Dr. Joycelyn Peterson’s Cookbook Brings Faith, Flavor, and Nutrition to the Table

For Dr. Joycelyn Peterson—affectionately known as Dr. Joy—food has always been about more than nourishment. It’s a calling rooted in faith, culture, and community. From her early years, she was inspired to embrace healthy, plant-based eating and made a decision at just 18 years old that would shape the rest of her life: to become a dietitian and write a vegetarian cookbook that could help people around the world live healthier, more vibrant lives.

“I wanted to teach people that the original diet God intended for man—fruits, grains, and vegetables—could still be delicious and fulfilling,” she says, referencing Genesis 1:29. That conviction laid the foundation for a remarkable career in nutrition, education, and culinary innovation.

Today, Dr. Peterson serves as a Professor and Director of the Nutritional Sciences Program at Morgan State University in Baltimore, where she has spent years shaping the next generation of dietitians and public health leaders. Her academic background informs everything she does—from teaching and mentoring students to developing recipes for her cookbooks.

“My education and work experience have made me proficient in creating and testing recipes that we use in Morgan’s culinary arts minor,” she explains. “Students learn not just the science of nutrition, but how to apply it practically to create healthy, flavorful dishes.”

Dr. Peterson’s approach to teaching goes beyond the classroom. Her students often participate in research projects and community events, sharing what they’ve learned with Baltimore residents at health fairs and workshops. For her, education is a form of service—one that connects science, culture, and compassion.

In her cookbooks and public health work, Dr. Peterson celebrates African American culinary traditions while reimagining them through a healthier lens. “Recipes like Okarra fritters use simple, familiar ingredients like black-eyed peas to add plant-based protein,” she says. “They’re a nod to our roots, showing that traditional foods can still support good health.”

She also tackles one of the biggest misconceptions about “soul food”—that it’s inherently unhealthy. “Soul food isn’t just fat and fried foods,” she emphasizes. “When you look closely, the traditional dishes—fresh greens, beans, vegetables—were wholesome. It’s about how we prepare them.”

Her work encourages families to honor their heritage without compromising wellness. Her guiding principle? KISS: Keep it Simply Served. “Each day, choose colorful, easy-to-prepare, fresh or frozen foods,” she advises. “Healthy eating doesn’t have to be complicated.”

Dr. Peterson is also the founder and director of the Vegetarian Institute of Nutrition and Culinary Arts, a nonprofit that provides cooking classes and vegetarian cuisine training around the world. She has published three vegetarian cookbooks, contributed articles to newspapers and health magazines, and even had her doctoral dissertation featured in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism.

Her proudest moments, she says, happen each May—watching her students walk across the stage at graduation. “Seeing them fulfill their dream of becoming registered dietitians reminds me why I do this work,” she reflects.

And the future is bright. Dr. Peterson recently helped Morgan State secure approval from the Maryland Higher Education Commission to launch a Master’s degree in Community Health Nutrition with a Dietetic Internship Track, expanding opportunities for students to pursue advanced training in public health nutrition.

As she continues to write, teach, and mentor, Dr. Peterson remains grounded in her mission: to promote wellness through faith-based principles and evidence-based science. “Wherever God leads, I’ll keep sharing the message that good health starts on our plates,” she says.

Her cookbooks are a testament to that message—bridging tradition and transformation, one vibrant, plant-based recipe at a time.