By Chef Jacques Laventure – Brooklyn Vegan Chef | Little Caribbean | Little Haiti | Canarsie Brooklyn
Growing up in Brooklyn a Haitian household in Crown Heights closer to Little Caribbean, not too far from Canarsie Brooklyn, I saw the effects of food and stress up close. My father worked long hours as a cab driver, barely slept, and relied on fast food to keep him going. He was diabetic, and I remember how often he would line up his pills on the kitchen counter, as if they were part of his meal prep routine.
My father tried to do better by juicing and sometimes he would skip meals but the medication kept piling up. The test strips alone cost more than a gym membership. As a kid, I promised myself that I would never let my life come down to a pile of pills. I wanted a different story.
My mom was the opposite. She believed in tea squeezing lemons and limes, boiling herbs, and trusting nature. But even she got caught in the same cycle: work, worry, and medication.
Years later, after becoming the Naked Chef in LA I relocated back to be a Brooklyn plant-based chef in , I decided to test what I had learned on my biggest client yet my mom. For years, I had introduced 40-day plant-based challenges to clients, but convincing her to try it took patience and love.
Finally, she agreed.
For 40 days, she replaced processed foods with fresh, colorful meals. I taught her how to make the same bold, soulful Haitian flavors using plants no meat, no dairy, just flavor and intention. The results?
She dropped to pre-diabetic.
She no longer needed as much medication.
Her stress went down, her energy went up, and even her hair began to grow back strong.
Seeing her transformation reminded me why I started this journey in the first place. Food isn’t just fuel it’s medicine. But it’s also culture, memory, and love. Choosing plants over pills isn’t about rejecting our roots; it’s about redefining them.
That’s why I celebrate being a Brooklyn Vegan Chef rooted in Little Haiti and Little Caribbean blending heritage and healing through every meal.
If you’re curious about how food can change your life, join our 40-Day Plant Challenge. Experience what it feels like to take control of your health, your energy, and your story.
Let’s heal together one plant-based bite at a time.