sheds stupid amounts of fuzz on everything it touches.

What if you thought about spending money a little differently: not as an expense, but as an investment. 

Some expenses bring a lot of joy in the moment, even when they lead to almost immediate buyers remorse (see fuzzy blanket comment above).

But some are really more like investments. I don’t think any of us like paying our kid’s tuition bill, but we do it because it’s an investment in their future… and we know it will be worth it.

Investing in coaching support to create a version of plant-based that actually works for your life falls into that second category.

Sure, that bag of Monster Mix at the checkout is a lot cheaper and feels like a “treat” at the time, but it’s not going to bring you closer to how you ultimately want to show up in the world.

So yes, the financial concern is 100% real. But I encourage you to get curious about what you’re currently spending money on outside of the non-negotiables.

🤔 Is more money going toward the “stuff” that makes you feel better in the short term?

🤔 Or are you investing in things that will result in long-term change that actually impacts how you feel every single day?

And then get super honest with yourself: Which one do you want to prioritize right now? 

(There’s no right answer here… if, at this point in your life, the priority is the small stuff, that’s totally ok. My goal here is just to get you to think about it a little differently.)

Health is priceless (but it’s definitely not free)

Here’s something most of us don’t always think about: health costs money one way or another.

A single doctor’s visit, a prescription refill, a round of lab work… it all comes with a price tag. And don’t even get me started on the cost of insurance in this country. 😡

If you’ve ever had a health scare, or watched a loved one go through one, you know the “cost” isn’t only financial. It’s the stress, the lost sleep, the time needed for endless appointments… not to mention the fact that it takes you away from the things you actually want to be doing.

And I’m speaking from personal experience here… I’ve watched family members go through this, and I’ve seen first-hand the stress and expense of living with and treating chronic illness.

The truth is, prevention is almost always cheaper (and a whole lot less stressful) than treatment. Investing in a lifestyle that supports your body now – like eating more plants 🌱 – is one of the simplest ways to reduce the risk of developing health problems later.

A whole food plant-based diet has been shown again and again to reduce the risk of so many chronic conditions – things like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, obesity, even dementia and Alzheimer’s. (Basically, the stuff a lot of us are already worrying about as we get older.)

Eating plant-based isn’t just about adding years to your life (although it absolutely has the potential to do that), it’s about adding life to your years. I can’t remember where I heard that for the first time to give credit where credit is due, but it has always stuck with me. 

Because let’s be honest: nobody wants to finally retire only to spend their “free time” sitting in waiting rooms and managing medications. A small(ish) investment of time and money now can pay off in a much bigger way down the road – not just in dollars saved on prescriptions and copays, but in being able to live the life you actually want to live.

⚱️ Maybe that’s finally learning to paint or make pottery. 

🌍 Maybe it’s traveling the world and crossing those dream destinations off your bucket list. 

🧸 Or maybe it’s something simpler, like just being able to get down on the floor and play with your grandkids one day.

Like most things in life, it usually comes down to the trade-off, which in this case pretty much boils down to this: you can invest in your health now, or you can spend more (of everything!) managing illness later.

Only you can make the decision that’s right for you… but one path seems like the much better deal (at least to me 😜).

The Real Return: How You Feel Every Day

I don’t want to put words in your mouth, but I’m going to guess we’re on the same page about this:

• You only have so much money and you need to make hard decisions about how to spend it.

• Good health is important and you want to continue to live a fulfilling life as you get older. 

One of those is a more imminent “I need to think about this right now” thing, no matter what else is happening in your world – keeping a roof over your head, putting food on the table, making sure your Netflix account is paid up so you don’t miss the last season of Stranger Things when it comes out.

And the other one is more “I know I should be thinking about this, but…”  because it feels like it’s so far in the future. And sometimes it gets shoved aside because of all the other things you’re juggling at any given moment. Getting older is something you’ll worry about later, after you take care of everything else on your plate.

But what about all the stuff in the middle? 

That’s where the return on this particular investment isn’t just about money – it’s about how you feel every day.

While you’re paying the bills.

While you’re patting yourself on the back for washing, drying AND folding the laundry on the same day.

While you’re carrying 17 grocery bags at once because you refuse to make two trips from the car.

While you and your college kid lug a refrigerator up three flights of stairs in an un-airconditioned dorm. (And let me just tell you… it hits different at 51 than it did at 21.)

All of those little day-to-day challenges feel a little less hard when 

😍 You’re getting better sleep.

😍 You have more energy.

😍 You have fewer random aches and pains.

😍 You actually remember why you walked into a room more often than not.

😍 You’re not so bloated you want to just poke a hole in your belly because you know you’d feel so much better.

Sure, free resources and quick-fix plans usually give you a short burst of “hope,” but how many of them are you actually still doing three months later? six months later? A year?

Coaching is different. It helps you build habits that actually work in your real, everyday life – in your kitchen, with your schedule, with your priorities – so they just become a part of who you are, not something you’re struggling to stick with.

And honestly… how do you even put a price on showing up in your life that way?

What free resources can’t give you (that coaching can)

Let’s circle back to the “I can just find free stuff online” thought for a second. Because you’re absolutely right – there’s an endless supply of blogs, YouTube channels, TikToks, and recipe PDFs out there. And sure, some of it’s really good!

But here’s the catch:

Free resources give you information.

Coaching gives you transformation. 

It’s about helping you cut through all the noise, focus on what matters, and actually make it work in your life.

Here’s what Empowered by Plants gives you that free resources can’t:

🌐 Google can’t coach you through real life

You can google how to eat more plants and find a million pantry restock lists, meal prep hacks, and Pinterest recipes. But none of those know you. They don’t know that you hate kale, that your partner still won’t touch tempeh no matter how you make it, or that on Wednesdays you only have 45 minutes to eat a quick dinner between work and yoga.

This is the magic of the weekly coaching calls.

There’s no cookie-cutter plan that we try to fit your life into.  It’s us rolling up our sleeves together and tackling your reality, whatever that looks like, and how that impacts what you’re eating.

One week that might be mapping out 3 plant-based dinners you’ll actually look forward to eating, and figuring out how to manage the office pizza party without feeling like you’re missing out.

But the next week might be coming up with a game plan for your upcoming weekend at the beach, and then creating a meal plan of super simple, pantry-friendly meals for when you get back.

Every call moves you closer to this way of eating feeling more like second nature… and less like something you’re just white-knuckling your way through. You leave each session with answers, an actual plan for the week ahead, and that little exhale of relief that comes from knowing: okay, I’ve got this.

But we all know what they say about the best laid plans... 🙄  

So, if you find yourself staring at the fridge trying to manifest dinner while simultaneously scrolling StreetFoodFinder for the nearest food truck…

📲 Pinterest won’t text you back

This is the piece most people don’t realize they need… until they have it. Because change doesn’t just happen in neat, scheduled, once-a-week increments.

Free blogs and YouTube videos can give you ideas, or even some pretty great how-tos, but they can’t answer the random “What do I do now?!” moments that pop-up at the most inopportune moments.

The ‘best recipe for air fried tofu’ isn’t going to give you a pep talk when you open the package to start pressing it only to realize that it should NOT smell like that… and you’re actively fighting the urge to Door Dash something.

That’s where the between-session (aka “coach-in-your-pocket”) support comes in, and it means you don’t have to wait for your next call to ask your questions. So, even if you’re dropping F bombs while throwing that rancid tofu in the trash, you can also shoot me a quick message and get a “What have you got? Let’s make it work” answer in real time.

It’s basically the difference between trying to hike a trail with an outdated, printed map versus having a guide walking it with you.

🗺️ One wrong turn with the map and you’re wandering in circles, wondering how you could possibly have to pee again already.

🚽 With a guide, you get a quick course correction and then you’re back on the path (and headed toward the nearest bathroom).

📝 Free guides can’t build this for you

By the end of 12 weeks, you won’t just have “learned some plant-based stuff”. You’ll have practiced, messed up, adjusted, and figured out what actually works – and built your own personal plant-based blueprint based on your life, your preferences, your challenges, and your wins. 

You’ll end up with a pantry that makes it easy to throw dinner together at the last minute on a Tuesday night, a way to plan meals that actually works for you (regardless of what everyone else is doing on Instagram), and strategies you can pull out at a restaurant, when traveling, or when the holidays are looming. 

And, maybe most importantly, you’ll have the mindset shifts that make it all feel easier and lighter... instead of one more thing to add to your mental load.

This blueprint isn’t a binder or a cheat sheet – it’s you. 🤩

You’ve done the work, you’ve built the strategies, and you’ve proven to yourself that you can do this. 

Unlike free resources that give you information you may or may not be able to actually use, this is something you’ve lived, practiced, and made your own. It won’t just all fall apart when life gets crazy because, like it or not, there will be a little voice in the back of your head (maybe mine? 😜) reminding you what to do in this scenario. 

It may still evolve over time, but it keeps working because it’s now part of who you are... and not just another “diet” you’re trying to follow.

Ready to make it real?

This isn’t just a stack of PDFs you read, shove in a folder, and forget about a week later. It's what actually changes how you show up every single day.

If you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels, second-guessing everything, or cobbling together advice from all over the internet, Empowered by Plants is here to help you turn all of that into something real. You’ll get guidance, support, and a plan that actually feels like you, with someone in your corner helping you figure it out as you go.

Think of it like having a friend who’s been there, cheering you on, helping you troubleshoot, and celebrating the wins with you. By the end, you won’t just have learned about plant-based eating – you’ll have made it yours.

Feeling like this is exactly what you need right now? Let’s do this.

👉 Get all the details and grab your spot.