About Jen Hansard

Hi there! I’m Jen, born and raised in Southern California, moved to Brooksville, FL to raise our babies and currently live in Norman, OK with our teenagers. I’ve been sharing plant-based recipes on this blog for 13 years and have published two cookbooks: Simple Green Smoothies + Simple Green Meals.

I’m growing younger each year (at least that’s how I feel!) and I hope I can help you eat better and feel amazing, too! Through this blog and my Instagram account, I’ve helped millions of people (and pets!) fall in love with green smoothies and plant-based recipes.

Yet it hasn’t always been like this. Let’s dive in!

It all began in my 20’s— I was a vegetarian who survived on grilled cheese sandwiches, Lucky Charms, and Taco Bell bean-and-cheese burritos. Sometimes I’d buy a bag of spinach because it was “the healthy thing to do,” and then watch it rot away in the fridge because I didn’t know what to do with it.

It wasn’t until I had my second child that I was stopped in my tracks. Having a toddler running circles around me, a newborn who needed me every second, and a diet extremely low in any real nutrition was a recipe for exhaustion. I relied on double shots of espresso to get me out of bed in the morning, and apot of coffee to keep me going the rest of the day. Coffee was my lifeline, yet eventually, even that stopped working. It didn’t matter how much coffee I drank, I was always tired. I felt defeated by my own body. Something had to change.

The Power of a Green Smoothie

I started blending a daily smoothie with spinach (aka: a green smoothie) for my family in 2011, wondering if the hippie health claims were legit. I quickly noticed I had more energy and didn’t need so much coffee. I was also staying full longer and able to have a smoothie as a meal. Even the kids enjoyed them… and never seemed to get sick.

For my family, these smoothies were the “gateway drug” to a healthier life. Within a few weeks of drinking them, I was a different person. I was actually eager to wake up in the morning, bike my son to preschool, and then head to the playground with my daughter.

I started creating smoothie recipes with my friend Jadah and we shared them on Instagram. Hundreds of thousands of people started to make them! It was crazy town— in all the best ways! Yet smoothies were just the beginning. The more plants I ate, the better I felt (and looked!). So I continued experiment in the kitchen and share my recipes online.

Fueling My Passions

The more plant-based recipes I ate, the more energy I had. Running became my outlet (and my free therapy). I would wake up early to run in the morning with a friend and we were hooked! I completed a half-marathon in 2014, a marathon in 2015, an ultra-marathon in 2017 (100km). I’m heading to Switzerland to Run the Alps this summer and explore three countries. Join me! (I’m serious).

Here’s a few of the passion I’ve picked up over the years:

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I’m still a work in progress (half & half in my coffee, Taco Bell and I are BFFs), but I’m pretty proud of how far I’ve come. You see, I plan to live a long, active and adventurous life and I’m doing what I can to cultivate a lifestyle that supports it. Cancer runs pretty deep in my family and I hope my active life with a plant-based diet gives me a chance. Plus, my husband (Ryan) is an Air Force chaplain, so travel is in our lifestyle… and I’m determined to keep my body rawkin’ so no matter where we move or how old I get, I can still hike the tallest mountain (and get there first!).

Current bucket list adventures

• Visit all US National Parks as a family. (We’ve hit 42 so far)
• Complete a Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim with my kids.
• Thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail in 2028.
• Run across the Alps.
• Do a Netherland Bike Tour with Ryan for our 30th anniversary.
• Trek the Camino de Santiago.

By using with my plant-based meal planner, I’m drinking green smoothies and eating mostly plant-based. It’s transformed my health. I am finally able to see my dreams as a possibility and actually chase them down. I’m here to help you do the same.

Plant-Based Recipes You Can Customize

I share tasty recipes using plant-based whole foods. You can also call them “healthy recipes.” This is not a vegan food blog (I am not vegan). It’s a plant-based blog (which means I eat mostly plants, yet occasionally use meat, cheese, dairy, eggs… and bean burritos, mexican pizzas and spicy potato tacos at Taco Bell). Yes— I add half & half every morning to my coffee. It’s non-negotiable.

What this all means for you: If you wanna put chicken on a my veggie bowl, feta on a veggie wrap or collagen in your smoothie— go for it! I sometimes do. The goal is to eat more plants, however and whenever you can; I’ve got recipes you’ll love for that. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up everything else.

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