A plant-based diet is becoming increasingly popular.
While it’s not the best approach for everyone, it’s better than the standard American diet. If you’d like to give it a shot, you’ll learn how to transition to a plant-based diet in this article.
- What is a Plant-Based Diet?
- What Are the Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet?
- Transition Tips for Easing into a Plant-Based Diet:
- Final Tips:
Table of Contents
+What is a Plant-Based Diet?
If you’re not familiar with a plant-based diet, here’s a small summary. The diet is made up of whole plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils.
Plant-based diets normally eliminate added sugars and free oils, but some may include healthier options of those ingredients on occasion. Many plant-based diets also allow the occasional use of cultured dairy products, organic eggs, or wild fish, but this is much less common.
What Are the Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet?
In short, plants are full of vitamins, minerals, and necessary macronutrients in the most pure form. Because they are made of whole foods, plants also provide more nutrition than most processed foods.
You can see all of the benefits of a plant-based diet and how it can improve your health.
Transition Tips for Easing into a Plant-Based Diet:
Below are some ways you can transition into a plant-based diet slowly and effectively to make the process easier. These tips will also allow you to explore how the diet works for you and see how it may improve your health.
Look over these tips and see which ones best fit you, your schedule, and your personality.
Feel free to give all of these a try or take them step by step!
1. Reduce Fast Food and Junk Food First
Focus on eating more fresh, whole foods and limit fried foods and foods with refined ingredients.
2. Give Up One Animal Product At A Time, Starting With Processed Meat
The American Institute for Cancer Research and other major health organizations generally advise limiting processed meats in your diet.
3. Focus On Adding, Not Subtracting
It’s also helpful to focus on adding in healthy plant-based foods instead of focusing on what you’re subtracting. This can help prevent a mindset of deprivation and help you focus on what you’re gaining from this new experience instead.
Make it a rule to add more fruits and vegetables into your day, preferably by adding in a serving of each at all of your meals and even your snacks if you can.
4. Start The Day Off With Plants
One of the easiest things to do when you’re trying to transition into a plant-based diet slowly and effectively is to start your day off with a healthy, plant-based smoothie.
Eat some fruits like berries and an apple, a couple handfuls of spinach, some non-dairy milk, ice, flax seeds or walnuts, and some protein powder of choice into your blender. Start your day off on a healthy foot can also make it easier to eat well the rest of the day.
5. Cover Your Basics
Anyone eating a plant-based diet should be sure that they’re getting high-quality omega-3 fatty acids, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D3. These nutrients are vital to health and can not be overlooked. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in algae oil supplements, fish oil supplements, chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
6. Fill Your Family and Friends In
It’s also a good idea to fill your family and friends on your new goals. Don’t focus so much on preaching to them about plant-based nutrition, but instead, just inform them that you’re trying to eat more healthy, whole foods and less processed foods.
This can prevent others close to you from discouraging you or making them feel left out. Remember, you don’t have to go 100 percent plant-based if you’re not ready, so see if you can get your family and friends to join you in taking small steps to eating healthier.
It’s also helpful to eat with your family and friends and consider cooking together if possible. This is a great way to start up a conversation and make the transition even easier.
Final Tips:
Remember, progress is better than perfection. While some people may be ready to jump into a plant-based diet with full force, others may not.
Eating more plants is better than eating a few or none at all, so focus on these 10 tips to transition into a plant-based diet and enjoy whatever level of plant-based nutrition works for you!