Simple Steps to Start a
Plant-Based Lifestyle
WRITTEN BY DEB CZECH, PLANTEDPLATTER.COM
WHEN PEOPLE ASK ME HOW TO START adapting their meals and cooking style to incorporate more plants, I remind them that they probably already know some easy plantbased dishes, with no animal products. Many such meals don’t even require a trip to the store for special ingredients. START WITH FOODS YOU KNOW Indeed, there are many whole food, plant-based meal items that are regular favorites: pasta with a hearty tomato sauce, beans and rice, vegetable soups, and salads are some examples. And don’t forget basics like oatmeal, veggies and hummus, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and fresh fruit. MAKE SOME EASY SUBSTITUTIONS In addition, there are dishes for which there are easy plant-based substitutes: A grilled portobello instead of a hamburger. A stir-fry of vegetables with tofu instead of chicken or seafood. A sub-style sandwich made with marinated or grilled vegetables, instead of meat and cheese. A baked potato with salsa or chili on top, instead of butter and sour cream. BUILD ON GLOBAL CUISINE STYLES A third step to help move along the plant-based path is to think about the herbs, spices, and seasonings you enjoy most, perhaps choosing a culinary tradition to focus on, such as Italian food or Mexican food. If you identify the frequent flavor elements of a cuisine, then you can re-apply those flavors in new ways. For example, I often add fennel seeds to Italian-style, plantbased pasta dishes. “It tastes like you put sausage in this,” said someone around the table a while back. No, there was no sausage (not even a plant-based variety), but the fennel seeds I had added are frequently used in seasoning sausage.
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IDENTIFY YOUR “WHY” To fully adopt a plant-based lifestyle and stop eating animal products altogether, it helps to identify your motivation. Why do you want to do it? For some people, improving their health is a huge motivator. Others are compelled to be compassionate toward all animals. A third influence is to help reduce climate change, since animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas production. If your inspiration is to improve your health, the list of health benefits is long and impressive, with research showing that the greatest benefits accrue to those who make the largest changes. In other words, while enjoying a Meatless Monday tradition each week is good for you, the animals, and the planet, you won’t see a health impact in just one meal or one day of meals. Rather, fully immersing yourself into whole food, plant-based eating will be more effective. KEEP LEARNING For insight into why a plant-based diet is so useful in reducing or eliminating many chronic health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, some auto-immune conditions, and helping to protect against cancer, there are a wealth of resources. I frequently recommend people start with one of the excellent documentaries that have been made on the topic, including Forks Over Knives, What the Health, and The Game Changers. From there, one can move on to numerous cookbooks, online resources, and educational programs. Learning about plant-based nutrition is also helpful, so you can eat a well-balanced diet and know what to emphasize and what to avoid. See… It’s not difficult to get started with enjoying more plant-based meals. Begin today! SF saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com
