20 Ways to Eat More Plant-Based!

Earth Day 2021 - Image Source (iStock)

Today on Earth Day is the perfect day to think more about increasing the Amount of plant-based foods in your eating routine. Foods to Focus on EATING MORE OF: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, NUTS/SEEDS and beans/legumes.

Eating more plant-based foods can help your health and the health of the planet. Although, the relationship between food and your health and the health of the planet, is complex, there continues to be a growing amount of research supporting health and environmental benefits of eating more plant-based foods.

For example eating more plant-based foods can reduce green house gas emissions, conserve water, preserve forests, and protect biodiversity.

Excess meat consumption, especially red meat and processed meat has been linked with heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cancer. A study showed that consumption of processed meats is associated with 42-percent higher incidence of coronary heart disease and 19-percent higher risk of diabetes.

For more on the environmental and health benefits from eating meatless, check out: MeatlessMonday.org

22 ways to eat more plant-based foods!

Dessert Hummus (Image Source: iStock)

1. Add dried fruit to nuts for a trail mix

2. Snack on pieces of fruit like apples, pears, and oranges

3. Serve up a fruit salad or sliced fruit as a side dish at meals

4. Have a meatless meal at least one day per week, like Taco Stuffed Peppers or Veggie Spiedie Sandwich (tofu-based!)

5. Snack on sliced veggies with your favorite dip

6. Add veggies to smoothies like a handful of spinach - it will add a boost of vitamin C, vitamin, A, vitamin E, calcium, and more!

7. Add sautéed vegetables to eggs like peppers and onions

8. Make up a batch of bean and veggie dip to have on hand as a snack!

9. Add sliced veggies to sandwiches like tomato, cucumber, lettuce, or spinach

10. Start your day with a bowl of oatmeal and add frozen or fresh berries as a topping

11. Swap in brown rice in place of white rice

12. Switch half of the flour in baked goods for whole wheat flour or use all whole wheat flour, try this Blueberry-Banana Bread or Maple Oat Muffin recipe

13. Make up a batch of museli or oat-based energy bites

14. Use whole wheat noodles for a pasta-night meal

15. Try a plant-based meat alternate, click here for a quick list of some favorites

16. Make up a batch of DIY granola like Cran-Walnut Granola

17. Add-in beans in a surprising way like dessert hummus! Click here for a delicious Chocolate Hummus recipe

18. Make a plant-based version of chili, click here for a Veggie Chili recipe

19. Serve up an extra vegetable side dish at meals, like Garlic-Parm Spaghetti Squash or a veggie platter with dip

20. Sign-up for a produce delivery service like Misfits Market, which delivers fruit and vegetables to your house!

References:
1. Micha R, Wallace SK, Mozaffarian D. Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. Circulation 2010;121(21):2271–83. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20479151/

Becoming Vegetarian - Health, Environment, and Tips

Vegetarian Meal - Image Source: Getty Images

Eating vegetarian is definitely linked to health benefits and working in more meatless meals can help your health and the planet.

There are well-researched health benefits associated with vegetarian eating patterns, including: lower weight/body mass index, lower rates of obesity along with reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and high blood pressure. In general those following a vegetarian eating pattern compared to non-vegetarians, consume fewer calories from fat, fewer total calories, along with more fiber, potassium, and vitamin C, all of which could contribute to the health benefits associated with vegetarian eating.

Vegetarian or vegan eating patterns are considered appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.

There are also environmental benefits. For example: The water consumption of livestock is greater than that of vegetables or grains; it takes about 1850 gallons of water to produce a pound of beef, compared to about only 39 gallons of water to produce a pound of vegetables.

What about protein? Image Source: Getty Images

What about protein?

The number one question I get about vegetarian eating is how do you get enough protein? A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan eating plan can deliver plenty of protein and all the other nutrients the body needs to grow, stay healthy, and be strong. Additionally research has found that when calories are adequate in a vegetarian or vegan eating pattern that protein needs are met or exceeded. 

Types of Vegetarian Eating Plans

There isn’t just one type of vegetarian or vegan way to eat - there are varying degrees of restrictions. Typically, all vegetarians do not include any meat or fish: chicken, beef, pork, and all other types of meat. Here is a run down on some of the different types of vegetarian eating patterns:

The least restrictive form of vegetarian eating is lacto-ovo-vegetarian, which traditionally exclude meat but include eggs and dairy products.

Lacto-vegetarians follow a similar eating pattern to a lacto-ovo-vegetarians but additionally do not eat egg or egg products.

The most restrict type of vegetarian eating is vegan. Those following a vegan eating pattern will not have any animal-based products, and exclude milk, dairy products, gelatin, and may exclude honey.

Making the Change

Once it is determined what type of vegetarian eating plan is going to be followed, then you can start to put together meal ideas. As you start eating and cooking vegetarian, have an open mind because you can learn great ways to prepare vegetarian dishes that are delicious. I know this firsthand, as I have been eating mostly vegetarian for eight years now. While it still requires some explaining to friends, co-workers, and family about why I am choosing to eat this way, overall eating vegetarian can be easy to adapt to.

Vegetarian Meal - Image Source: Getty Images

Tips to getting started eating vegetarian:

Have the whole family eat meatless at least one or two times per week. This is great even for families without a vegetarian in the house!

When you are making meals with meat or seafood, consider just making a simple protein-rich alternate for the vegetarian - such as, tofu or tempeh sauteed with a drizzle of barbecue sauce or a sandwich with hummus and sliced veggies.

Always have a stock pile of beans on hand. In one cup of beans there is about 220 calories, 17 grams of fiber, and 14 grams of protein. They are a great protein go-to, serve a cup of beans topped with a drizzle of olive oil, vinegar, and spices at meals.

When throwing a party have a vegetarian option available like: grilled marinated tofu cubes, grilled vegetables, veggie burgers, roasted vegetables, grilled cheese sandwiches, and/or hummus and vegetables.

At restaurants ask to customize a dish to make it vegetarian, for example order a grilled chicken salad without the chicken and ask for more of the vegetable toppings to be included on the salad instead.

Stock up on prepare easy to grab vegetarian foods like: hummus, 3-bean salad, Greek yogurt or Icelandic yogurt (more protein than traditional yogurt), hard-boiled eggs, guacamole, cottage cheese, peanut butter, almond butter, trail mix, nuts, seeds, dry roasted edamame or other dry roasted beans, etc. 

Watch outs, When to Call-in Professional Support, and Supplements

One of the biggest watch outs for vegetarians is to make certain to include a wide variety of plant-based protein foods (e.g. nuts, seeds, peanut butter beans, tofu, tempeh, edamame, meat substitutes, hummus, etc.). If you or your child won’t eat plant-based protein foods than eating vegetarian may not be the best choice for them. As mentioned above, a well-planned vegetarian eating pattern is appropriate for any age but if you eat vegetarian or vegan and just fill up on foods like chips, French fries, and bread, you certainly will be missing out on nutrients the body needs.

Sometimes professional support is helpful, especially if vegetarian eating is unfamiliar to you. Working with a registered dietitian can help guide you and your child through the transition to vegetarian eating. Also discussing the eating change with your child’s pediatrician and any concerns that they may have or blood work that they would like to monitor to ensure your child’s needs are being met.

Lastly those following a vegan diet require vitamin B-12 supplementation because it is primarily found in animal foods. Although, vegetarians how are routinely consuming dairy foods will not likely require supplementation.

You Can Do It

Check out the recipe ideas in the blog gallery on this site, many of which are vegetarian/vegan or that can be easily adapted to be vegetarian and check out the resources listed below. Enjoy the adventure of trying, tasting, and preparing delicious vegetarian foods - you can do it!

Resources:
Meatless Monday Recipes: http://www.meatlessmonday.com/favorite-recipes/

Vegetarian Dietetic Practice Group – Consumer Web site: www. vegetariannutrition.net

Feeding Vegetarian Teenagers - https://vegetariannutrition.net/docs/Teens-Vegetarian-Nutrition.pdf

Vegetarian Resource Group - www.vrg.org

References:

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Vegetarian Diet Position Paper: http://www.eatrightpro.org/~/media/eatrightpro%20files/practice/position%20and%20practice%20papers/position%20papers/vegetarian-diet.ashx

Mekonnen, M.M. and Hoekstra, A.Y. (2010) The green, blue and grey water footprint of farm animals and animal products, Value of Water Research Report Series No. 48, UNESCO-IHE, Delft, the Netherlands.

I Love Beets!

I love beets! They are truly a favorite. Plus they are loaded with nutrition benefits. Specifically beets are rich in nitrates, betaine, and the B-vitamin folate; these nutrients in beets can help your health in many ways!

Nitrates in your body are converted into nitric oxide which helps to relax and dilate blood vessels which in turn can boost blood flow. Betaine (a plant compound found in beets and other foods) has been shown to protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, and enhance performance. While folate helps to drive down levels of homocysteine in the blood, which can reduce the risk for artery damage and heart disease. 

When you are short on time to peel and cook beets, Love Beets has you covered with packages of cooked, ready to eat beets (pictured above). Look for them in a refrigerated area of the produce section of the grocery store. Also look for delicious baby beets too in flavors like honey + ginger and sweet chili. 

Check out this delicious Greek Cucumber Beet Salad recipe (See below) and some other favorite picks like: Beet and Salmon Nicoise Salad, Strawberry Rhubarb Beet Scones, or Beet Caprese Salad with Lemon Basil Dressing. 

Note: This isn't a sponsored post, just products I love! 

Photo from LoveBeets.com 

Greek Cucumber Beet Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients:

½ cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced (2 cups)

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

½ red onion, thinly sliced (1-½ cups)

1 green bell pepper, cored and sliced

1 ripe (but firm) avocado, peeled and diced

1 (8.8-ounce) package Love Beets Cooked Beets, chopped

⅓ cup fresh feta cheese, cubed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1-½ teaspoons dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon sea salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Add the first 8 ingredients to a mixing bowl.
2. Whisk together the remaining 5 ingredients in a bowl.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss everything together until well-coated. Taste the salad for flavor and add more sea salt and/or vinegar to taste.

Click here to visit Love Beets.com for more recipes and information.

References:

Betaine in Human Nutrition, http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/80/3/539.full, Accessed August 15, 2017

Homocystine Lowering with Folic Acid and B Vitamins in Vascular Disease, http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa060900#t=article, Accessed August 15, 2017