Plant Based meals have been all the rage as of late, and for good reason! Animal proteins put a huge stress on our planet and whether you choose to remove or to simply cut back on consumption, you are doing a favour for both your body and environmental footprint! When we add more plants to our diet we can fill up on high fibre foods in a variety of colours, keeping our plate filled with foods that fuel us!
When it comes to incorporating more plants into your diet it can seem confusing and a bit daunting. But worry not, it’s actually quite a simple process and if you check out my tips below you will be well on your way to planning and diversifying your plant based meals!
1.Macronutrients! Always try incorporating a bit of all the macros, Fat, Protein and Complex Carbohydrates. These will help to make up a design plan for your meals as you look to add a bit of each of these!
Fats: Sliced Avocado, Nuts and Seeds, Drizzle of Quality Olive Oil,
Protein: Tempeh, Pinto Beans, Butter Beans, Red/Yellow/Green Lentils
Carbohydrates: Cruciferous Vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel Sprouts), Dark Leafy Greens (Kale, Spinach, Watercress), Bitters (Radicchio, Arugula and Endives)
Complex Carbohydrates: Quinoa, Wheat Berries, Rolled Oats, Legumes, Buckwheat
2. Pantry Stocking, having a few key ingredients stocked in your pantry makes for very easy meal planning! For example tonight I am having a friend for dinner but have a busy day so no time for grocery shopping. Instead I will be making a Lentil Dal as I have all the ingredients available in my pantry! I don’t have a huge walk-in-pantry or a lot of storage in my kitchen (it’s tiny), but that doesn’t mean I can’t keep the necessities stocked! Keep a note on your phone throughout the week of what you need and buy enough for a few weeks by refilling containers and having one area for all the overflow!
3. Diversity! It can be easy to get stuck in a tofu and bean rut, but there are so many other great plant based options to consider. I love to throw red lentils in my pasta sauces, or keep a seed salad dressing in my fridge to add to meals throughout the week! It’s also important to remember that protein can be found in all sorts of plants and so as long as you stick to a diversified diet with all sorts of these plants, you can be sure to get the majority of nutrients you need! I find it inspiring to take a few plant based cookbooks out from the library or do some research on various blogs and cooking accounts- research is all part of the fun of experimenting with plant based cooking!
4. Flavour Profile is so important when it comes to plant based meal prepping. I like to keep a few quality spices in my pantry to be sure that I have the right flavour to add to a dish! Curries are always an excellent go to and can be a warmer flavour using Cardamom, Garam Masala, Cinnamon, or a bit more savoury with spices like Cumin, Turmeric and Ginger. When I make a bowl with grains and greens I rely heavily on a good quality salt and something tangy like nutritional yeast! I highly recommend creating a spice section in your kitchen with refillable jars. This means you can keep your spices easily accessible but also ensures they keep their freshness as you go through them!
5. Think Before You Shop, it’s so important when choosing our produce that we consider where it’s coming from. Whether it’s local, organic or GMO, it’s best to understand what we are buying! I tend to stick to local produce when I can. Supporting farmers in my area and reducing carbon footprint is something that is important to me! I am fortunate to live somewhere that has farmers markets all year long and an unseasonably long growing season. It does mean I try to avoid tropical fruits on a regular basis, but sometimes you just want that papaya. I also tend to buy specific foods Organic. I use the EWG Dirty Dozen Clean 15 list (https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php), as well as choosing highly GMO crops like corn and soya in organic options. It can seem like a lot of misleading and redundant information but by doing your own bit of research and determining what you deem is important is key. An informed decision is always better than an uninformed one!
I hope these tips are helpful in your kitchen and when planning some of your plant based meals!
