Do you want to include more whole, plant-foods in your diet, but don't know where to start? These 3 tips are easy, actionable steps you can take to eat more healthful, nutrient dense foods and feel the benefits too!
Focus on the foods you know you already like - Adding more plants into your diet does not mean sacrificing the taste and enjoyment of your meals. It also doesn't mean you'll have to force yourself to eat fruits and vegetables you know you don't like. A great place to start is by eating more of the fruits and vegetables you know you already like and incorporating them into your daily meals. As you include more fruits and vegetables, and start to crowd out processed foods, your taste buds will slowly start to change and you may even find yourself enjoying some foods that you never liked before! Fun fact - I despised raw tomatoes my entire life, and by adopting a plant-based diet and minimizing my intake of processed foods, I now LOVE raw tomatoes. I now eat them plain or in salads, and my new favorite snack is tomato bruschetta on top of a roasted sweet potato coin.
Find recipes for plant-based versions of your favorite meals - This part is so crucial if you are going to want to make this goal sustainable for you. A lot of misconceptions about eating healthy are that you have to eat a lot of boring, tasteless salads or gulp down green juices that make you want to gag, and that is so far from the truth! There are so many nutritious meals that are also comforting and satisfying. How about butternut squash mac & 'cheese,' or lentil bolognese pasta? Adding more plants into your diet can be so easy when you know how to make your favorite meals more plant-based, or even get savvy at ordering out at restaurants. A great place for hundreds of amazing plant-based recipes is the Forks over Knives website.
Go slow and start with one meal at a time - You don't have to dive in head first and start eating a ton of fruits and vegetables to make a difference in your health, especially more than you're used to. The best way is to go slow and start with one meal at a time. Whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner, start by choosing one of those meals to incorporate more plants into. Maybe you'll make yourself a smoothie for breakfast, or add veggies to your pasta dinner. Small changes really make an impact and do add up over time!
It's important to be patient and kind to yourself and remember that any step in the right direction is a huge accomplishment. I hope these tips help you to include more plants into your diet in a fun and satisfying way. You will be amazed at the shifts in your health by doing so!