3 TIPS AND TRICKS
TO EAT MORE WHOLE-FOOD PLANTS IN 2020
A foods for good.
(without necessarily going all-the-way vegan)
record 400,000 people worldwide signed up to the Veganuary movement this year. While more and more people are switching to a 100% plant-based diet for its health and environmental benefits, it’s important to know that nutrition studies show conflicting findings about the health benefits of strictly quitting animal
repertoire) will adapt and expand in favour of more and more plants on the plate. Become one with beans, nuts and seeds. Beans are a great stand-in for meat in certain recipes, adding heartiness, texture and protein (I put a can of black beans and lentils in my bolognese, no one notices…). Use chickpeas in curries, black beans in chili and tacos, lentils in dal, you get the idea! Seek out less common varieties – there’s a whole world of beans out there waiting for you to discover them. Nuts and seeds are delicious in smoothies and breakfast jars. Evidence suggests that eating nuts and seeds daily can lower inflammation as well as your risk of diabetes and heart disease and could lengthen your life. Eating nuts five to six times a week was linked to a 15% reduction in risk of death, and seven or more times a week to a 20% reduction.
We don’t have all the answers yet (nor do I have enough pages in this column to really get into all the details) but I will say that the vegan propaganda documentaries sprouting up like grains everywhere these days are best enjoyed with a hefty pinch of salt… Our dietary needs are constantly changing and at specific phases in our life we need different nutrients depending on our hormones, the season, our performance goals and our health history. Nutrient deficiencies Here’s what are more common on vegan diets and careful planning is therefore needed. science is not Here’s what science is not conflicted about: Increasing colourful plant food intake is beneficial for pretty much everyone. Veggies have come a long way since boiled broccoli and corn-filled squash, thankfully. In the mainstream culinary world vegetables have moved up from side dish status to lead role on the plate. Even the most finger-licking, rib-obsessed meat lovers have no beef with a meatless Monday every once in a while.
conflicted about: Increasing colourful plant food intake is beneficial for pretty much everyone.
Here are my 3 top tips for making veggies your new norm this year: Focus on the plant-based meals you already enjoy eating. I bet you can think of quite a few dishes you’ve always enjoyed which just happen to be all veg? Things like a good roasted tomato soup or creamy mashed avocado on crunchy homemade seed crackers, or a big colourful Mexican-style burrito bowl with sweet corn, black beans, guac, brown rice and salsa. Make a point of having your existing favourites more frequently and soon your palette (and your cooking
Pick a side of positivity with your produce. Even change that’s good for us can be hard. Often we respond to a dietary change with resistance or even childlike rebellion. We obsess over what we ‘have to give up’ instead of getting curious about all the new things we get to try out. Become aware of how you’re feeling every day (what’s different, if anything, about your energy levels, your sleep quality, your focus, weight, skin... what else?) Get creative in the kitchen and look for interesting new plants outside of your comfort zone (all the varieties of mushrooms, different types of beans, new ways to cook greens, herbs!, all of the world’s curries!)
You’ve got this. It’s only food, get experimental. Let me know how it all goes - @bothsidesbuttered Find Klara on her offbeat Instagram feed (@bothsidesbuttered) where she distills the principles of optimal health down to their most foundational basics, ones that are accessible and easy for us all to follow. Klara is an Integrative Nutritionist and Health Coach with a BSc (Hons) degree from Middlesex University in the UK. She works with corporates and individuals to optimise wellbeing and boost productivity, and she regularly writes for a number of leading health and wellness publications and speaks at events about the physical effects of psychological stress.
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