How to transition to a Plant-Based Diet

First and foremost, get educated. Buy some books ( I list several on my resource page ) and get to know the plant-based/vegan community by checking out some successful plant-based bloggers and websites. You-Tube can be a great resource too. Especially for recipe ideas!

Let’s get started!

1. Start by eating a ton of vegetables. Make this the main on your plate. Grilled them, roast them, or steam them. Toss them raw in a salad or pasta. Just focus on getting more in, and in a variety of colors.

2. Eat greens with every meal. Yes, even breakfast if you can. Add greens to your juices, smoothies, pasta, rice bowls, quinoa bowls, flatbreads, and soups. Sneak them in everything!

3. Eat healthy whole plant fats. I tend to focus on overt fats like avocados, olives, coconuts, seeds, and nuts vs concentrated oils. I like fats when the fiber is still attached. I still use oil but I tend to use it very sparingly. Think a teaspoon of toasted sesame oil to a whole marinade to give the dish a certain flavor. Other than that, you can avoid it. You can even saute veggies without oil. Use water and medium heat. I swear, it works just fine.

4. Make a meal out of a salad! I love this. I tend to eat at least one, massive salad every day. But I always try to add some key ingredients to make them more substantial. Things like roasted sweet potatoes, roasted veggies, roasted pumpkin, chickpeas, black beans, avocados, nuts, sunflower sprouts, edible flowers, quinoa, vegan cheeses ( like Violife’s Feta ), fragrant herbs and tangy or sweet dressings. Try an assortment of greens in a salad to give it some depth. Greens like romaine, arugula, fluffy red or green tender lettuces, chard, kale all blend nicely. Add herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro. So good.

5. Healthy snacks - I tend to keep these around to help avoid slip-ups. Things like homemade date and oatmeal “energy balls” or Larabars, homemade oil-free hummus or guacamole with sliced veggies, rice crackers or apples with almond butter, dried figs or dried mangoes, Medjool dates split in half and smeared with almond butter ( OMG yum ), sliced pears with Kite Hill’s vegan cream cheese, coconut yogurt drizzled with honey, organic roasted seaweed packs, I could go on and on. So many yummy options.

Next step…

Now ask yourself, what are my favorite dishes? You'll be surprised how many recipes you'll still be able to enjoy!

For instance, my husband and I LOVE Asian and Mexican food. We could live on super hot chilies, guacamole, peanut satay sauces, and noodle or rice bowls. My husband’s favorite is Panang Curry ( Thai ). He used to order his curry with chicken but has recently replaced it with extra veggies and baked tofu. The spices are the same, the creamy coconut broth is the same, the fragrant Thai basil is the same, but now the animal protein has been replaced with something plant-based. 

Same goes with one of my favorite go-to meals, the humble vegetarian burrito. I lived on burritos back in college at San Diego State. I used to order them stuffed with beans, rice, cheese, and sour cream. So simple, so tasty, but far from healthy. I still love burritos and I still order them when eating out, but now I replace the cheese with extra guac, I add some romaine lettuce, loads of salsa and now I think they’re better than my old late-night college standby. 

Another example is PIZZA! I still eat a lot of pizza but now my pizza is completely plant-based. I use a delicious tomato-based, Arrabiata sauce ( our current favorite is Rao's ) tons of chopped veggies like zucchinis, mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes. Then, I replace the dairy with something tangy like Kalamata olives, marinated artichokes, hearts of palm or pepperoncini. Pesto as a pizza base is a nice option too. I’m finding several vegan pestos at the grocery stores these days. Of course, you can always make your own.

Is this starting to make sense? You can still eat so many of the meals you loved as an omnivore or even as a vegetarian, but instead, try replacing the animal protein with something plant-based. It's honestly, pretty simple.

The next big tip I have is being prepared. Nothing is more important when transitioning to a plant-based diet than being prepared. So how you do this? By having a well-stocked refrigerator and pantry. ( Please see, What’s in my pantry? and What’s in my refrigerator? ) This will make transitioning so much easier.

Another way I prepare myself is to plan on what we’re going to eat that week. I pre-make some salad dressings, sauces, cook quinoa or rice, bake potatoes, make a large batch of soup, wash my greens, clean and chop my veggies, etc. You get where I’m going with this right? I try and make it fun. I love my Farmer’s Market days. I use these days to also stock up at my local health food stores as well as Wholefoods and Costco. I keep a notepad on my fridge that makes it easy to keep track of things I’m running low on, things I’m out of, or recipe ingredients that I need to shop for. I usually set aside one big shopping day ( like Sunday ) and make quick stops throughout the week for fresh produce I might be running low on. But having a plan is key. Nothing will derail well-intended plant-based diet more than not being prepared at home. It’s just too easy to reach for something overly processed or worst, not plant-based when you’re starving and have no time ( or patience ) to make something healthy.

All of this might seem daunting at first but trust me over time, you won’t even think about it. Be confident about why you are making these changes to your diet. You are not only helping yourself long term, but you are also helping the planet and saving the lives of so many animals. Vote with your dollar. Support your local farmer’s markets, buy organic whenever possible ( and affordable ) and always support small businesses when you can like local plant-based cafes and juice bars. Please know you can still eat with your family, dine at almost all restaurants and travel the world. Just so you know, I am the only member of my family that is entirely plant-based. However, I can’t tell you how many times my family has given in and gone to a vegan restaurant with me and have thoroughly enjoyed it. 

My last and probably most important piece of advice….

Get off the soapbox. I can’t even tell you how many times I have been guilty of this over the years. The more you study the plant-based diet, the more animal cruelty documentaries you see, and the more educated plant-based influencers you listen to, the more you will want to preach about this way of life to every single person you know. I have to bite my tongue every day. You can’t make anyone go vegan or plant-based by scolding them, being condescending, or telling them how evil factory farming is ( seriously, so guilty here ). Over the years I have learned that the best way to promote the health benefits of a plant-based, is to show people how freaking delicious it is. Plant-based foods are beautiful and taste amazing. Introduce plant-based dishes at your next social gathering and don’t even mention that they are plant-based or even vegan. You won’t believe how many times I’ve done this and how many people have gravitated to the freshness and vibrant colors alone. It’s pretty powerful.

This is exactly why I have created this site. I want to help you make the transition to a healthy nutrient-dense diet and make it as easy as possible. But most importantly, I want you to be excited to do so and never feel like you are missing out. It’s possible. I promise!