In the kitchen with Mayim Bialik

Though she is best known for her Emmy-nominated role as Amy Farrah Fowler from "The Big Bang Theory," Mayim Bialik's most important job starts when the cameras are turned off and the audience goes home.

Bialik is the mother of two young sons. She also has a PhD in neuroscience and has chosen a very non-Hollywood path to being a mom.

In her latest book, "Mayim's Vegan Table," Bialik gives parents the basics of making kid-friendly recipes that are entirely free of meat and animal products. And yes, her boys really do eat them.

Get cooking: Vegan Mac N Cheez recipe

"I don't know how other parents should live," Bialik said. "I know what works for me."

Bialik said she started eating an entirely plant-based diet as she learned and read more and understood more about her body.

"Having kids forces you to do that," she said. "You want to put good things in your body."

Though she does cook at home, Bialik is clear that the book is not written in an effort to tell people they have to be vegan or eat a perfect diet. For her, it's all about making better choices.

"My kids aren't always eating as healthy as I would like," she said.

In fact, Bialik makes every effort to keep meals simple, but fun, and an easy transition for families who may not otherwise consider trying a vegan lifestyle.

"It's another expression of something people think is unusual or weird," she said. "Because I have a public platform, I am able to say why I don't think it's weird."

Like her first book, "Beyond the Sling," Bialik's cookbook is not judgmental. She very simply and clearly states her case for what works in her home and why other parents might consider similar options. Health considerations are addressed by co-author and pediatrician Jay Gordon. "Mayim's Vegan Table" includes plenty of recipes for busy parents and novice cooks. The book has been well received, especially by fans who follow her blog posts on Kveller.com, a parenting website with a Jewish focus. Bialik frequently writes about being a mom, including what works in the kitchen.

"The response was really positive," she said. "A lot of the recipes have just a few steps. These are really normal recipes. Some are a little more labor intensive."

Some of the recipes do require thought and planning and quite a few are vegan nods to Bialik's Jewish heritage.

"Anytime you come from a particular ethnic family, which mine is, it's assumed you will miss out on things," she said.

For those who are trying vegan recipes for the first time, many of Bialik's recipes, like Mac N Cheez, employ vegan substitutions for old favorites.

"Some people are turned off by fake meat," she said. "If you are trying to try new plant-based foods, you probably won't try cashew cheese on pizza."

On a busy night with her boys, Bialik is likely to serve family favorites like nut butters and fruit or leftover vegetables served a new way.

"Burritos are one of my favorite go-to things," she said. "I put beans and any leftovers and avocado in there. I do freeze stuff. We eat simply a lot though."

No matter what their pantry currently holds, parents can find a healthy starting point or an extension of plant-based meals in Bialik's book, which encourages small steps, not perfection.

"There are people who do far better than I do," she said. "I don't use a nanny or a chef. We aren't trying to say 'You shouldn't eat fast food – cut it out.' People will do the best they can with the resources they have. I get that."