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I’ve mentioned in other articles that I never intended to adopt any type of a plant based lifestyle when I started my weight loss efforts. However, over the course I discovered the fact that I preferred a plant based diet. Not for any social or religious reasons I just migrated in that direction.
Now I’m not necessarily dedicated to plant based nutrition in a Vegan way. However I’d say at least 90% of my weekly diet is plant based.
Wth the ebbs and flows of society, we are constantly facing the need to modify our behaviors and habits to increase our health and quality of life. COVID 19 has had a tectonic impact on both.
And as the World’s population continues to expand we are continually facing global agricultural challenges including food challenges as it relates to sustainability and access. I’m frankly amazed the World can produce enough food for the human population currently.
Add to the equation over 40% of our population is suffering from chronic disease, which can be directly attributed to poor diet. One of the recent ideas put forward to improve our world and out health is plant-based nutrition as a staple to our diets.
Here are 5 things that can help you adopt plant-based nutrition as a more weighted part of your lifestyle.
#1 Eat more fruits and vegetables
Plant-based eating means that you have a large proportion of your meal that comes from plant-based food. That said, fruits and vegetables are often the number one thing that comes to mind when we think of a plant-based way of eating.
#2 Increase your fiber intake
Fiber is lacking in the nutrition of Americans. Fiber can be found in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes. Aim for food that is high in fiber such as black beans, bran cereals, or broccoli.
#3 Focus on plant-based protein
Try switching the protein type in your meals toward protein that comes from plants opposed to animals. For example, make a salad with chickpeas instead of chicken or avocado instead of beef. Not only will this help you reduce your meat consumption, it will also help you to stay within the daily intake recommendation of protein. It is suggested the average American eats twice the recommended daily intake.
Excess protein in your diet is usually stored as fat, this can obviously lead to weight gain.
#4 Try new recipes
One challenge about adapting to plant-based eating is to adopt new habits in the kitchen. It is strongly recommended to try new recipes as opposed adapting old recipes to a plant-based nutrition. For example, a plant-based Mac and Cheese does not have the same taste and texture as the real stuff.
There are many options toward this goal via Google or Youtube.
#5 Don’t be extreme
Plant-based eating can be for everyone, the main idea is not to remove something from your diet but more about adding. Putting more vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and legumes on your plate tomorrow than you did today is a great way to get started. For those of you who love steak or burgers once in a while, you don’t have to completely eliminate animal-based food. This type of eating is often referred to as Flexitarian.
Increase your plate with more vegetables on your plate. Over time you might be surprised by the results.
Now it’s time to put your learning into action. Slow and steady is a great approach to change habits. This is not a diet but a way of living so have fun with it. You may actually be surprised by what you discover. I was.
