About The Table Leaf
At The Table Leaf, we empower you with the skills and knowledge to explore plant-based meals, and expand your table with nutrients and deliciousness!
Hello! I’m glad you’re here.
My name is Amy Pfefferle. I’m a plant-based nutrition educator & aficionado, and have been enthusiastically following a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. I have years of teaching experience, am certified in plant-based nutrition, and have a wealth of research-based curriculum to share with you.
And I love mashed potatoes!
A bit more of my story:
For me, it’s been a long journey of experience and education to a plant-based lifestyle. My love of food and cooking began back in grade school as the oldest in a family of 6, with a working mom and coach dad. I learned to cook hamburger hotdish, frozen fish sticks, and even a fabulous “puffy cheese” concoction.
I grew up to be an elementary school teacher, and my husband, three tall kids and hundreds of energetic students joined me as I cooked and taught my way through the subsequent years. I was tired at the end of the day! And I got a little sick with a thyroid issue.
I read about ways to get and stay healthy by eating plants. I watched the documentary Forks Over Knives. I stopped eating puffy cheese (okay, I won’t fib---I stopped eating that in 1974). I went back to school and got a certificate in plant-based nutrition from T. Colin Campbell’s Center for Nutrition Studies. I took lessons in plant-based cooking from Rouxbe’s online culinary school. And I was selected to be trained as a certified Food for Life instructor, through the non-profit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
Best of all, I got healthy, and discovered a whole new world of recipes and food concoctions to try! (none of which involve American cheese slices). I’d love for you to join me at the table to learn about the joys of cooking and eating plants. You will find that once you know better, you do better.
My Credentials
Food For Life instructor
Food for Life is an award-winning nutrition education and cooking class program that provides an innovative approach to diet-related chronic diseases.
Designed by physicians, nurses, and registered dietitians, Food for Life promotes healthful eating based on the latest scientific research.
Licensed Minnesota teacher
I have years of K-5th grade teaching experience in small town & metro districts. My ‘jam’ for years was meeting students, parents, and classroom volunteers where they were at, and focusing on advancing their knowledge in a caring, compassionate environment.
T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies graduate
Created by eCornell with over 20 experts (MDs, PhDs, RDs, RNs), the course provides research and perspectives to emphasize why following a plant-based diet is optimal for health—including the prevention and reversal of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
Rouxbe Online Culinary School student
I have completed lessons in the Culinary Rx and Forks Over Knives courses. The goal of both courses is mastering the art of cooking delicious nutrient-dense plant-based foods. I’m not going to lie—cooking classes are a great way to make sure dinner is on the table.