Angela Rummans

This former reality TV star promotes the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Story by Barry Kaufman, As seen in Local Life Magazine, Photography Lisa Staff Photography

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Before she was a professional track and field athlete, before she was a contestant on Big Brother 20, but while she was just a kid growing up on Hilton Head, Angela Rummans was just, in her own words, “One of the weird kids watching Emeril on TV instead of Nickelodeon.”

A dedicated foodie from a young age, she began to take a different look at what she ate while training for the Olympics in 2013. As part of a deep-dive research spree into nutrition and athletic performance, she stumbled across a book about veganism that had an enormous impact on her. “I honestly wouldn’t ever have read it because I was one of those people who associated low protein with less performance,” she said. “I read this book, and I deeply wanted it to not be true.”

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It was enough to convince her, and she went vegan for 30 days right before the biggest track and field meet of the year. “People told me, ‘You are crazy. You’re going to mess up your performance,’” she said. “It was the complete opposite — I had so much energy, and a nagging knee injury that just went away. Instead of feeling like I needed a nap after every meal, I felt a burst of energy.”  

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After appearing on Big Brother and meeting fiancé Tyler Crispen, the two of them moved to Hilton Head Island. Two years ago they made yet another commitment, as Crispen and Rummans are now avowed vegans. “It started out as a thing we did for health reasons, but then once we dove into the ethical reasons and the environmental reasons behind it, it kind of snowballed into activism,” she said.

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When quarantine hit, that activism made its way into Rummans’ kitchen. The kid who grew up watching Food Network was now a young lady with a mission in her heart to spread delicious, approachable plant-based recipes. “I’m really trying to veganize non-vegan foods, all those comfort foods you don’t get to enjoy as a vegan,” she said. “When you transition to a plant-centric diet, you don’t have to give everything up. It can be just as fulfilling and delicious.”

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Within three months she created and photographed 100 different recipes, from stews and meat-free meat loaves to the popular Bang Bang cauliflower. Originally intending to publish it as an eBook, she began fielding requests for a hardcover copy. The first volume of “Angela’s Plant-Based Kitchen” proved so popular, a second volume is now on its way.

“It’s hard to express all the reasons why we should focus on a plant-based diet,” she said. “Once people realize they don’t have to give up anything, they’re more open to seeing other reasons.”

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Story by Barry Kaufman, As seen in Local Life Magazine, Photography Lisa Staff Photography

Lisa Staff is a content creator and photographer that services Hilton Head, Savannah, Charleston and Charlotte areas.