"Transitioning to Plant-Based"

Transitioning in steps to a healthier diet is often simpler than attempting a sudden change. If switching over completely to a whole-food, plant-based diet seems intimidating to you, as it did to me, you may want to improve your eating habits gradually. Changing in small steps may be more effective for several reasons. You won’t need to discard many items in your pantry, so it’s easier on your budget. You won’t have to deal with objections from family members unwilling to experience abrupt changes on their dinner plate. Slowly altering one’s eating habits allows for time to acquire different tastes and is less stressful preparing new recipes or doing unfamiliar meal planning.  Making changes slowly by transitioning to a meal plan you can actually implement long-term makes sense.

Science backs the benefits of eating more plants. Plants provide a diet rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals which can help lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of diabetes, and lower your risk of heart disease and some types of cancer. Plants’ essential nutrients help resolve inflammation in your body. Plants contain chemicals called phytonutrients which offer a wide range of benefits. They contain antioxidants, tackling destructive free radicals that damage tissues. Other plant chemicals your body converts to Vitamin A to strengthen your immune system. A strong immune system is necessary to recognize mutations before they progress to cancer or other diseases. By eating a plant-based diet, you can expect to feel better, and if you stay hydrated, to even look better since your skin is being nourished.

However, you do not have to become a total vegetarian to reap benefits. "For heart health protection, your diet needs to focus on the quality of plant foods, and it's possible to benefit by reducing your consumption of animal foods without completely eliminating them from your diet," says Dr. Ambika Satija of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.* Of course, you can adopt a completely vegetarian diet if you prefer. A helpful website with cookbooks and meal plans if you choose this route is “Forks Over Knives.”

When I wanted to eat more plant-based, I began by simply adding fruit and vegetables to the meals we already enjoyed. That meant, for example, a breakfast of scrambled eggs or an omelet became eggs with veggies. We like to include finely chopped onion, bell peppers, fresh spinach, and/or mushrooms. An oatmeal breakfast was topped with blueberries or other fruit. A breakfast of bacon and eggs was modified to avocado slices with eggs and an orange. This way, we didn’t have to adjust to a completely new menu.

Lunch choices were more difficult. At first I looked for vegetables to put on my sandwich. I couldn’t get bread off the menu or off my mind for a long time. Habits die hard. Finally, I gave up the bread and ate ingredients in a bowl. I found lunch just as tasty with tuna on lettuce leaves or chopped chicken breast topping a salad. As time went on, I completely dropped the meat from the salad. We made sure to use healthy snacks such as an apple sprinkled with cinnamon or celery and carrot sticks. It seemed as though we were eating more, but the calories added up to less.

Dinner remained the same for a while except for adding another vegetable. Before, we might have eaten chicken, potatoes, and a salad. I served the same, but with an added side of vegetables, such as green beans or any vegetable which was not in the salad. Once we got used to the idea of a larger portion of our dinner plate being vegetables, I began omitting the meat entirely for many meals. (My goal was not to become a vegetarian but to eat healthier by drastically reducing red meat and eliminating processed meat entirely.)  I had to teach myself new cooking methods. I bought two vegetarian cookbooks and a wok. Though for the most part, I ended up serving the dishes I was familiar with, minus the meat. For example, we often have pasta covered with veggies instead of spaghetti with meat. The combinations of pasta, veggies, and sauces are endless. For variety, we make bowls of brown rice or quinoa, add the veggies, and a simple but nutritious dinner is ready! Whereas I used to make chicken parmesan, I now make eggplant parmesan. My husband actually finds he prefers it. Dishes which include cheese are not for everyone, especially if you are trying to switch to a vegetarian diet. I’m simply sharing what worked for us to turn our diet into one with an emphasis on plants. Everyone will have different objectives, and I imagine many people do not wish to adopt a diet with rigid rules.

Various types of plant-based diets all have several things in common. They all emphasize either eliminating oils or using healthy oils like olive oil. Multiple diets recognize that whole foods are essential. For example, drinking fruit juice is not the same as eating the whole fruit. Juices don’t contain the fiber and vitamins of whole fruit and may include additives and sugar. Each healthy program considers the sources of the plant-based foods and recommends avoiding highly processed foods. For instance, technically white bread and white rice could be considered “plant-based,” but since they are depleted of nutrients and have a high glycemic index, they are to be avoided. An easy-to-understand phrase is to “eat the rainbow,” meaning the wider the variety and color of vegetables, the better.

The rural area where we live gives us access to an organic farm to buy locally-sourced fruit and vegetables. We also have our own garden, so it is rewarding to walk out to pick dinner. The freshness added quality and motivated us to keep eating even more vegetables. Since our garden was overflowing with spinach, we might eat it multiple times a day. It was easy to work in at breakfast, at lunch to replace part of lettuce in a salad, and at dinner as a steamed side. Since we are retired, we have time to cook. However, if you are working, an easy way to add fruit and veggies is to include them in smoothies. You may prefer the taste of fruit such as blueberries which “hide” the taste of vegetables. The important aspect of a dietary change is to go at a pace and with a plan which you can sustain over time. Bon Appétit!

*https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-right-plant-based-diet-for-you