Planning a plant-based diet
A plant-based diet may appeal to you even as the changes involved feel daunting. After all, you may have eaten meat your whole life. The shift, though, can be gradual - start with small moves like adding more vegetables and plant proteins to your meals while slowly cutting back on animal products.
The secret to a balanced, healthy plant-based diet is variety at every meal. Whatever your eating style, draw from these key plant-based food groups each time you eat.
Plant proteins. From pulses (beans, lentils, peas) to soy foods (edamame, tempeh, tofu, soy milk) to seitan (made from wheat gluten) to nuts and seeds, plant proteins deliver important nutrients beyond protein itself - fiber, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Picture a savory loaf made with beans and walnuts, a hearty bean-and-vegetable stew, cubes of tofu in mushroom sauce over pasta, or a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Aim for a solid protein source at every meal and snack.
Whole grains. Plump, chewy grains of barley, khorasan wheat, and wild rice are whole grains, meaning they retain the germ (the plant embryo), the endosperm (its food store), and the outer bran layer.
These fiber-rich grains carry a lower glycemic index than refined grains, so they raise blood glucose more gently and increase satiety - that feeling of fullness. They are also rich in protein and essential vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. The average person should eat about six servings of grains a day, at least half of them whole.
Vegetables. A rainbow of vegetables - leafy greens, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, summer squash, asparagus - offers abundant vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytochemicals for very few calories and carbohydrates. These foods should form the foundation of a healthy plant-based diet. Try for two to three cups a day.
Fruits. Colorful, naturally sweet fruits - peaches, pears, berries, melons, mangos, grapes, cherries - also brim with phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and fiber for a moderate calorie cost.
The naturally occurring sugars in fruit are not linked to the harms tied to added sugars, which raise the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Fit in one and a half to two cups a day.
Plant fats. Unsaturated plant fats - monounsaturated fats (in olives, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and seeds) and polyunsaturated fats (in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds) - are linked to heart health.
The recommended fat intake is 20% to 35% of total calories, roughly 44 to 77 grams a day. A daily serving of fat-rich whole plants such as olives, avocados, nuts, and seeds, plus moderate use of healthy oils like olive oil in cooking, will get you there.
