Meet Crystal Bonnet - Vegan Chef | Educator

I am excited to introduce you to Crystal Bonnet, she is a raw vegan chef, educator, author, and photographer. When Crystal and I first starting talking I felt an immediate connection, and the positive energy and passion for what she does shines through. Her food, recipes, and presentation are always amazing. She is an empathetic person and is always working towards the best version of herself with a smile. One of these days when I get up to Vancouver, BC she is going to make me one of her fabulous raw vegan cakes!

Hi Crystal, Tell us about you. How do you define yourself? What is your favorite quality in yourself?

I don't know if I can really define myself, but my favorite quality is that I am always striving to improve myself and be better. Whether it be spiritually mentally or physically in both my career and in my relationships.

Do you have any morning rituals? What is the first thing you do when you get up?

It's something I am trying to change, and I know it's not healthy but I make a medicinal mushroom latte and get on my phone and start the day answering messages.

What is your philosophy on food and nourishment? 

I don't judge when it comes to food and my philosophy is that everyone is so different and everyone's body is so different and with that, I believe that everyone should be eating what's best for them. You can nourish your body is so many ways, not just food, you can nourish yourself spiritually and emotionally.

Where do you find inspiration for all your delicious recipes?

Wow, lots of places, I get inspiration from social media, from pictures, even non-food pictures, I love the colors and then I think I want to create a dessert with those colors. I also get inspiration when I go out to eat, I love to create raw vegan versions of everything.

Quality of food is very important and so is the quality of mind. How do you feed your mind? 

Through mediation, yoga, reading, and podcasts; I was listening to the School Of Greatness and that has been actually speaking to me lately.   

What does a typical day of work/life look like for you?

Every day can be different for me depending on what project I am working on. Some days it's a full computer day, some days it's a full kitchen day. Although I always take my dog Soldier for a walk each day, that is very important to me. I also exercise every day, whether it be hot yoga or exercise at home. 

Is there a main message you are working to bring to life with your work?

Yes, the big thing around why I do what I do is that I like to show people that plant-based food can be healthy and very flavorful. I have never been a vegan activist, I like to try to get people to eat more plant-based because it can be healthy and then they want to learn and do more.

What does self-care look like while running your business?

My self-care is exercise and walking and spending time with my dog. I also consider food prep a form of self-care because I am taking the time to nourish my body. 

What are you excited about? Both personally and professionally?

I am excited about everything I am always excited about the future because you never know what's gonna happen and what's gonna come up. Professionally I am filming more recipes to add to my online course. I am upgrading my online course and I am always trying to make it better for my students.

What advice would you share with anyone wanting to empower them to feel strong and confident?

I think the advice I would give is to do things that scare you because when you do things that scare you and accomplish them, you become more confident and sets more goals.

What advice would you share with your younger self?

I think that it's all gonna be ok, your gonna go through some shit, but it will be ok in the end. It will get rough before it gets good but just hang in there!

When do you feel you're most radiant? Has your idea of beauty shifted over your life?

I feel the most radiant when I am doing something selfless. One thing that I wanted to learn is how to give with my whole heart, without getting anything in return or having any expectations. I believe that when you do good you feel good.

What inspired you to be vegan? 

I don't eat 100% raw it's 80 - 90 percent raw depending on the season. I always thought I was eating healthy with a pescatarian diet, but I was getting sick a lot and I barely knew how to cook. I was eating a lot of processed foods, and my body was telling me that I was not doing things right. 

So I came across a 21-day raw food cleanse online - I started making everything from the program; I even ran out and bought a Vita-Mix. Then I just fell in love with how flavorful and beautiful raw food was and it all spiraled upward from there and this became my passion!

Contact Crystal @ Crystal Dawn Culinary