A Beginner's Guide to Switching to a Plant-Based Diet
It's not all kale salads and wheatgrass shots. Food fads come and go, but it appears that the plant-based diet is here to stay.
The typical plant-based diet is midway between White Castle Impossible Sliders and that acai-chia-hemp-mango-kale smoothie bowl your favorite food blogger uploaded last week. A plant-based diet consists of mainly consuming whole plant foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats.
Of course, there are times when you just need some nuggets. Furthermore, a plant-based diet allows you to enjoy the rare slice of authentic cheese pizza or bowl of chicken soup. If you're wondering what plant-based eating is all about and if it's suitable for you, here's what you need to know.
What Exactly is a Plant-Based Diet?
A plant-based diet is the same as a vegan diet, but not all vegans are plant-based. It means you eat a diet that consists primarily of foods that come from plants rather than animals.
"Plant-based" can be a little more ambiguous in that it doesn't necessarily mean that every single ingredient you eat comes from a plant, but instead that the majority of your food intake comes from plants.
What Do You Eat on a Plant-Based Diet?
Plant-based eating means eating vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds, whole grains, legumes and beans, and plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh. A plant-based diet typically excludes all animal products, including dairy and eggs.
In practice, it tends to look a little more like this:
Plant-based eating also means that your diet is primarily whole foods. Processed foods like bagels and macaroni and cheese are fine in moderation.
But if you're worried about all the restrictions a plant-based diet might mean for you, don't be. It's more about the quality of your food choices than it is the quantity.
Plants are nutrient-dense. This means that you get a lot of nutritional bang for your buck. A plant-based diet is gluten-free, heart-healthy, and cancer-protective.
How to Transition to a Plant-Based Diet
It's not easy, and there is no one-size-fits-all strategy. Depending on your current diet, you may have to overhaul your mealtime habits completely, or you could just make small, gradual changes to your meals that eventually add up over time.
Either way, giving up your favorite foods cold turkey is never going to fly.
There's no one right way to go about making significant changes to your diet. To find what will work for you, you'll have to discover what's most effective for your unique situation. But the one thing everyone will tell you is to keep it simple and focus on the positives.
Start by identifying the most important reason you want to make a change in the first place.
Is it for health reasons? For environmental reasons or animal rights?
Knowing your reasons for going plant-based makes staying committed to the path easier.
You can also try making the switch gradually by increasing the amount of plant-based meals you eat each week.
Sample Meal Plan
- Breakfast: Green smoothie bowl
- Lunch: Lentil soup with avocado on toast
- Snack: Roasted chickpeas
- Dinner: Mushroom tacos
Conclusion
You can make the switch to a plant-based diet, but it's not going to be easy. It's going to be really hard.
But if you're willing to invest some time and effort, you'll be able to reap the benefits. Whether you're looking to lose weight, combat disease, or simply improve your overall well-being, a plant-based diet is the way to go.
Learning how to start a plant-based diet can be an intimidating topic for most people, but when you start to dip your toes into this lifestyle and choose the right food groups, you'll realize that there is nothing to be scared of at all.
Plant Based Jeff is the top sea moss provider and plant-based transition coach who provides unique programs to help clients who want to switch to the plant-based lifestyle. Besides that, he offers all-natural products, such as wildcrafted sea moss, sea moss capsules, and more.
Connect with us today and start living the plant-based way!