More and more people are wanting to add more plant-based foods to their diet. If you’re one of them (and I’m guessing that you are because you’re reading this right now), it’s easy to do without making significant changes. You can start by making minor changes to your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.
Below are some easy tips for eating more plant-based foods:
1. Try a plant-based breakfast. Some great options are oats with fresh or stewed fruit; leftover vegetables (from the previous evening’s dinner) with an avocado dressing or olive oil dressing; or a smoothie made with bananas, leafy greens, plant-based milk, hemp seeds, and frozen berries.
- Start your day with a herbal tea (avoid those mesh infusion bags made from plastic), or warm water with fresh lemon juice (avoid bottled lemon juice).
- Make a chickpea ‘omelet’ using chickpea flour (besan flour), linseed meal (ground flaxseeds), mixed vegetables, and plant-based milk.
Chickpeas contain protein, while linseeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Mixed vegetables are fibre-rich packed with antioxidants and other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
2. Fill half your plate with vegetables. Include a variety of colours and textures for added nutrients, flavour, and visual appeal.
- Some great options are roasted veggies with quinoa, a salad with a variety of vegetables and a homemade dressing, or vegetable soup.
- Eating more vegetables will help you reach your daily recommended intake of fibre, essential vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
- Eating more plant-based foods can lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
3. Replace your usual meat burger with a meat-free alternative. To add more plant-based foods to your diet, prepare veggie burgers.
- Some ideas for plant-based burgers include black bean burgers, lentil burgers, quinoa burgers, portobello or other large flat mushroom, or sweet potato burgers. There are plenty of recipes online. (Note: Be careful of those meat-free alternatives sold in the supermarkets that ‘mimic’ meat as there may be unhealthy ingredients used to make it taste like meat. The only way to know is to look at the full list of ingredients on the packaging and then do your research on those ingredients.)
- Serve veggie burgers on a healthier bun with fillings like lettuce, tomato, onion, beetroot, grated carrot, avocado, and a home-made sauce (there are plenty of healthy recipes online). You can also try them wrapped in a large lettuce leaf or you can eat them on their own or with a side salad.
- If you’re not a fan of burgers, try plant-based tacos or large lettuce leaves filled with black beans, lentils, grated vegetables, tempeh, or jackfruit.
- Another easy and delicious way to eat more plant-based foods is by making a simple pasta dish with tomato sauce and adding sautéed veggies, such as zucchini, eggplant, or spinach. Better still, spiralize raw zucchini and blanch for a few minutes and use this as your ‘spaghetti’.
4. Get creative with plant-based snacks. Fruit and vegetables make great snacks on their own, but you can also get creative with plant-based dips and spreads. Some ideas for dips and spreads include hommus, guacamole, tzatziki sauce, baba ganoush, or nut butter.
- You can enjoy these dips and spreads with a variety of vegetable sticks (eg: carrots, red capsicum), or spread on sliced cucumbers, or celery stalks.
- Try coconut yoghurt with fresh fruit or a trail mix made with organic dried fruits and nuts if you’re looking for something sweet. You can also make ‘energy’ bars using dates, nuts, and seeds.
Recipe: Lentil Shepherd’s Pie
Try this delicious lentil shepherd’s pie recipe.
Ingredients are: ¾ cup green or brown lentils, rinsed and drained (if using raw lentils, soak overnight, then rinse and drain), ½ onion, diced, 1-2 carrots, diced (optional), ½ cup peas, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, a bay leaf, salt-reduced vegetable broth, freshly ground black pepper to taste, mashed potatoes, sea salt, plant-based milk, garlic powder, and onion powder (quantities vary according to your taste).
- Instructions are as follows: preheat the oven to 190 degrees C (375 degrees F).
- Add the lentils, onion, carrots (if using), peas, thyme, and bay leaf to a large pot. Add enough broth to cover the ingredients. Boil it and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf and season with pepper to taste. To make the mashed potatoes, add boiled and peeled potatoes to a bowl and mash with plant-based milk, garlic powder, onion powder, and sea salt to taste.
- Assemble the shepherd’s pie by spooning the lentil mixture into an oven-safe dish, then topping with the mashed potatoes—Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown.
- This recipe is a great way to eat more plant-based foods and can easily be made ahead of time. It’s also perfect for leftovers and can be placed in the freezer for later. TIP: You can double the recipe and prepare as usual, then put half in the freezer for a complete meal that you can reheat for when you’re short on time.
Eating more plant-based foods is a great way to improve your health and well-being. There are many easy and delicious ways to include more plants in your diet, so get creative and try something new today!
Meal Planning Made Simple:
