Just Eat More Plants!
- Gia A.
- Apr 28, 2021
- 5 min read
The Chick-Fil-A cows might urge you to "Eat Mor Chikin", but what about eating less meat?
Trust me, I am not the meat police and will not shame you into saving the animals. However, research tells us the benefits of eating plants. We get so many great vitamins, nutrients, energy, and fiber from plants. It gives us what our body needs to stay functioning every day. There are so many people transitioning to plant based diets, because what they were eating was making them sick. Even Tabitha Brown who is America's vegan auntie, has an awesome story about how veganism saved her life.
I know many of you die hard carnivores are not convinced, and that is ok. However, I believe food should be pleasurable and healthy at the same time. Your body is a temple and God didn't create it for you to destroy it on something as simple as malnutrition. If you're a meat eater, it's ok to have that piece of chicken, but the rest of your plate should be loaded with vegetables and healthy grains.
The Different Types of Plant Diets:
In this day and age there are so many "diets" out there. We've gone from vegetarian to vegan to pescatarian to keto to paleo to plant based. Recently, I've heard the term flexitarian which threw me for a loop! It's definitely enough to make your head spin, especially when you're trying to decide on what is best for you. Here is a quick break down on three plant related diets:
Plant Based: Majority of the diet includes plants, but doesn't necessarily exclude meat. People who eat a plant based diet sometimes eat very small amounts of meat, dairy, and eggs.
Vegetarian: This diet excludes all animal products except eggs and dairy. It includes all plants.
Vegan: This diet excludes all animal products. It includes all plants.
Plant Based Recipes:
I am not trying to sway you to eliminate meat completely from your diet, because that would make me a hypocrite. However, try adding more plant based meals throughout the week and see how you like it. Meatless Mondays are a great way to start! Think about how it makes you feel, and go from there. Here are some simple recipes that I've enjoyed, or have been suggested for me to try:
Breakfast
Breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day. Many people skip out on breakfast, but it is important to have something with nutritional value to give you the energy you need for the rest of the day. Even if it is just eating a bowl of fruit, you will feel good. A substantial breakfast will more likely help you make better choices with your other meals throughout the day.
Breakfast Recipes:
Sweet Potato Hash (add a half of a avocado with it, with a drizzle of siracha)
Vegan Pancakes (I also add a banana as an egg substitute)
Peanut Butter Banana Baked Oatmeal (I bake mine in a muffin pan to pop out easily for work)
Avocado Toast (Substitute vegan cream cheese or Trader Joes Garlic Spread. Drizzle siracha on it and thank me later)
Smoothies (My Fav!)
Chia Pudding (Not my cup of tea, but some people like it)
Lunch/Dinner
Lunch and dinner doesn't have to be extravagant everyday. Choose the bulkier meals during lunch, to give your body time to digest it. Real talk, most people including myself lay down after dinner (which is a big no no), so you don't want anything super heavy on your stomach, especially before bedtime.
Lunch/Dinner Recipes:
Quinoa Power Bowls (Add a little siracha on it for kick)
Buffalo Cauliflower Lettuce Wraps (I substitute the iceberg lettuce for romaine)
Broccoli Cheddar Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Substitute vegan cheese & add other veggies)
Avocado Black Bean Quesadillas (Substitute vegan cheese & gluten free wraps if needed)
Veggie Fried Rice (Add a scrambled egg/egg substitute for protein)
Siracha Fried Oyster Mushroom (Oyster mushrooms are amazing! ok!)
Snacks
Snacks can make or break the process! Choose healthy plant based snacks that can fuel your body with the energy it needs between meals. Chips, cookies, and crackers might satisfy you temporarily, but are loaded with a lot of bad things that your body burns off quickly. That's why you see a lot of people eating two-three bags of chips when they're hungry, because it's doing nothing for their body.
Snack Recipes:
Apple Cookies (Substitute non-dairy chocolate chips)
Kale Chips (Don't knock it)
Larabars (Processed but only a few ingredients)
Alyssas Healthy Vegan Bites (Processed but healthy ingredients; they also have the vegetarian options which contains eggs)
If all fails, when you are looking for a healthy snack, go towards raw veggies, hummus, fruit, nuts, etc. You can also drink a light smoothie. With everything that you eat, make sure it is consumed in moderation. As you can see I didn't get into anything complicated like tofu, or tempeh because if you're transitioning, it is easier to work with foods that you're more familiar with. Plus, I still haven't tried tofu yet myself (baby steps).
My Journey:
Do ya'll remember the seesaw we use to play with on the playground? Each person takes turns going up and down right? In this scenario as it relates to my diet, I am on both sides going up and down. One minute I'm vegan, the next minute I'm eating seafood and even one day I ate short ribs (which were delicious!!). Then, I'm back vegan again! Most recently, I've coined myself as a plant based eater, because I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, but every now and then I will eat meat.
Currently, I'm still in the stage of making decisions based on my diet when I'm going to a restaurant or eating at someone's home. After taking an allergy test, I recently found out that I'm allergic to eggs AND gluten. The struggle is definitely real! It is so hard to get a good meal out, unless I'm cooking it myself. If your journey is similar, don't stress out about it. Take baby steps and do what makes you happy. Most importantly, do what your body tells you. A lot of people become pescatarian, plant based, vegetarian or vegan because of health reasons. A huge part of healing from LPP, was bringing down the inflammation in my body. My diet played a big part in that! If you're dealing with health issues, especially auto immune, try scaling back on meat and adding more whole based plants to your diet. I guarantee you'll feel a difference.
So what do you think? Have you tried a plant based diet? How's your journey going? Please share & don't forget to take care of yourself!
Actively & Satisfyingly,
Gia
"You’re not obligated to win. You’re obligated to keep trying to do the best you can every day."
- Marian Wright Edelman
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