
Jumpstart Program

Whole food, plant-based nutrition is changing people’s health across the country.
Studies consistently show that eating mostly whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables can both prevent diseases and treat them — and for some people even reverse their conditions altogether.

We’ll show you how achievable it is to adopt this lifestyle through our intensive Plant Powered Jumpstart experience.
Lasting anywhere from 10 days to a full month, Jumpstarts are designed to support a large group of people in successfully making a complete dietary transition, building skills and healthy habits for life. We offer Jumpstarts in the fall, winter, and spring, and they’re open to anyone in a time zone that fits our live program schedule.
Should I Jump In?
The Jumpstart is for you if…
- You’re curious about adopting a whole food, plant-based diet and want guidance and accountability.
- You’re at least 18 years old.
- You have internet access and are comfortable using Zoom.
- You’re dealing with a health condition and want to see if changing your diet helps — or you want to get ahead of health issues.
- You want to learn simple ways to prepare healthy meals.
- You’re able to attend all (or most) of the sessions live.
- You’re prepared to eat a whole food, plant-based diet for 21 days.
Take note: If you’re on medication for diabetes and/or high blood pressure, you’ll be required to attend a brief webinar before orientation where you’ll receive guidance from one of our plant-based clinical partners on how to mindfully manage medications with your provider(s) while you make dietary change.

Program Features

Educational Sessions
Throughout the Jumpstart, we meet for full-group learning sessions on Zoom to discuss the why and how-to of plant-powered living. These sessions are led by our nutrition and culinary educators, including chefs, dietitians, and physicians. You will:
- Observe practical cooking demonstrations
- Explore nutrition science
- Learn how to define a “whole food”
- Learn how to decode food labels
- Understand the ways plant-based nutrition affects different types of chronic diseases
While these virtual sessions are recorded, we encourage you to attend live to get the most out of the experience.

Group Mentorship Meetings
You’ll meet at designated times throughout the program in a group of 5-10 people, led by one or two of our trained Lifestyle Mentors. Your group will:
- Share successes
- Troubleshoot challenges
- Swap meal ideas
- Cheer each other on
Our larger Jumpstarts enroll 100+ participants, so peer support through mentorship is a great chance to get personalized guidance on your journey.
Other Program Perks
Jumpstarts offer even more chances to learn and connect. Through the program, you also gain access to:
- Resources and recipes in our program app
- A private Facebook group for virtual support
- If you’re local to the New York metro area: mentor-led tours at the grocery store or farmers market
- Small prizes for participation — if you attend group sessions live, you’re automatically entered to win!
- A complimentary, home-delivered produce box for participants who struggle to access or afford healthy food — if that’s you, check the box on the registration form.


Program Fees Pay What You Can
Jumpstart fees directly support our program costs. When you register, you’ll choose the rate that best fits your budget:
- $150 sustainer rate – pays for your participation
- $250 sponsor rate – pays for your participation, plus a donation or sponsorship of someone else
- $50 community rate – discounted for those who need it
Sponsorship
Interested in funding our Jumpstart programs or providing scholarships? We welcome general donations or those made in honor or memory of a loved one. Contact Lianna Levine Reisner, PPMNY Network Director, for next steps.
SUNY Downstate Jumpstart Study
What’s the Impact?
Jumpstart participants voluntarily contributed labwork results and questionnaires to SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s School of Public Health as part of a study conducted from 2021-2023 over seven cohorts. We’re proud to share the results:
Quality of Life
This chart shows the percentage of improvement among those Jumpstart participants who initially reported that the items below affected their daily life:













Mental Health
PHQ-9 (Depression) Score: 2.85 Mean Reduction

PHQ-9 (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) measures severity of depression. A 2.85 point reduction is a shift from a low level of mild depression to a state of low to no depression — a clinically significant change.
GAD-7 (Anxiety) Score: 1.82 Mean Reduction

A 1.82 point reduction in a GAD-7 (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7) score is considered statistically significant and indicates an improvement in daily functioning and quality of life.
More reasons to say yes

Average Weight Loss: 4.09 lbs

Average Waistline Reduction: 1.45″

98% of Participants Recommend
…and these results are in the first 21 days! Participants who stick with the lifestyle often seen continual and additional improvements including more weight loss, improved eye health, lower resting heart rates, and many more benefits that are unique to each person.
The Jumpstart for Organizations
If your company or organization would like to sponsor your community’s or employees’ participation, or provide scholarships — learn more about sponsorships for nonprofits or corporate sponsorships, or reach out to us with questions.
There’s more than one way to partner with us! Learn about all of the opportunities available:
