Chef Alejandra Schrader
Chef Alejandra Schrader is an award-winning author, plant-based nutrition certified chef, activist, and food TV personality based in Los Angeles, CA. She shares her passion for delicious and sustainable food through her colorful and healthy dishes. Chef Schrader encourages us to celebrate the biodiversity of food systems by diversifying what is on our plates, especially edible plants.
The PTFI has partnered with Chef Schrader on the creation of a series of planetary health recipes. We are examining the food quality of these dishes through our advanced analytical approaches to better understand the biomolecular basis of a healthy and sustainable diet.
We connected with Chef Schrader on her perspectives on food quality and motivations in promoting sustainable diets.
Visit Chef Alejandra’s profile to read the interview and browse her exquisitely delicious recipes.
Visit Chef Alejandra's profile
This fun and colorful dessert is testament that food waste can be upcycled in ways that we would have never imagined before. The term aquafaba comes from Latin and it’s composed of two words: aqua (water) and faba (bean); it refers to the cooking liquid that also keeps beans safely stored in cans. Aquafaba makes a great substitute for egg whites in this incidentally vegan recipe ( a discovery made by French chef Joel Roessel in 2014). A variety of fresh berries add a ton of flavor and healthful benefits to the dish!
A nutritional powerhouse, butternut squash is the star of this comforting soup. Just one cup of diced butternut squash contains over 4 times the RDI of Vitamin A and over half the RDI of Vitamin C. It is also rich in minerals such as magnesium, potassium, and manganese. The winter squash add a beautiful texture to this soup thanks to its fiber content and a subtle sweetness that plays off beautifully against the savory elegance of the aromatics and herbs.
Beetroots, commonly known as beets, have beautiful, earthy flavor and aromas. The contrasting shades of red and golden beets really pop up on this dish. No matter the color, beets are loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially folate and manganese, as well as dietary fiber. Talk about healthy superstars! Fennel ribbons add a crunchy texture and a bright licorice flavor to this salad. The sweetness of the blood orange supremes plays off with the creaminess of the dressing and the pleasant, mild bitter flavor of the radicchio and watercress.