Hi, I’m Liz Thomson, the recipe developer, food photographer, and writer behind I Heart Vegetables. For more than 16 years, I’ve been creating approachable vegetarian recipes that help busy home cooks get more plants on the table, without the stress.

Liz Thomson
Photo Credit: Sandy Jones

I’m based in Richmond, Virginia.

  • Here, you’ll find hundreds of recipes developed, tested, and photographed by me!
  • I’m also the founder of Virginia Creators, a Richmond community for local content creators.
  • In 2016, I published The Truly Healthy Vegetarian Cookbook, filled with healthy, vegetarian recipes.

My Experience

I’ve been publishing at I Heart Vegetables since 2010, and in that time, it has grown into a library of nearly 1,000 vegetarian recipes. I personally develop, test, cook, write, and photograph everything on the site, so when a recipe goes live, it’s because it actually worked in my own kitchen first.

In 2012, I founded Virginia Bloggers, now Virginia Creators, a community that connects and supports content creators across the Richmond area. Alongside I Heart Vegetables, I also run VA Foodie, covering the Virginia food and dining scene.

My work has been featured in local publications like Virginia Living and Virginia This Morning, as well as national publications like Business Insider, The Family Heart Foundation, and more!

Liz Thomson in her Richmond kitchen
Photo Credit: Sandy Jones

My Expertise

  • Vegetarian and plant-forward recipe development
  • Food photography and styling
  • Short-form recipe video
  • Meal planning & cooking on a budget

I’m a self-taught cook who has spent over a decade developing and testing vegetarian recipes. I’ve always had an interest in the intersection of food and wellness, so I got my health coaching certification in 2013 and my NASM personal training certification in 2019. It’s been fun bringing together my passions of food and health, to create easy, plant based recipes.

I’ve had the pleasure of appearing on a few podcasts, which you can listen to here:

Liz Thomson with son
Photo Credit: Alexa Maire Wieland

A Little More About Me

My husband and I were foster parents for six years, and we adopted our son through foster care in 2023. He loves being active and playing outside, so when I’m not in the kitchen, you can usually find me hiking, swimming, biking, or playing sports with the boys!

Let’s stay in touch

Follow along on Instagram for new recipes, or sign up for my newsletter to get my best vegetarian recipes delivered straight to your inbox.

Liz Thomson with cookbook
Photo Credit: Sandy Jones