Are you new to whole food, plant based eating? Not sure where to start? Feeling a little overwhelmed?
I've been there!
Not only do you have your own set of questions, but then everyone who knows or finds out what you're doing will have questions too. It can make you question everything, including your previously answered questions😅
Thankfully, it doesn't have to be complicated and the confusion doesn't have to last forever!
Watch this quick video about what "whole food plant based" means before you move on just to make sure we are all on the same page with the term...
The main goal with whole food plant based eating is to eat more whole, plant foods and less highly processed food-like products and animal based food products.
Here are a few things to remember when diving into eating whole food plant based to keep you mind at ease.
My most valuable advice: Forget/Unlearn what diet culture has taught you.
Things like portion control, “carb” avoiding, calorie counting & nutrient fixating do not apply to whole food plant based eating!
Your typical portion sizes don't apply here!
Most people when eating this way, including myself, notice that they are both eating more and sometimes more often. This is a good thing! Especially since, the over-arching goal of whole food plant based eating is to eat more plants.
Its important to keep in mind that our body’s needs fluctuate day to day. Especially women! Some days (or weeks) you may find yourself eating more or less than others. This is completely normal & should not worry you. It's important for us to learn how to listen to what our bodies are telling us, rather than forcing it to do what we think is "normal".
Rather than concerning yourself with portion sizes, a great daily goal is to fill at least 1/2 of your plate with veggies &/or fruit. Shifting your mindset to making your vegetables or fruit the star of your dish, can be a great place to start.
Carbohydrates aka “carbs” are our body's primary energy source, we need to eat them!
Carbohydrates provide energy for our muscles and our central nervous system. When we don’t eat enough carbs, our bodies just have to work harder to transform what we do eat into carbs.
So many of our reasons to avoid of carbs are simply misguided and not rooted in facts.
It's most helpful to remember that not all carbohydrates are equal!
So a great rule of thumb is to aim for half of our daily carbs to be from whole grains instead of white flour/white grains! Learn more about whole grains and the power of eating them here.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that can't be broken down by our GI tract. Fiber consumption is very important to help our bodies get rid of waste and keep our intestinal tract healthy.
95% of American's do not get enough fiber! This is because fiber is ONLY found in plants and the vast majority of American's don't eat nearly enough plants. So in order to get enough fiber, we simply need to eat more plants.
Focus on plant diversity!
Rather than counting calories or fixating on a certain nutrient, go for food without labels and count how many different plants you can consume in a day or in a week.
Not only does eating a variety of plants help ensure we will have an assortment of tasty meals, but it also dramatically improves our gut health and overall health!
Food from whole plants (veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans/legumes, whole grains) have all the nutrients we need in varying combinations. We don’t have to micromanage a thing, we just have to eat the rainbow and eat enough!
For information about certain nutrient hot topics, check these out:
Use herbs and spices generously to flavor your food!
Herbs and spices make everything taste much more delicious and help you stay more satisfied! Think about it, you most likely wouldn't like the taste of meat if it didn't have herbs and spices all over it. So season your veggies similar to how you would typically season your meat.
No need to skimp on the flavor either! Load it up, because herbs and spices also offer us a super wide range of beneficial nutrient properties that are great for us to consume on a regular basis!
The key here is to look for herbs, spices, and blends rather than "seasonings" which tend to have a lot of salt, sugar, and other unwanted ingredients.
This is not me suggesting for you to not use salt on your food. A little salt, after cooking, is exactly what your flavors need to come together. Just use it separately so you can control how much is on your food.
Check out 5 fool poof spice combos for some flavor ideas to get you started.
Another way to elevate your whole food plant based meals is by adding nuts and seeds to your creations! Similar to herbs and spices, nuts and seeds are packed with various nutrients that help our bodies function correctly! Whether you want to add a crunch or creaminess, nuts and seeds are also great for enhancing the texture of your dishes.
Dairy products are some of the hardest things to reduce/eliminate from your daily life but also one of the most important!
Just to clarify, dairy includes products like milk, cheese, butter, cream, sour cream, yogurt, etc. made from animal's like cows, goats, buffalo, etc. In addition to the products I just mentioned, many people are surprised as to how many products sneakily contain dairy.
Not only do filling up on dairy products keep us from eating more plants, but there are some major negative and nutrient blocking effects that come along with consuming dairy.
For instance, blueberries eaten with water, will boost your antioxidant levels and will continue to increase them throughout the day. Blueberries eaten with cows milk, on the other hand, has been proven to not only keep your antioxidant levels the same as before you ate them, but also DECREASES your antioxidant levels throughout the day.
Learn more of the truth surrounding dairy here: The Truth About Dairy
Always remember that whole food plant based eating is about eating more whole plants on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, diet culture has taught all of us that when changing the way that we eat, we need to focus on elimination, deprivation, and what we are not eating anymore.
I challenge you to unlearn this and redirect your attention to what you are adding, including and eating.
When we focus our attention on the abundance of new whole plant foods that we have to adventure through and explore, it's easier for our minds (and belly's) to crowd out the highly processed food-like products and animal products that we intend to reduce/eliminate.
Start by thinking of meals that you already enjoy and ask yourself how you can add more plants to it.
Think of eating whole food plant based as a practice rather than a performance.
Great things take time, and wfpb eating is no exception! Phrases like "falling off the wagon" don't really apply here! Understand that this big change may take some time and may not always be linear.
As I read earlier in that video, WFPB eating refers to how you eat the majority of your time, on an overall, regular basis. Not what you eat a few times a year while you are out, on a trip, or at an event.
Eating whole food plant based doesn't have to be all or nothing. Any movement toward eating more plants and less animals and highly processed food-like products, the better off your health will be!
With that being said, if you are actively working toward reversal of a specific disease such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes, you will have to be more strict with your diet compared to someone who is only working toward prevention.
Lastly, continue to find and fuel your reasons why
There are so many GREAT and extremely valid reasons to eat whole food plant based! The more grounded you are in those reasons, the easier all of this will be.
I encourage you to look through this list and really sit with all of the reasons why you want to eat this way.
A great way to fuel your reasons why is through immersing yourself in the incredible wealth of knowledge that we have about the power of whole food plant based eating and what lifestyle changes can do for you!
I highly recommend checking out these posts for more resources:
Ready to dive deeper into the practical side?
Check out:
I hope this helps you eat more plants!
Bookmark this page to come back to it whenever you need some inspiration
& send to your bestie who needs to see this :)
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