Getting Started

From S.A.D (Standard American Diet) to A Healthier You

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You may think this will make you happy, but it will make your body sad!

Take 60 seconds and listen why here.

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Here are the first steps I recommend to adopting the plant-based lifestyle:
 

1. First, list plant-based meals you already enjoy. This can be anything made without animal products (so no meat, fish, or dairy). Most people will find this list already includes plenty of favorites — for example, rice and beans, pasta with pesto, veggie stir fry, tomato soup, three bean salad, broccoli and baked potato. 

 

2. List enjoyable plant-based foods you can have for breakfast. This might include tasty morning meals like avocado toast, granola, fruit salad, smoothies, oatmeal and other hot cereals. 
 

3. List plant-based snacks you may enjoy -  like fruits, popcorn, hummus, carrots, raisins, nuts, and seeds.

4. Walk around the periphery of your favorite supermarket and pick fruits and vegetables that you love and also some that are new to you. You won't need to look any further: the periphery has all the fresh, colorful and nutrient-rich foods that can be the foundation for your plant-based diet. Look for fruits and vegetables that catch your eye. If you know you love sweet potatoes, try a Japanese sweet potato or a Yellow sweet potato. Have you ever had a durian or jackfruit, or sweet cotton candy grapes? 

 

Michael Pollen, author of “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual” reminds everyone to stay out of the middle of the grocery store. If you can buy items that are not pre-packaged or labelled, the healthier you will become!

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5. Have fun, and be healthy while doing it! Try and discover your favorite plant-based milks. When choosing a plant-based milk, you want to look for the brands with the least amount of ingredients - something as simple as water and oats, or water and cashews will  do the trick! Buying Canned Goods? Buying Spices?

Choose low-or reduced sodium or no salt options.

 

 

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6. Pick up 1-2 recommended cookbooks or view some YouTube videos for recipes. "The Plant-Based Diet for Beginners" and "Forks Over Knives" are a great place to start.

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7. Knowledge is Power. Here's my plant-based starter kit for the curious:

 

• Read the book or listen to the Podcast, The Pleasure Trap by Dr. Doug Lisle and Dr. Alan Goldhammer to understand the hold that the combination of sugar, salt and oil has on our brain!

• The library has many worthwhile books to check out and many have free audiobooks online. 

• Have you read Jonathan Safran Foer’s book "Eating Animals"?

• Have some free time?  Watch "The Gamechangers," "What the Health," "Forks over Knives," "The Invisible Vegan" or "Earthlings."

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Reach out: Plantbasedlouise@gmail.com