11 Tips for Starting a Plant-Based Diet

What Does Plant-Based Actually Mean?

What does it actually mean to be ‘plant-based?’

The answer might surprise you.

What many people don’t realize is that going plant-based is not restrictive. It’s not another fad diet that provides short-term results. There are no specific rules. There is no ‘one way’ to go plant-based. Surprisingly, it also doesn’t mean you have to go completely vegan. 

For some, plant-based might mean cutting out meat, dairy, and processed foods. For others, it may mean just eating more plants and reducing intake of meat, dairy, and processed foods. 

Research shows that the optimal diet for longevity, disease prevention, and overall health is a diet focused mainly around plants like beans, legumes, vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, while limiting meat, dairy, and processed foods. 

Keep in mind: if you decide to eat more plant-based, focus on eating whole, real foods. Processed plant and vegan foods are not any better for you. If you can’t recognize the food you’re eating, or it has a long ingredient list filled with sugar, salt, and/or chemicals, it’s important to still limit (or avoid) these foods. Shop in the produce aisle (rather than the middle of the store) for most of your groceries.

In this article, we will cover the top 11 tips for going plant-based (and how to actually stick to it). What works for someone else, might not work for you. However, if you follow these simple steps below, I think you’ll be surprised to find out how easy it is to eat more plants & become the healthiest you possible (without rules, diets, and misleading information). 

It’s very simple — and there is no reason to make it complicated. Whatever speaks to you, go for it! 

1. Make plants the center of your plate, rather than the side

The standard American diet consists of way too much meat, animal products, and processed food. The healthiest and longest-lived populations in the world, called the ‘Blue Zones,” do not eat this much meat. However, some of them do eat animal products from time to time (but they eat freshly caught animals or fish and drink fresh goat’s milk, rather than cow’s milk). These foods are also eaten rarely, rather than for every meal.

A plant-based diet simply encourages you to eat more plants. Instead of making a chicken breast the star of your plate, make the vegetables and whole grains the stars. This can mean making a big bowl of veggies and brown rice, for example, and adding some chicken if you’d like. You can also swap the chicken for beans or legumes.

2. Meal plan and cook at home

Cooking at home more often is essential. It allows you to know exactly what you are putting in your food. You can also limit how much salt/added ingredients are in each meal and ensure that the ingredients you use are actually fresh.

Meal planning is also very important for consistency. However, it doesn’t have to be difficult. It could simply mean planning your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week and then buying all of the ingredients at the store before the week starts. You can make the meals ‘day of’ or cook them ahead of time if you have a busy week coming up. It’s all up to you!

3. Get creative in the kitchen

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be boring. You can still enjoy all of your favorite foods while eating more plants. There are so many alternative recipes available, including plant-based mac and cheeses, creamy pasta sauces made from cashews instead of dairy products, black bean burgers with whole wheat buns, jackfruit tacos, and so much more. 

4. Limit meat and dairy intake

Like I mentioned above, a plant-based diet doesn’t always mean cutting out animal products completely. It just means reducing your intake and avoiding processed meat products as much as possible. If your current diet consists of 50% animal foods, try reducing your intake to 25%. Then, over time, you’ll begin to notice the benefits and will likely not crave these foods as much.

As long as you are getting enough nutrients from whole plant foods, your cravings for animal products will decrease greatly. And you’ll feel better too!

The optimal diet, according to experts, is 90+% plant foods and 10-% animal products. 

5. Eat your greens

Some people eat enough starchy and colorful vegetables, but they don’t eat enough greens. Try getting at least 2 servings of dark leafy greens a day. Kale, spinach, romaine, collard greens, watercress, and micro greens are great examples. Greens are low in calories but high in potassium, antioxidants, fiber, and other vitamins/minerals. They also reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and declining cognitive function. 

Tip: you can easily add 2 cups of greens to your daily smoothie and will barely taste them!

6. Stop worrying about eating ‘enough protein’ 

If you eat enough whole plant foods, you will get enough protein. Focus on eating more beans and legumes throughout the day. They are full of protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals that will keep you full longer, provide energy, help you lose weight, and help prevent disease. Tofu and tempeh are other great sources of plant protein, if you can tolerate soy. 

Beans and other legumes, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and even green vegetables are all great sources of protein. And not only do plants contain protein, they may be a healthier source of it.

Researchers at Harvard analyzed the diets of more than 130,000 people. They found that greater consumption of protein from animal sources, especially red and processed meats, increased risk of death. Alternatively, the researchers found that eating more plant-based protein was associated with a longer life.

7. Focus on variety 

Eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes is one of the most important aspects of going plant-based. Every day, you should strive to eat at least: 

• 1 serving of berries (one serving = 1/2 cup fresh berries or 1/4 cup dried berries)
• 2 servings of other fruits (one serving = 1 medium fruit or 1 cup cut-up fruit)
• 1 serving of nuts (one serving = 1/4 cup whole nuts or 2 tbs sugar and salt-free nut/seed butter)
• 3 servings of whole grains (one serving = 1/2 cup cooked grains, 1 tortilla/slice of bread, or 1/2 bagel)
• 3 servings of beans/legumes (one serving = 1/2 cup beans or tofu, 1 cup lentils or peas, 1/4 cup hummus or bean dip)
• 1 serving of cruciferous vegetables (one serving = 1/2 cup raw or cooked)
• 2 servings of greens (one serving = 1 cup raw or 1/2 cup cooked)
• 2 servings of other vegetables (one serving = 1/4 cup dried mushrooms or 1/2 cup non leafy vegetables)

8. Don’t get restrictive 

Even if you only eat half of the daily recommendations listed above, you are on the right track. If you eat more than these recommendations, keep going. You don’t have to restrict yourself when it comes to whole plant foods. In fact, unlike other diets, a plant-based lifestyle does not have any rules as to how much you can eat. Keep eating until you are full. That’s the beauty of plants!

9. Replace milk with dairy-free mylk 

Replacing milk products with dairy-free options such as soy milk, almond milk, and cashew milk is super easy. There are so many products available at grocery stores. However, beware of ingredient lists and make sure you buy products free of added salt, sugar, thickeners, flavorings, and chemicals.

You can also make your own homemade ‘nut mylks’ in a blender or juicer. But I highly recommend buying an Almond Cow, which you can find here. 

10. Don’t eat processed foods

No matter if you eat meat or not, processed foods are the worst of the worst. Whether it be highly processed plant foods (like Beyond Burgers, Vegie Delights, and Tofurky) or processed meat products (like salami, bacon, deli meats, and sausage), they should be avoided as much as possible. If you want to enjoy these foods, do so carefully and very rarely. 

11. Remember your ‘why’

If you are going plant-based because of animal rights or because you just simply want to feel better, there is no wrong way to approach it. Remember that it takes time to adopt a healthy lifestyle that works for you. Not giving up is the first step. Don’t beat yourself up or compare your journey to others, that is the biggest recipe for disaster.