Easy, quick, and doable ways to help you on your journey to a plant-based diet!
Each day, an increasing number of people are switching to a plant-based or vegan diet. And with good reason. If there is one way to reduce your risk for major diseases, improve your overall health, and help the environment simultaneously, it is through eating more greens. Who would’ve thought that doing something so simple could be so beneficial?
Perhaps this is why more and more Americans are ditching animal products and opting for a plant-based diet. However, it’s important to understand that eating plant-based does not mean that you cannot eat meat. It just means that your meals mostly consist of vegetables, whole grains, and fruits.
Take a walk through the grocery store, and you’ll notice a plethora of foods touting their plant-based status. From fresh greens to plant-based milk and granola bars, they are easily available in markets. It is clear that switching to a healthier lifestyle has never been easier!
Switching to a plant-only diet may seem daunting at first. But once you get the hang of your plant-based diet plan, it will turn out to be one of the best decisions of your life. As the name suggests, a plant-only or plant-based diet comprises mainly fruits and veggies. It also includes nuts, whole grains, seeds, legumes, beans, and oils.
We understand that the transition can often be a struggle, which is why we have compiled a list of tips on how to incorporate more plants into your diet to help you get started!
But first, let’s talk about the benefits of following a plant-rich diet
Plant-Based Diet Benefits
Whether it was our mom’s nagging as a child to eat our veggies or our internal compulsion to opt for a salad for lunch as an adult, it seems that all our lives, we’ve been told that eating greens is good for us, but have you ever wondered exactly why?
Switching to a plant-only diet may seem daunting at first. But, once you get the hang of your plant-based diet plan, it will turn out to be one of the best decisions of your life. As the name suggests, a plant-only or plant-based diet comprises mainly fruits and veggies. It also includes nuts, whole grains, seeds, legumes, beans, and oils.
But we understand that the transition can often be a struggle, which is why we have compiled a list of tips on how to incorporate more plants into your diet to help you get started!
Here we will break it down for you and highlight some of the main benefits you can reap through incorporating plants into your diet.
A plant-based diet is Good for Your Health
This one is a no-brainer. Years of scientific research have proven that having a plant-rich diet can significantly improve your physical health. For example, a 2017 study shows that a plant-based diet can lower your blood pressure to such an extent that it is one of the best prevention methods alongside exercise. With this, you may also improve your heart health and reduce your risk of major diseases.
It Helps Strengthen Your Immune System
This is another significant plant-based diet benefit. You can help your body perform at its optimal level by feeding it vegetables, whole grains, fruits, beans, and nuts. These are chock full of vitamins, antioxidants, and much more; therefore, allowing your body to fight off diseases and infections.
You Will Help the Environment
Research shows that food production from livestock accounts for nearly 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions contributing to global warming and climate change. So, when you reduce your consumption of meat, you can help impact the world by reducing these emissions.
A plant-based diet helps save Water!
With water reserves worldwide rapidly declining, the fact that the agricultural industry accounts for 70% of freshwater use makes it abundantly clear that it is high time we reduce our meat consumption. A study shows that if we reduce our meat consumption levels by half, we will be reducing our freshwater use by 37%.
Here’s a quick overview of the major food categories you’ll enjoy on a plant-based diet, with examples:
- Fruits: Any type of fruit including apples, bananas, grapes, strawberries, citrus fruits, etc.
- Vegetables: Plenty of veggies including peppers, corn, lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, collards, etc.
- Tubers: Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, beets. etc.
- Whole grains: Grains, cereals, and other starches in their whole form, such as quinoa, brown rice, millet, whole wheat, oats, barley, etc. Even popcorn is a whole grain.
- Legumes: Beans of any kind, plus lentils, pulses, etc.
Other foods you can also enjoy include nuts, seeds, avocados, tofu, tempeh, whole-grain flour and bread, and plant-based milk.
How to Incorporate More Plants into Your Diet
So, now that you know about the incredible plant-based diet benefits, you might want to begin incorporating easy and quick vegetarian meals into your diet right away! Here’s how:
1. Skip Meat Altogether One Day of the Week
Going completely cold turkey with a plant-based diet and skipping out on meat every day will make you lose the motivation to continue the diet as quickly as you gain it. This is why going slow and steady may be the best strategy.
You can do this by dedicating one day of the week to not eating any kind of meat. Perhaps have ‘Meatless Mondays?’ This will come with minimal commitment but major rewards and make the transition easy.
recipes to get you started:
- One pot hungarian goulash soup
- The best black bean burger you will ever have!
2. Base Your Meal around Plants
The typical diet often centres around meat or poultry. Then, grains and veggies are added to the mix. We recommend that you reverse this train of thought and begin by first considering which vegetable to eat, and then consider the protein and grains. Most beginner-friendly plant-based diets include all three food groups, so this is a good way to begin your journey to a healthier lifestyle.
3. Upgrade Your Snacks with Greens
While there are tons of easy and quick vegetarian meals out there, you might feel that vegetarian and plant-based snack options are limited. However, that’s far from the truth. Instead of choosing highly processed and saturated chips and snacks, you can opt for healthier alternatives. You can have some veggies with hummus, raw seeds, and nuts, or have sweet potato or kale chips instead!
you can find a recipe for my favourite hummus on my blog too!
4. Sneak Veggies in Your Smoothies
Still, wondering how to incorporate more plants into your diet? We have the perfect solution for you: Smoothies. Most people stick to fruits when preparing smoothies, which is perfectly okay. However, you can take it one step further by bulking your smoothies with veggies in addition to your favourite fruits.
If you’re not a fan of eating fresh salads or greens on their own, then incorporating them in your smoothies could be an excellent alternative. This will prevent you from bulking up on fruits, help you reduce calories, and enjoy a smoothie with lower sugar content. This strategy will help maintain blood sugar balance, satiation, and emotional stability throughout the day by reducing calories and sugar. Frozen cauliflower, fresh spinach, mint, and kale are some of the best add-ins for smoothies. Plus, if you are going completely vegan, don’t forget to use a non-dairy milk alternative.
All in all, this addition to your beginner-friendly plant-based diet will prove to be pretty healthy and delicious!
This strategy will help maintain blood sugar balance, satiation, and emotional stability throughout the day by reducing calories and sugar. Frozen cauliflower, fresh spinach, mint, and kale are some of the best add-ins for smoothies. Plus, if you are going completely vegan, don’t forget to use a non-dairy milk alternative.
my favourite smoothie recipe is The Green Smoothie Recipe
5. Rethink Your Desserts
Whether you are looking to simply incorporate more greens into your diet or want to slim down, either way, having fruits for dessert is an excellent option. This will help you fill up on vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Besides fresh fruits, you can also opt for plant or fruit-based desserts such as banana ice cream, chia pudding with berries, or an avocado chocolate mousse.
Nice-cream anyone? My favourite nice-cream ideas are on the forks over knives website!
Join the Green Movement!
With all that said, the answer to incorporating more plants into your diet is to simply start and see how it goes. By slowly eating more fruits or greens and swapping out meat and processed foods with them, you can definitely lead a healthier and more environmentally-conscious life.
A plant-based diet can help improve health, reduce the risks of diseases, and heal the planet. So, whether you want to incorporate simple greens through a beginner-friendly plant-based diet or go entirely vegan or vegetarian, that’s your call.
I’ve been trying to make sure I eat a little fruit before any other traditional dessert. Sometimes I end up not even wanting the actual dessert. These are great tips!
Author
thank you 🙂
Love this and all of the ideas that you share! Super interesting!
Author
thank you
Thanks for this!! I have been considering going fully plant-based but have the fear that I won’t sneak it out or eat the right things. But I appreciate this post because you give some really good advice on how to slowly integrate it into our daily routine.
Author
thank you! You got his! I love eating this way. Made me eat so many different dishes is crazy
I’ve never been a huge meat eater, so I’ve been doing and eating many of these things that are now hip 😉
I’m currently obsessed with quinoa. So yummy and versatile.
Author
hehehehe and quinoa is not my favourite 😉 love oats and buckwheat but I grew up on those
Love the ideas, Hanna! I’m a vegetarian and not only is it tastier, but it’s nice to know you are doing something good for the planet 🙂 x
Author
exactly! Love this food!
These are great tips! I can not be more agree with you in eating plants since I am vegetarian.
Author
Thank you girl. Love the food on this diet 🙂
Those are great suggestions! I particularly like the idea of building your meal around veggies and/or fruits and then adding the meat last. You culd do that with your meal plan in general, too.
Author
yes girl! 🙂
This blog was very helpful. I am eating lots of green these days, not sure I want to go 100% plant based.
Author
you are still on the way to better health by eating those greens 🙂
I’m trying to get there! I’m definitely adding more plants to my diet than I used to, so I think eventually I’ll have it as the majority on a consistent basis. Thanks for the motivation to keep going!
Author
you got this!
We are vegetarian and definitely love exploring the vegetarian (and vegan) recipes from around the world; as well as to substitute meat or fish in recipes which appeal to us with tofu/vegetables/lentils and more
Love your blog
Author
thank you! 🙂
I went plant based years ago and never felt better! I will eat fish from time to time but more often than not, it’s a vegan meal for me. Great tips for the beginner!
Author
Thank you 🙂
Very informative article. I’m happy to say that I do incorporate plant based foods as part of my diet.
Author
thank you and happy to hear that you eating more plant-based 🙂
Thanks for your sharing:)
Author
thank you 🙂
Nice post, great tips, thanks for sharing! We do eat some meat, lots of fish, fruits and veggies! Definitely has made a difference in our lives and health!
Author
thank you 🙂
We are a vegetarian family but trying to head towards a more plant based diet. Great tips. Thank you
Author
thank you for stopping by
Love plants in my diet. This has changed my life!
Author
AGREE!
Been trying to increase veggies. It is surprisingly hard.
Author
I know that’s why you have to find your own way to make them tasty and pleasant to your own taste.
I honestly really struggle with this haha but my goal this year is to eat more plant based. This is a great post!
Author
Thank you x, To be honest since being plant-based I got introduced to so many different flavours that I absolutely love it.
I love your step-by-step tips to start eating a plant-based diet! Super helpful. Great post!
Author
thank you 🙂
Just what I need- this is my goal. Thanks for enlightening me.
Author
Thank you for stopping by!Glad to be some help 🙂
Plants bring nutrition to the next level. I’m seeing so many health benefits since I started adding fruits and veggies to my snacks. Thank you for the recommendations 🙂
Author
yes! Love plant-based diet. I got introduced to so many different foods.
Recently with every meal I have lunch and dinner I have been trying to add greens to my meals. Greens are great for your health.
Author
I could not agree more. Go girl fo adding those greens!
I have a lot of family members who do a plant-based diet (religious reasons) & they love it. And I agree with your point about rethinking your dessert.