Nancy Lopez
Mexican Food Writer | Plant-Based Recipe Developer | Cookbook Author
Hola, I’m Nancy Lopez, a Mexican-born food writer and recipe developer specializing in authentic plant-based Mexican cuisine.
And no, not the golfer.
I’m the Nancy Lopez who will absolutely talk your ear off about tamales, chilaquiles, and whether flour tortillas should use baking powder or not.
Also Published As
Some of my earlier professional work appears under the name Nancy Lopez-McHugh (my previous married name).
You may find that name on:
- Cookbooks
- Media features
- Professional food publications
- Contributor pages across major outlets
Same person. Same kitchen expertise. Just a name evolution.
All professional publications, cookbooks, and media features under both names belong to the same author and body of work.
My Culinary Roots
I was born in Mexico and raised in a traditional Mexican home where cooking wasn’t optional — it was cultural preservation.
Though I was born in Mexico, I later grew up in the Midwest, navigating both Mexican and Mexican-American culture.
That dual perspective shapes how I cook and how I teach. I understand traditional flavors from the inside, and I understand the realities of American grocery stores and home kitchens.
Today, I live in Mexico, where I continue to explore regional ingredients, culinary traditions, regional techniques, and evolving plant-forward adaptations firsthand.
My earliest culinary education came from:
- Watching my mother cook daily meals from scratch
- Observing my grandmother prepare traditional recipes
- Learning flavor balance through repetition, not measuring spoons
Mexican cuisine is layered, regional, and deeply intentional.
That foundation is the lens through which I develop every recipe I publish.
Professional Background and Experience
I began blogging professionally in 2009 and have over 15 years of experience as a:
- Food writer
- Recipe developer
- Food photographer
- Food videographer
- Cookbook author
My work has been featured or published in outlets such as:
- The Guardian
- Healthline
- HuffPost
- Parade
- The Spruce Eats
- Honest Cooking
- Country Living
- NBC Latino
- The Tastemakers by American Express Essentials
- BuzzFeed
- VegNews
- View full press & media features here.
I am also the author of multiple cookbooks, including Mexican Tamales Made Meatless, a cookbook dedicated to traditional Mexican tamales adapted for plant-based cooking.
This professional experience, combined with my cultural upbringing, shapes the depth and accuracy of the recipes I create today.
What I Specialize In
My area of expertise is:
Authentic Mexican cuisine adapted for plant-based and vegetarian cooking.
Specifically:
- Vegan Mexican recipes rooted in tradition
- Vegetarian adaptations of classic meat-based dishes
- Preserving traditional flavor profiles while modernizing ingredients
- Making regional Mexican dishes accessible to American home cooks
- Translating cultural cooking techniques into clear, replicable steps
I focus on flavor integrity first.
Adaptation second.
No trend-driven shortcuts.
No unnecessary substitutions that dilute authenticity.
Why My Perspective Is Different
My culinary foundation comes from generational home cooking — recipes prepared daily in real kitchens, not restaurant test labs.
The techniques I share are designed for ordinary home cooks, using accessible equipment and practical methods.
My recipes are written for real kitchens, real grocery stores, and real families.
What I offer is:
- Lived cultural experience
- Over 15 years of professional recipe development
- Deep familiarity with traditional Mexican techniques
- Over 10 years of plant-forward adaptation experience
My work sits at the intersection of:
Tradition x Accessibility x Plant-Based Innovation
My Plant-Based Journey
In 2015, after years of attempting to reduce meat consumption, I committed to transitioning to a plant-forward lifestyle.
In 2016, I launched Mexican Made Meatless to share what I was learning:
That Mexican food does not lose its soul when made meatless.
In many ways, adapting this UNESCO-recognized World Heritage cuisine to plant-based cooking is not a departure — it’s a return to its Pre-Hispanic roots.
How I Develop and Test Recipes
Every recipe I publish is:
- Tested multiple times
- Grounded in traditional flavor and techniques
- Written clearly for beginner cooks
- Structured for consistency and repeatability
- Evaluated for traditional flavor balance (salt, acid, heat, texture)
- Substitutions are documented thoughtfully, not randomly
I am not a dietitian, so I don’t provide medical nutrition advice. For health-related concerns, please consult a qualified professional.
Who Is Nancy Lopez?
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born food writer, cookbook author, and recipe developer specializing in authentic plant-based Mexican cuisine. She is the founder of Mexican Made Meatless and Spicie Foodie, and has been publishing professional food content since 2009.
My Work Today
I currently publish on:
🥑Mexican Made Meatless
Focused exclusively on authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican cuisine.
🌶️Spicie Foodie (est. 2009)
My original blog, which began as a global recipe site and continues to evolve toward plant-forward cooking.
Together, these sites reflect almost two decades of culinary writing and recipe development.
A Note on Authority and Authenticity
Mexican cuisine is not a trend.
It is a living, evolving tradition shaped by region, history, and family.
My goal is to preserve that integrity while making it accessible to modern home cooks, whether you grew up eating these dishes or are discovering them for the first time.
If you’re here for real Mexican flavors — adapted thoughtfully for plant-based cooking, you’re in the right place.
