Introduction to plant-based eating for meat eaters

Before we get started, I wanted to say that this post isn’t about being a meat (fish, eggs and dairy) eater vs. not! It’s a post about eating healthier. Only you can decide what to do with this information. There is zero judgement here. I am not a vegan and I have eaten meat, eggs, dairy and fish my entire life. However, with the knowledge I’ve gained, I have dramatically decreased the amount of meat I eat, and increased the amount of plant-based food I eat. Here is my story…

Kyle’s select team hockey tournament took place this past January. They walked away without a medal, but I walked away with some new knowledge. During a group dinner, a few moms and I started talking and the conversation somehow got to food (as it always does). The other two moms said that they are dabbling with a vegan / plant-based diet. This was something that always intrigued me, but as a self-declared chicken lover, I knew it wouldn’t be a real possibility for myself. However, as I listened, I learned so much more.

They told me about this amazing medically trained Doctor, Michael Greger. He’s a huge believer and advocate for having a plant-based diet as a preventative measure for our health. This is important to note because unfortunately, our culture and medical system is reactive. Since medical schools do very little in teaching Doctors about nutrition, he took it upon himself to learn as much as he could about how a plant-based diet can help both reduce and prevent the onset of several major fatal diseases. This includes cancer, lung, heart and brain diseases, diabetes, and more.

As soon as we got back home from the tournament, I purchased his book ‘How Not To Die‘ (and yes, once you get over the title, it’s a great book with tons of amazing information) and ‘How Not To Die Cookbook.’ I have been cooking my way through the cookbook and loving it while John has been reading the book and giving me the coles notes version of what he learns.

Basically, we made the switch to eating more whole plant-based food for health reasons. According to Dr. Michael Greger, certain food (like meat and processed anything) clog our arteries and do many other damaging things to our body. My overly simplified summary is that meat contains animal protein, cholesterol, saturated fat and other bad things which damages our bodies and directly increase cancer and other disease risk. You can read a more detailed analysis on why animal protein is harmful to our health HERE.

John and I are learning to love (eating more) vegetables by cooking them and making them more flavourable (without losing out on any of the benefits) and we feel full thanks to adding legumes to our meals. I’ve only had a handful of ‘meat’ meals in the past three weeks (2 fish meals, 1 meal of chicken nuggets and my mom’s beloved chicken soup). I seriously don’t crave meat anymore and I feel better. My stomach hasn’t felt bloated in a long time! I’m excited to see what the long term impacts of this diet will have on my health both mentally, physically and emotionally.

While I learned a lot about whole plant-based diet in the past month, I also learned that the hardest part is making the transition in the kitchen. Basically, you need to be organized and plan accordingly to be successful at it. AKA: You need a good cookbook to hold your hand through this transition. Before I go on and give you some of my tips and advice on how to make this transition, I wanted to note that 1. I still eat meat, so I’m not a full vegan! However, I try to eat plant-based food first and foremost and I’m learning how to enjoy eating vegetables (and lots of them). 2. I’m not an expert. Any tips and advice is just based on my own personal experience of going through this process.

Tips for transitioning to a plant-based diet

Here are the main pantry items you you should stock up on and have handy so you can make a plant-based meal easily. However, the most important thing is to have a cookbook that can walk you through some healthy recipes that use whole plant-foods. I personally like the ‘How Not To Die Cookbook‘ but another great vegan book is ‘Oh She Glows Cookbooks‘ by Angela Liddon.

Pantry Items

Legumes, legumes, and more legumes! Think (dried or canned) beans (chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans, lentils, split peas), canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth.

Grains

Rice (red, brown, or black), whole grain / lentil-based pastas, 100% whole-grain bread / wraps, nutritional yeast (gluten free), old fashioned rolled oats, nut butter (my favourite is almond butter)

Spices

Onion and garlic powder, dried parsley, basil, and thyme, turmeric, paprika, cumin, and coriander.

Produce

Vegetables: red onions, mushrooms, red peppers, leafy greens (top choices for nutrients are kale, spinach and arugula), sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, lemon, ginger & garlic

Fruit: variety of berries, bananas, apples and mango (these are just some of my favourites, but berries and apples specifically are important because they are high in antioxidants and nutrients).

Other

White miso paste, rice vinegar, almond / soy milk, nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans), seeds (flaxseeds, sunflower seeds)

Snacks ideas

Dates dipped in almond butter. Almond butter on 100% whole wheat toast with banana slices. Cut up veggies dipped in Hummus. Make-your-own vegan energy balls. Chia pudding. Handful of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. Sweet potato and Rice crackers Roasted vegetables and a bowl of fruit!

Here are some pictures of the plant-based meals I’ve made so far

 

Just remember, this is a journey. You don’t need to switch to becoming a vegan. I will quote Dr. Michael Greger, because he said it best:

“The people who try to adopt a whole-food, plant-based diet cold turkey are often the ones who many not keep it up. People who learn to eat well over time, food by food and meal by meal, may do best.”

Here’s another interesting fact about weight loss from Greger:

If you are trying to lose weight, including plant-based foods in your diet could help you: simply adding beans to diets was found to be as effective at slimming waistlines and improving blood sugar markers as calorie-cutting portion control.

I mean, where have you ever heard that ADDING things to diet can help you lose weight? Pretty great, right?

So wherever you are in your health and wellness journey, I hope that whether or not you choose to change up your diet, you found this post helpful and educational.

If you follow a plant-based diet, what tips or advice would you share with someone who wants to make the transition?