I think when you start anything, you’re either in the camp of jumping right in or starting more slowly. And each time you start a new endeavor, you could be in a different camp! When I tiled our kitchen backsplash, I stared at that backsplash for 2 days! Where do I start…on the end, in the middle, somewhere else? How are these tiles going to be spaced? It was never ending, but then I committed! I just jumped right in. So, you could say, I went in both directions…I started slowly and then jumped in.
It’s no different when starting to eat plant based! My husband started more slowly in that the only animal based food that he ate was cheese. If you read “My Journey“, then you know this was the impetus for the name of this blog. I, on the other hand, dove in, head first! I think however you start to get more plants and less animal protein in your diet is the right way. Whether you dive right in like me, start with Meatless Mondays or somewhere in between, it’s all good! I’ve heard of people who first give up red meat. After a few weeks of that, they give up pork as well. They progress to giving up all meat, still eating eggs, butter and cheese.
I will say that, in our experience, giving up meat is relatively easy compared with giving up eggs and dairy. Eggs and dairy are in everything!
So, you’ve decided to give this a try and you’re thinking, “I’ve made breakfast, lunches and dinners for 20 years for my family. This is daunting. How do I replace my go-to menus and recipes with veggies, fruits, whole grains and nuts?” The answer is simple but twofold: first, look at your own recipes. You have salads in your repertoire that, when beans are added, could be your entree. You probably have soups and casseroles with just veggies that you can replace the animal milk with a plant based milk. Replace the butter with a plant based butter. As you become more comfortable, you may replace meat with mushrooms or any other sturdy vegetable. Try these recipes to start: Veggie Layered Salad, Oriental Salad, Kirsten’s Easy Chili, or Guacamole Toast.
Second, start looking at recipes on recipe websites. I use Yummly and in the “search” bar, I type in, for example, “Vegan Mushroom Soup” or “Vegan Potato Soup”. You’ll find loads and loads of recipes! Just read the recipe carefully, because sometimes what someone defines as vegan or plant based is actually vegetarian. And, if that’s ok with you, it’s ok with me: as long as you’re getting less animal protein and more veggies!
Now aside from recipes, let’s just spitball some ideas for breakfast and lunch. Oatmeal with fruit, overnight oats, hash browns loaded with veggies, apples with peanut butter for breakfast. Green or pasta salads loaded with veggies, beans and rice, soups for lunch. You can do this!
However you start and for whatever reason you start (that’s next weeks blog), eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds can only be good for you! Enjoy!