Nafsika Antypas, Nafsika Inc. Founder and CEO: ‘Nafsika’s Garden is the new “cheese” in town that is hitting mainstream markets and our TV series, Plant-Based By Nafsika, is the first and still the only vegan lifestyle series on mainstream television’

It is a well-known fact that plant-based diets help people maintain a healthy weight. This is mainly because plants are rich in fiber. Fiber is present in every unprocessed plant food, and if you consume more of it, you can gain access to a whole host of benefits. Plant-based food manufacturers took an innovative turn and have now reached great heights in that segment. In recent times plant-based cheese is also gaining immense popularity, and there are various types and textures of vegan cheese available now. There are various companies specializing in delivering excellent plant-based products globally, but Nafsika stands out from the rest.

Nafsika Inc. is a conscious company offering innovations for your well-being. Nafsika’s Garden is the new “cheese”in town that is hitting mainstream markets and it’s TV series, Plant-Based By Nafsika, is the number one vegan lifestyle series on mainstream television (A&E Network). Nafsika’s vegan cheese looks, tastes, and feels like real cheese, but better. And as a bonus, it won’t harm your health the way dairy does, plus no animals are harmed in order to produce it. Nafsika’s Garden was created because people wanted to have a great tasting cheese alternative that didn’t compromise one’s taste buds or recipes. The brand is doing exceptionally well and is now available in over ten countries in just a couple of years since its launch. Nafsika’s products are vegan certified, and the company is launching several new dairy-free products this year.

In conversation with Nafsika Antypas, Founder and CEO of Nafsika Inc.

Q. Protein requirements can be tough to meet without consuming meats, poultry, and seafood. How does plant based food meet those requirements?

Our vegan cheese line is not protein-focused; it is a cheese alternative made of coconut oil (which consists of zero protein). We have not supplemented our cheese with protein because vegan cheese is used as part of a meal, not to eat alone as a meal. Therefore, we feature countless delicious recipes on our website and social media posts to show ways to incorporate our cheese in many meals. We will be producing other products that will be protein-focused in the future, but I’d like to take this opportunity to say that people have become too protein obsessed. If you’re eating a whole-food, plant-based diet, you are getting all the necessary proteins because that’s where protein truly comes from; plants.

Q. Meal planning and preparation are essential to staying on track plant-based diet. How can people stay on track with their diet?

Going plant-based is not as hard as it seems. Like with any menu plan, I say everything in moderation - except we’re talking about consuming whole foods derived from plants. Vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains, fruits, and legumes are all essential for a plant-based diet. One reason you should switch to a plant-based lifestyle is that it’s nutritionally balanced and good for your body’s wellbeing. Nevertheless, you still need to keep an eye on the foods you’re eating. A colorful and diversified diet is one that offers a complete range of nutrition. If you need a little help, anyone can start my 6-week online course called, The Plant-Based Switch (available at nafsikainc.com). The first week is free to try. I have my program in book form as well.

Q. Is a plant-based diet good option for everyone? And what are the potential benefits of a plant-based diet?

Absolutely. There is nothing that is part of this diet that can harm you; unless of course you’re allergic to nuts or something like that. It has been proven that a plant-based diet improves health issues such as obesity and high cholesterol. It reduces your risk to chronic diseases like cancer. There are no chemicals, hormones or antibiotics in plant-based foods like there are in animal proteins. It’s better for the environment. It’s really a no-brainer.

Q. Tell us in brief about your inventory management. And how do you source quality materials to maintain the quality of your products?

Being vegan certified by Vegcert, all of our raw materials and ingredients that we source must follow strict guidelines. Not only are ingredients 100% vegan, non-gmo, and of high quality, we also assure that the companies where these are sourced from follow the same guidelines and are 100% cruelty-free, meaning, they also do not test on animals. You can taste the quality in our products. And we have a clean ingredients deck.

Q. Do you have any new services ready to be launched?

We have an online course available, an app on the way, and we’re launching a few books. One is cookbook/guide to a Plant-based lifestyle called, the Plant-Based Switch. The others are fiction novels, and I’m working on a new TV series.

Q. What does the future hold for your company and its customers? Are exciting things on the way?

More exciting products and TV shows! I can’t divulge any details just yet.

Meet the leader behind the success of Nafsika Inc.

Nafsika Antypas is the writer, host, and executive producer of the television series, Plant-Based by Nafsika, as well as the owner of international vegan food brand, Nafsika’s Garden. Raised in Montreal, Canada, Antypas obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, where she also received several post-graduate certificates. She later received her health coach certification from the Health Coach Institute. In 2014, Nafsika founded a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, People Against Violence, to help victims of violence seek guidance and assistance with its 24-hour helpline, monitored by certified counselors. But being a passionate vegan, Nafsika felt that the best way to truly help make the world a more compassionate place is to help people go vegan. So, in late 2015, Nafsika put together a unique show that, within six months, would become the first vegan lifestyle series to ever hit mainstream television (A&E), reaching 70 million households.

The TV series, Plant-Based by Nafsika focuses on a plant-based diet and vegan living, a concept Nafsika hoped would help change the world through food. This has not only sparked the interest of viewers around the globe but has “planted seeds” helping veganism become more mainstream, a goal Nafsika conveys in her motto, “If You Plant It, It Will Grow.” In 2017, Nafsika became a certified Health and Lifestyle Coach, helping people make the “Plant-Based Switch” to a healthier, more compassionate lifestyle. But there was one very important obstacle stopping people from going vegan, and that was giving up their beloved cheese. So, by late 2018, Nafsika founded the hottest new vegan “cheese” in town, Nafsika’s Garden, hitting major retailers across Canada, followed by the U.S. in early 2020 and is now available in 13 countries. Nafsika has also always taken pleasure in writing, be it for business or pleasure. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows, contributed her writing, been interviewed by online magazines such as PETA, VegNews, EmpowHER, Insider, Health Digest, and more. She is the author of “Ghosted”, “The Plant-Based Switch” and other books. Having majored in English Literature, Nafsika could never go anywhere without a pen and paper. She knew it was time to have her stories and ideas published if she was going to make a difference in the world, which has always been her ultimate goal.

“Try any of our products to help you switch from dairy for good.”