Hi loves!
Has anyone else been wanting to change their habits ever since the whole world began to change? Have you been curious about plant-based eating but don't know where to start? Well, here's your sign: start here! This post is all about how and why to go plant-based. An eating lifestyle that has been super popular lately (and for good reason). I'll have all the answers for you on how to go plant-based including tips you won't find anywhere else!
Backstory:
I decided to go plant-based back in March and gave myself a challenge to go 2 whole weeks. I did it and I felt great! Now, I've been transitioning between eating plant-based 5 days a week to 7 days.
Personally, I wanted to go plant-based to focus on being healthier, dial in on eating whole foods, and above all #savetheanimals. Saving the animals also being the reason why I convinced my family at 10 I needed to go vegetarian... yup, this was a lifelong journey. Now here we are, 15 years later, and I have been pescetarian for about 5 of those years. Since I was used to not eating meat products, and very minimal dairy, this change to solely plant-based wasn't the biggest jump but it was definitely a challenge at first.
Your Personal Challenge:
To begin, by saying plant-based I mean what most people think of as vegan. But because veganism actually is a lifestyle that involves not using or wearing products that are animal derived, I want to emphasis that we are solely talking about diet in this post.
While going from eating meat to solely plant-based may be a little bigger of a switch, I encourage you to still give it a go! This post will give you 7 days of plant-based meals and substitutes to make for your typical dairy based products. I encourage you to keep track of how you're feeling and how your body is reacting. Increasing the amount of whole foods in your diet always is a positive for the body so there is nothing to lose! Just making sure your body is getting enough macronutrients is the only thing you'll have to track. If you are going from a fully unrestricted diet, I would recommend eliminating dairy first then followed by meat. I say this because you'll find a lot more products contain dairy than you realize and it is a lot of work to focus on finding replacements for dairy ingredients. Take this at a slow place and once you have tried a few weeks only eliminating a few products, then go fully plant-based. Quitting cold-turkey works well for some people and not for others. Find what works for you and don't stress your body out trying to fit in all these dietary restrictions at once! So once you decide to go fully plant-based, here's some other tips you'll need below:
Prep:
To prep, look up a lot of easy vegan recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and SNACKS. A lot of meals I just took what I would normally eat and substitute it with plant-based ingredients. I feel like snacks are the biggest thing to prepare and have on hand in case you find yourself hungry throughout the day. Some of my favorites are these vegan brownies, kale chips, and baked chickpeas. All made with whole ingredients. I also love having things like broccoli and peas on hand to heat up for a mid-afternoon snack (maybe that's weird?) Have things like your favorite vegetables and fruits on hand so when you're craving something that's what you reach for! For any meal you aren't fond of in the 7 day plan below, go onto Pinterest and find plant-based substitutes for your favorite meals.
What To Avoid:
If you're going from a meat heavy diet and have never experimented with plant based, you may want to buy a package of Beyond Meat to add to meals later in the week. I heavily encourage starting the week without these products and I'll explain why below:
Like any healthy eating plan, focusing on whole foods is the main priority. When grocery shopping you'll naturally see all sorts of plant-based products from burgers to ch'kn fingers and of course ice cream. Just because it is plant-based does not mean it is healthy. You can absolutely indulge in these products but I'd eat them in moderation like you would normal burgers and ice cream. This is because many of these products contain soy and preservatives. If you read my post on estrogen dominance soy in high amounts, for both men and women, is no bueno and can highly affect digestion and also appearance of the skin.
It is important to switch up what you're eating and not eat the same 3 things each week. Variety in the diet, especially plant-based, will lead to a higher desire to keep up with it. After a few weeks you'll be amazed how your taste buds change! You'll begin to recognize the difference in how you feel and your energy levels when you eat clean vs. the days you don't.
*I try to plan most days to around 1,500 calories to meet my fitness and nutrition needs and goals. You should tailor these meals, add in more (but not too much less) food to fit your own fitness and nutrition goals. As always, please consult a doctor before starting any new diet plan!
Day 1
Breakfast: Organic rice cake topped with sunflower butter and banana, dash of cinnamon.
Lunch: Avocado Toast with Trader Joe's "Everything But The Bagel" seasoning, a side of olives.
Dinner: Stir fry of cauliflower rice, kale, sweet potato, spinach, broccoli, and cannellini beans with a Dr. Praeger's Gluten Free veggie burger.
- Portions of each are up to you! Add other veggies you love and remove the ones you don't! Also can be paired with regular rice or pasta.
Snacks: Silk Oat Yeah yogurt with vegan chocolate chips and blueberries.
Day 2
Breakfast: Smoothie with oat milk, banana, blueberries, spinach, and vegan vitamin powder.
- A scoop of ice, 1 cup oat milk, 1 banana, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup spinach, and vegan vitamin or protein powder (Hum Raw Beauty is my favorite).
Lunch: Veggie sandwich on gluten free bread.
- Sliced red peppers, cucumber, shredded carrots, spinach, hummus, and mustard on gluten free multigrain bread. Make your own combo with your favorite veggies!
Dinner: Vegan taco bowl
- Rice, black beans, corn, vegan cream cheese, salsa (portions and types are your choice, Kite Hill cream cheese is easily my favorite)
Snack: These no-bake vegan brownies from my fave vegan blogger.
Day 3
Breakfast: Oatmilk yogurt parfait with blueberries, vegan granola, vegan chocolate chips, with a dash of cinnamon.
- Hot beverage: Green tea with oat milk.
Lunch: Green juice with a side of butternut squash pretzels
- Green juice is 1 cup of water, 1 cup of spinach, 1 full apple, 1 tsp ACV, 1 tbsp matcha powder, juice from 1/2 of a lemon (perfect for when you want a light lunch with a lot of energizing food for lunch or breakfast)
Dinner: Leftovers from Day 1
Snacks: Baked kale chips and chickpeas
Day 4
Breakfast: Sweet potato breakfast bowl
Lunch: Chickpea salad sandwich on gluten-free bread with a pickle side
Dinner: Leftovers from Day 2
Snacks: Any of the above from Days 1-4!
Day 5
Breakfast: Your favorite from Days 1-4!
Lunch: Warm veggie pasta salad
- Pasta of your choice mixed with sauteed spinach & kale, shredded carrots, 1/2 avocado, corn, cannellini beans, garlic powder, salt & pepper (portions and substitutions are your choice!)
Dinner: Veggie burger over avocado with side salad. My personal favorite are these Dr. Praeger's Gluten Free ones.
Day 6
Breakfast: 3 Ingredient Vegan Pancakes with maple syrup
Lunch: Avocado Toast with a side of olives
Dinner: Mushroom Stroganoff
Day 7
Breakfast: Gluten-Free toast with nut butter of choice (or, I prefer sunflower seed butter) and topped with banana slices
Lunch: Salad with mixed greens, avocado, strawberries, walnuts, and vegan dressing of choice (I love a balsamic vinaigrette with lemon)
- can be substituted with toppings of choice!
Dinner: Take out day! Order in vegetable sushi or your choice of plant-based meal. Try a local vegan spot you haven't been to before!
Snack: Try a dairy-free ice cream from a local ice cream shop or an Italian ice!
Other Plant-Based & Whole Food Products I Love include:
- Dates (filling & delicious)
- From The Ground Up products for a healthier version of your usual snacks
- Annie's Sweet Potato vegan mac (the best mac & cheese substitute!)
- Dark Chocolate (make sure it is a pure dark chocolate and that milk is not in the ingredients)
- Hummus (in moderation)
- Matcha lattes with coconut milk or oat milk from coffee shops
Other Tips:
- When in doubt, keep dairy-free yogurt, vegan chocolate chips, and vegan granola for a quick snack and/or breakfast.
- Use all natural nut butters and keep these stocked for when you need extra protein.
- Substitute olive oil for where you would butter in terms of cooking and sauteing, olive oil is healthier than butter substitutes
- Take a vitamin B12 supplement as it is hard to achieve your recommended daily intake of this vitamin on a plant-based diet
- Use a calorie tracker to keep track of your macros and overall calorie intake when on a plant-based diet
What do you think? Do these recipes inspire you to go plant-based? If you try 7 days of being plant-based we'd love to hear all about it in the comments below!
xo
**Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist or medical professional. This article was written for entertainment purposes only. New diets and eating routines should be discussed with your healthcare provider before beginning.
