The best origin stories are personal.
Ours sure is. It starts with a mother and young daughter’s love of exploring international dishes at local restaurants. And then life, education, and inspiration fuel the story.
Amanda and her mom in the early '80s
Long-Time Lover of Global Cuisine
Leaf & Sage Founder Amanda Denny grew up in Los Angeles with her mother Becky who loved global cuisine. For Amanda and her mom, dinners out meant pad see ew at their local Thai restaurant, arroz con pollo at the Cuban spot down the street from their house, and on special occasions, chicken pastilla at the Moroccan restaurant on Sunset Blvd.
Excited by the diversely delicious flavors, colors, and spices from around the world, Amanda grew to love the adventure of trying new foods.
A change in diet and outlook
The Healing Power of a Plant-Based Diet
Amanda’s deep interest in the concept of food as medicine started when she saw firsthand the power of a plant-based diet to heal the body and ward off illness.
Her mom, an RN in epidemiology, was diagnosed with stage-four endometrial cancer in 2017. A voracious reader and researcher, Becky pored over endless studies on nutrition and evidence that a low-fat, low-sugar, vegan diet was the optimal way to support the immune system and to help the body heal. Suddenly, this 66-year-old lifelong junk food lover went vegan.
Within a few months—before even beginning chemotherapy—Becky’s CA-125 (a common cancer-related tumor marker) had started to decrease. Her oncologist was astonished. Amanda and her mom quickly realized the potential power of individual food choices as a means to combat illness and heal the body.
Amanda was amazed, inspired, and finally awake to the undeniable health benefits of nutrition.
The Seeds of Leaf & Sage
With this new insight and passion, Amanda spent several years doing her own research into nutrition and its impact on health. Along the way, she changed her diet—and her family’s—and realized it was time for a professional change too.
Amanda went on to study more formally through Cornell’s online certificate program—co-created by the Center for Nutrition Studies—where she examined evidence-based principles of the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet and earned a certificate in plant-based nutrition from eCornell. After being inspired by the incredible Matthew Kenney, plant-based pioneer, chef, and world-renowned restaurateur, she completed online culinary training coursework through the Food Future Institute, his visionary vegan cooking school.
The more she learned, the more committed she became to her new calling. After a 20-year career in healthcare and recruitment marketing, Amanda launched Leaf & Sage, bringing her vision for plant-based cuisine to life—and now bringing healthy, vegan-inspired Personal Chef and Catering services to her community.
What’s the next chapter of our story?
Things are changing, fast. The emerging evidence supporting a plant-based diet is driving better education and significant shifts in how people think about food—from the breakdown of traditional food systems to the individual and collective impact on the environment.
Our mission aligns with this broader global movement to be more informed and thoughtful about what we choose to eat. We’re excited to see how the next chapter unfolds for Leaf & Sage as we make it easier for people in Marin and the Bay Area to enjoy delicious plant-based dishes and live healthier lives—while supporting a healthier planet.
