Plant-Based Diet Articles
Eat plants! We can help you make the transition, cook protein-packed dishes, and even boost your immunity with the power of plants.
Articles From Plant-Based Diet
Filter Results
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-25-2022
What's great about a plant-based diet is that it's not just a diet — it's a lifestyle. As such, it encompasses many different aspects of your life, and it can be hard to remember everything you want to remember. This Cheat Sheet is here to help you implement your plant-based diet and to be your pocket-sized cheerleader. This lifestyle can help you be healthy — not just for the next month, but for the rest of your life. It's that simple.
View Cheat SheetCheat Sheet / Updated 12-21-2021
A plant-based diet is not only good for your health, the animals, and the environment, but also is versatile and delicious! If you’re new to this way of eating, it can be hard to remember everything you want to remember. This Cheat Sheet helps you implement your plant-based diet and acts as your pocket-size cheerleader. This lifestyle can help you be healthy — not just for the next month, but for the rest of your life. It’s that simple.
View Cheat SheetStep by Step / Updated 04-10-2017
The plant world contains a natural army of foods that are ready to fight — infections, that is! Getting a steady supply of the following foods helps you build up immunity so that, when that cold comes for you, you may be able to block it entirely — or, at the very least, not let it affect you as much. In addition to eating these ten foods regularly, you can use them to make home remedies at the first sign of a cold or flu! Check here to find out which cooking utensils you'll need for preparing these infection-fighting foods. Medicinal herbs are another great way to naturally boost your immunity.
View Step by StepStep by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
Don’t be fooled — some non-plant-based foods present themselves as plant-based. Look closely at labels on these innocent-looking foods, and you may find ingredients you don’t want in your body. Some of the foods you think are safe actually aren’t.
View Step by StepStep by Step / Updated 03-27-2016
Did you know that any good commercial beauty product likely contains extracts of plant-based whole foods? If you look at the ingredients closely, you’ll see them — maybe hidden between all the other (toxic) chemicals that are put into most skin products. Why not go right to the source and put these foods directly on your skin, without the fillers and additives?
View Step by StepArticle / Updated 03-26-2016
Making sure you have the right ingredients in your kitchen when starting (and maintaining) a plant-based lifestyle is essential to making delicious food at home and sticking to your plant-based goals. Always keep these must-haves stocked: Vegetables: Choose a wide variety of colorful veggies on a regular basis, along with leafy greens like kale and collards. Basically, don't stick to just one color all the time! Fresh fruit: The same color rule applies here; however, also choose fresh fruits that are in season (hint: berries aren't fresh in the winter!). Whole grains: Become familiar with different grains in their whole forms. Experiment with ones like kamut, spelt, quinoa, and oats. You can also get breads and pastas made from these grains. Beans: Explore the diversity of beans. Chickpeas, kidney beans, black beans, and lentils are easy to cook with, and they're loaded with protein too. Healthy oils: Stock up on oils like olive oil, flax oil, and coconut oil. They all come in handy for different occasions and can be used in everything from salads to baking. Nuts and seeds: Keep a variety of nuts and seeds on hand. Almonds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and hempseeds are good essentials. They make great additions to breakfast oats or smoothies and are a quick snack. Other extras: Get ahold of basics like maple syrup, Dijon mustard, tamari (natural soy sauce), almond butter, sea salt, and apple-cider vinegar.
View ArticleArticle / Updated 03-26-2016
When planning your day of plant-based eating out, you ideally want to think about how you can choose a balance of meals that offer your body enough variety to keep you satisfied and full. These options can help you organize your day: Breakfast: Berry smoothie with plant-based protein powder; whole-grain toast with almond butter and sliced banana; oatmeal with walnuts, raisins, and cinnamon; or scrambled tofu with a slice of toast and avocado Lunch and dinner: Large salad with a variety of vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocado, chickpeas, and homemade dressing; pesto with brown-rice pasta topped with white beans and steamed broccoli; whole-grain wrap with hummus, lettuce, sprouts, carrots, and avocado; vegetarian brown-rice sushi and a bowl of miso soup; or baked tempeh, mashed yams, and steamed greens topped with tahini Snacks: Trail mix with almonds, raisins, pumpkin seeds, and cashews; an apple or pear with a tablespoon of nut butter; a handful or two of corn chips with salsa or guacamole; a homemade cookie or muffin with seed butter; or a green smoothie with kale, banana, hempseeds, and avocado
View ArticleArticle / Updated 03-26-2016
The process of transitioning to a plant-based diet can be as big or small a deal as you want to make it. It's just about how you approach it and want to make it happen. You have to have a desire to eat better, feel better, and live longer. Here are some ways you can maintain your motivation and increase your knowledge about eating a plant-based diet. Read books on plant-based living. Watch videos on healthy eating. Talk to other people who eat this way. Make a list of all the reasons plant-based eating appeals to you. Go out for some good plant-based meals at restaurants to get inspired.
View ArticleArticle / Updated 03-26-2016
Making smoothies is one of the best ways to start the day — and an easy way to help transition yourself to a plant-based diet. Smoothie recipes and ingredients are easy to find. And, of course, you can buy premade ones at the grocery store or smoothie stand. The best ones, though, are always the ones you make yourself. (Don't know where to begin? You'll find a basic recipe further down!) Here are five simple reasons why you should be making smoothies and blending your way to health: They save time: Smoothies take all of five or ten minutes to make (depending on how prepared you are), can be taken on the go, and last all day in a stainless-steel bottle. They're easy to absorb: Liquids are easier to digest, enabling nutrients to absorb into your cells for immediate uptake. Making a smoothie is the easiest way to absorb a whole bunch of nutrients at once. They're the whole package: You can get a whole lot of goodness into one blender! Smoothies are full of fiber and vitamins and — depending on what you put into them — can also give you your daily dose of protein, antioxidants, and healthy fats. They're super fun: Every day you can create a new theme in your blender using different flavors, tastes, and textures, but the smoothies all have one thing in common — they're packed full of raw, organic fruits, vegetables, and superfoods. Enjoy the process and get creative with colorful ingredients and textures. (You can even add some granola and eat it with a spoon.) They're liquid energy: Use superfoods to give you a boost. Make your own blend and enjoy it in the morning, in the afternoon, or pre- or post-workout! Here's how to blend your way to health, using any blender: Start with 2 cups of liquid: rice milk, almond milk, hemp milk, or coconut water. Choose your protein (2 tablespoons or more): raw brown-rice protein, hemp protein, hemp hearts, or almonds. Choose your fruit (1/2 to 1 cup): blueberries, raspberries, bananas, mangos, avocados, or dates. Choose your greens: one handful of spinach, kale, chard, sprouts, or cucumber; or 1 teaspoon of greens powder, spirulina, or chlorella. Choose your superfoods (1 tablespoon of one or more): goji berries, cacao nibs, maca, hempseeds, raw honey, chia seeds, or matcha green tea. Have fun and get creative!
View ArticleArticle / Updated 03-26-2016
Hosting a party in the comfort of your home ensures that you know exactly what's on the menu and enables you to serve some plant-based dishes. This way, you can plan a diverse menu that is hearty, healthy, and delicious. You can tell people what to bring, prepare the meal together, or make it all yourself. Whatever works for you, make it happen and enjoy the perfect balance of a plant-based special meal. Try these tips to achieve the perfect balance and keep your palate — as well as your guests' palates — satisfied: Variety: Make sure you have a little bit of everything so you're not left craving anything or feeling like something is missing from your plate. A plate full of mashed potatoes, bread, and tofu isn't very appetizing, colorful, or creative. Offer a menu that features diverse dishes, and don't be afraid to think outside the box. Texture: It's always nice to experience a different sensation in your mouth with each bite. Serve dishes that are crunchy (such as steamed green veggies), chewy (such as cooked whole grains), soft (such as mashed sweet potatoes), and crispy (such as baked apple crisp). Color: Choose lots of vibrant, fresh colors, such as squash, yams, parsnips, carrots, and beets. With those foods alone you can create an amazing roasted root-vegetable dish. But why stop there? Include on your menu some dark leafy greens, such as kale, broccoli, or spinach. Have fun with splashes of yellow from peppers or from whole grains like quinoa and millet. The more colorful your plate is, the more exciting it is to eat! Shape: Every food has its own unique shape. Choose the natural shapes you like or get creative by cutting those sweet potatoes or carrots a particular way. Alternatively, choose Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, or green beans for some shape variety. This makes each bite unique. Flavor: It's important to balance all six of the major flavors in each meal. This means choosing recipes that include salty flavors from sea salt, sea vegetables, and tamari; sweet flavors from fruits, root vegetables, and maple syrup; pungent flavors from cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, cumin, and garlic; sour flavors from lemons, limes, and oranges; astringent flavors from legumes, fruits, and vegetables; and bitter flavors from dark leafy greens, herbs, and spices.
View Article