It is easy to think about going vegetarian or vegan, but taking action is a bit less straightforward for most people transitioning to this lifestyle.
Earlier, Elijah McClain had spoken about how switching over to a plant-based diet may seem overwhelming in the start, but can become a lot easier by following a simple step-by-step guide.
Here are a few simple steps one can follow while making a transition to a plant based diet.
- Step 1: Decide the strategy: To make the change over to plant-based eating, one must first understand what works best for them. While some might be okay with eliminating animal products from their diet completely at once, a few others may start with a flexible diet that allows them to gradually lower the consumption of animal products. Ultimately, one has to select a comfortable and sustainable approach as per their personal preferences and goals.
- Step 2: Determine what to eat and what not to eat: Eating a plant-based diet can look different for everyone. Becoming a vegan, for instance, requires eliminating all animal products from the diet. Certain vegans also avoid honey, in addition to animal products like dairy, eggs, meat, and seafood. On the other hand, eating a vegetarian diet means eating mostly plants but allowing for some animal products like dairy.
- Step 3: Clean out the kitchen: To eat more plants, one should try to have more plants available at home, while reducing the number of animal-based foods in the kitchen. If one already has too much of animal products in their fridge, freezer, or pantry, they should try to find recipes that incorporate those products in smaller quantities and make plants the star of the plate. If one fully wants to eliminate the consumption of animal products at once, they should consider donating those items. Prepping the kitchen for the new diet would help people to have a clean slate for a successful diet change.
- Step 4: Plan the meals: Meal planning can help grocery shopping easier, and ensure that one has something available to prepare on the bust weekdays.
- Step 5: Go grocery shopping: Before heading to the store, take a look at the meal plan, as well as check the pantry and fridge. Plant-based foods tend to be found throughout the grocery store, hence one would not have to look in a speciality foods section or limit themselves to just the produce aisle. Staples for a plant-based diet frozen or fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, plant based protein like beans and tofu, as well plan:t based milk like soy milk or almond milk.
- Step 6: Cook: Cooking at home as much as possible is vital for maintaining a healthy diet. Time saving mini-meal prep can especially make cooking at home easier. One can also cook a bit extra whenever possible to save more time in general. For instance, if the oven is on, it would be a good idea to roast the vegetables for tomorrow’s meal. If one is cooking grains, they can always choose to make an extra serving for use later in the week.
Earlier, Elijah McClain had mentioned that transitioning to plant-based diet can be a lot easier as long as one is systematic in their approach. One should especially try to eat a variety of plant-based foods from all food groups to stay healthy.