That is one in an occasional collection on Iowa influencers who’re discovering new methods to inform the story of the state by means of social media.
Des Moines-based vegan influencer Jackie Akerberg has no beef.
For the 31-year-old metro space native, which means no meat from animals — and no negativity — on her positivity peppered Instagram web page @jackfruitfulkitchen.
The Valley Excessive Faculty alum, who now boasts almost 90,000 followers on Instagram, catapulted to web fame in 2020 along with her artistic, colourful tackle vegan recipes.
Now, forward of the Jan. 17 launch of the debut of “The Clean Vegan Cookbook,” the Jackfruitful.com creator is dishing in regards to the journey that introduced her a slice of meals running a blog success.
The apple would not fall removed from the household enterprise
Akerberg was born Jackie Bassman to Bob and Diane Bassman, an area couple who co-owned Bassman Merchandising, a company catering and merchandising firm.
Throughout Akerberg’s childhood, the stocked merchandising machines and prepped catered meals created from scratch at their firm.
Akerberg spent hours within the kitchen within the firm’s warehouse alongside Diane, who was well-known for do-it-yourself chocolate chip cookies, as her mom prepped menu objects. She first gained an consciousness for cultivating artistic recipes at residence and within the warehouse along with her household, Akerberg mentioned.
The household of three ate do-it-yourself meals every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Breakfast on the Bassman home was a sit-down occasion and the household of three would usually share giant dinners with do-it-yourself Italian pasta sauce, contemporary pizza dough, salads, dressings, sauces, and numerous desserts.
For many of her life, Akerberg recognized as a pescatarian as a result of she would often devour salmon and eggs. Her dad would cook dinner steaks and different meats, however they by no means her palate, she mentioned.
“This new model goes to be the one which adjustments your thoughts,” Akerberg mentioned her dad would say about every new meat dish he cooked.
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From Valley Excessive Faculty to completely fledged vegan
Akerberg later graduated from Valley Excessive Faculty in 2009 and attended Aveda Institute Des Moines to obtain a cosmetology license in 2012. Akerberg labored as a colorist at Salon Spa W within the East Village, the place she met her husband Clinton, earlier than beginning her weblog Jackfruitful.com in 2019.
That yr, Akerberg additionally absolutely turned a vegan and started posting authentic plant-based recipes produced with complete meals on her weblog. In March 2020, her Instagram account @jackfruitfulkitchen solely had about 1,000 followers. By July 2021, her following had elevated to 10,000 followers and as of Jan. 12, the account has almost 90,000 followers.
“I used to put up an image with a recipe each day and folks stored telling me that I wanted to point out my face,” Akerberg mentioned. “It was really once I began sharing much more of me and being extra personable that folks linked with my account extra.”
Akerberg is understood on Instagram for peppy dancing in movies whereas holding up complete meals elements and introducing followers to plant-based recipes that includes a rainbow array of colours.
Akerberg posted a cranberry beet salsa appetizer, that includes finely chopped purple onions and cranberries with a complete lime and salt alongside different elements, around Thanksgiving in 2022 and earned almost 130,000 Instagram views. A Labor Day dish referred to as the “sesame cabbage crunch salad,” with Napa cabbage, chopped broccoli and do-it-yourself sesame dressing racked up 1 million views on the social sharing platform.
One other standard put up consists of Akerberg’s signature guacamole, with hints of lime and sprinkled salt, paired with restaurant-style salsa that makes use of tomatoes, crushed purple peppers, purple onion, and different elements.
Akerberg, who works full time as an operations supervisor at The Wealth Consulting Group along with her husband and managing companion Clinton, additionally runs the couple’s Ingersoll Avenue co-working space Collaborate DSM in Des Moines and oversees the household’s rental properties.
On Jan. 17, the Des Moines-based meals blogger’s “The Clear Vegan Cookbook,” from Salem Mass.-based Page Street Publishing Co., will hit bookstores. Akerberg started writing the cookbook in October 2021 and submitted her manuscript in June 2022.
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Inside Akerberg’s no-shame strategy to veganism
Akerberg mentioned she believes in a no-shame strategy to veganism. Her social media is scattered with wholesome alternate options to meat-friendly meals and places a constructive spin on plant-based meals with out the heavy chatter about weight loss program tradition.
“A whole lot of documentaries are disgrace based mostly and worry mongering. It’s good to coach your self, however nobody desires to see that,” Akerberg mentioned, referring to frequent cultural conversations surrounding veganism.
Akerberg mentioned that vegan naysayers ought to take into account watching “The Sport Changers,” an “empowering” movie that’s govt produced by six Hollywood heavyweights reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger and sports activities legends like Novak Djokovic, about high-performing athletes who’ve embraced plant-based diets.
She added that veganism is “only a totally different approach of consuming” and mentioned she encourages individuals to strive a plant-based weight loss program or discover vegan alternate options to meat-focused diets.
“Folks will at all times apologize to me if they’re consuming meat and I don’t care what different individuals do,” Akerberg mentioned. “It’s simply which you can have constructive impression in your well being if you select to devour vegetation.”
Whereas vegans are sometimes criticized for being excessive, she mentioned it’s important for influencers and meals bloggers to be sort and inclusive to individuals throughout their meals journeys. Her aim is to easily see people lead wholesome lives.
“My perspective on it’s vegans get a nasty rap for being form of excessive, however I believe that I take the strategy that I’m accepting and excited for the way a lot individuals can get pleasure from meals once they prioritize vegetation,” Akerberg mentioned.
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The place to search out ‘The Clear Vegan Cookbook’
“The Clear Vegan Cookbook” options recipes for 60 plant-based dishes, and is accessible at bookstores and on-line at Jackfruitful.com. Prospects should purchase “The Clean Vegan Cookbook” regionally at Eden, Des Moines Mercantile, Campbell’s Nutrition, Storyhouse Bookpub, Beaverdale Books, Allspice Cullinarium, and Kitchen Collage of Des Moines.
Jay Stahl is an leisure reporter at The Des Moines Register. Comply with him on Instagram or attain out at jstahl@gannett.com.
