Joe Yonan

Joe Yonan is an American vegetarian/plant-based food writer and cookbook author who served as Food and Dining Editor for The Washington Post from 2006 until July 2025, when he took a voluntary buyout during the publication's staff reduction. During his 19-year tenure at the Post, he wrote the popular 'Weeknight Vegetarian' column and previously authored the 'Cooking for One' column for five years. Yonan's career began in hard news as a reporter for Boston media outlets including The Boston Globe before transitioning to food journalism after graduating from Cambridge School of Culinary Arts in 2000. He publicly transitioned to vegetarianism in 2013 and has become a prominent voice in plant-based cooking, describing himself as '90% vegan.' His 2024 cookbook 'Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking' won the 2025 James Beard Award. Under his leadership, The Washington Post's food section earned the James Beard Foundation's award for Best Newspaper Food Section in 2009 and 2010. He has authored multiple cookbooks including 'Cool Beans,' 'Eat Your Vegetables,' and 'Serve Yourself,' and edited 'America the Great Cookbook.' As of August 2025, his current employment status following his departure from The Washington Post is not publicly known.