Advances In Manufacturing Makes Plant-Based More Viable But Will It Take Over?
After 15 years as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry, Christie Lagally decided to utilize her skills to champion plant-based foods. Barbara Castiglia spoke Lagally, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at rebellyous foods, about her unique career path and why plant-based foods are so important to her.
When Lagally first went to college she attended culinary school. She quickly learned that her gifts were not to be found in this space and went to a more traditional school eventually graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree. She is now applying her knowledge to creating plan-based foods and making them more affordable to the general public.
When asked about her journey to today, Lagally explained that ending up where she is now is not as random as it might appear. Lagally has over 15 years of volunteer service for various animal protection agencies including a 7+ year engagement as a Washington State Council Member for The Humane Society of the United States.
“As an advocate, I was passionate about these issues because I care about people, I care about animals. I’d seen a lot of people in my family particularly either sadly pass away or just suffer very badly from diet-related diseases that we now know are heavily impacted by what we eat and how they can even be mitigated by changing what we eat,” stated Lagally.
She’s clearly passionate about the mission of rebellyous foods which produces plant-based nuggets, tenders, and patties that cook just like traditional breaded chicken products. The company has even been able to produce nuggets for the national K12 Food Service program allowing schools to offer a nutritious and cost-effective chicken alternative. An added benefit, plant-based foods offer a tasty treat without added chemicals and preservatives including antibiotics.
Moving forward, rebellyous foods aims to continue making plant-based meat better and cheaper by advancing manufacturing practices and technologies to bring its products to market throughout the U.S.
