Plant-Based Nutrition Tips, Tricks and Resources

Healthy Food for a plant-based diet

Are you embarking on a plant-based lifestyle for the first time? Have you been trying a plant-based diet, but still feeling it’s hard? You might be wondering if salads are really the only thing you can eat! Never fear, there is so much more you can do with plants than just make salads.

It all starts with making the transition as easy as possible for yourself. Start to add more and different veggies. Experiment. Be gentle with yourself. Eliminate the worst offenders first. If you choose to have animal products just buy the highest quality possible. I’ve been doing this lifestyle since 2015 and I’ve got some great tips, tricks and resources to share.

For instance, did you know there are non-dairy cheese alternatives? Yes! And they taste good. I’ve passed some off on unsuspecting dinner guests and after they raved about how good it was, I told them it was not real cheese – it was Treeline brand nut cheese (and there are so many others)!

Don’t get me wrong though, a plant-based lifestyle is not about swapping out one set of processed food items for another. Nowadays you can find lots of plant-based junk food! You want to keep those to a minimum and stick to keeping half of your plate or snack vegetables or fruit. However, I know it can be lifesaving to have some easy things to eat on the run and some replacements for your old favorites. It just makes the transition a bit easier. Because if you are feeling deprived and bored with plant-based eating you won’t stick to it.

The biggest tip I have for you is to try new things! Explore! Search the grocery or health food store. Use Google to find out what other people are eating – search plant-based, plant-strong, whole foods, and even vegan to find great options.

PLANT-BASED NUTRITION:

• Emphasizes whole ingredients and minimally processed foods.

• Focuses on plants, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, nuts.

• Excludes refined foods, sugars, white flour, processed oils.

• Flexible with proteins and may include dairy, eggs, poultry, seafood, meat, and plant proteins (stick to high quality products, think grass-fed AND grass-finished, cage-free, organic, no antibiotics, etc. You want it to have a “pedigree” as my friend KN will say!).

• Limits animal proteins to a “complement” or side dish.

• Quality matters!  Food is locally sourced and organic when possible.

  
  

GENERAL TIPS:

• Always have a menu plan – and don’t forget your lunches too!

• Make your shopping list ahead of time – I use an app on my phone, and I organize my items by the layout of the store. I also keep my favorites on the list and just check or uncheck as needed.

• Batch cook – double the rice, double the beans, double the recipe…and freeze some for later.

• Avoid sugar – look for the hidden sugars too! Read the labels and find a different product if there is added sugar in something that doesn’t really need it – like pasta sauce and salad dressing.

  • And remember, sugar is aka: high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, date sugar, grape sugar, maltol, maltose, sucrose, fructose, dextrose, cane juice, treacle, etc. etc. etc.! Yikes!

  • When you really need a sweetener use real maple syrup, honey, Stevia, agave, monk fruit or raw, organic coconut palm sugar.

  • If a recipe calls for a small amount of sugar – skip it altogether. Same with salt or cut the amount by half and use sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt.

• Avoid GMOs – corn and soy are the most common genetically modified foods. Look for packaging or produce stickers with USDA Organic or Non-GMO Project seals. All organic foods must be non-GMO, but unless the product is labeled, not all non-GMO products are organic.

• Read the Ingredient list – don’t trust the “marketing claims” on the front of the label.

ABOUT DAIRY:

Don’t believe the marketing hype…milk does not do a body good (unless you are a baby cow)! There are studies that have shown that cow’s milk increases cancer risk for three reasons; 1. Animal protein increases insulin like growth factor (IGF-1), 2. Lactose/galactose promotes oxidative stress, inflammation, and premature aging, 3. Estrogen exposure is known to increase the risk for breast cancer and cows are typically pregnant while lactating and therefore they are secreting estrogen and progesterone into their milk. For more information read this….

ABOUT BREAD:

Even if you don’t have celiac disease, you should consider going gluten free. That doesn’t mean to go crazy buying all the GF products now made. They are still processed and often have ingredients you won’t want to do a lot of – like potato starch and tapioca. Wheat is just something to be cautious of – it’s a highly sprayed and genetically modified crop. You will want to do organic/non-GMO whole wheat if you do any at all.

There are lots of great alternatives…like seed breads, veggie wraps, etc. that you can use instead.

ABOUT MEAT SUBSTITUTES:

The Impossible Burger is GMO and contains gluten, so the better option is Beyond Meat because it is non-GMO and gluten free. However, these are processed food and high in oils so use sparingly.  Best bet is to make your own veggie burgers!

ABOUT SOY & PHYTOESTROGENS

Soy is not your enemy. Yes, even those of you with breast or prostate cancer can still enjoy soy products. Stick to less processed soy products and always non-GMO as soybeans are another highly sprayed and modified crop. Miso is great – just don’t boil it too long so it will maintain the health benefits. Read up on soy and cancer from Dr. Keith Block – click here.

ABOUT ALCOHOL

Alcohol is no longer your friend…sorry. According to the American Cancer Society, “alcohol use is one of the most important preventable risk factors for cancer, along with tobacco use and excess body weight. Alcohol use accounts for about 6% of all cancers and 4% of all cancer deaths in the United States”. Alcohol use has been linked with cancers of the mouth, throat, esophagus, liver, colon, and breast, and may increase the risk of other cancers.

Instead of alcoholic beverages try drinking your sparkling water in a wine or champagne glass (I do this to feel like I am having a big girl drink!). You can also drink Knudsen’s Tart Cherry Juice in a wine glass which I’m told is a really good substitute for wine…and has many health benefits!

You can also try non-alcoholic beverages. Just read the ingredient list to make sure you aren’t consuming a bunch of junk! Try Tost Rose, Heineken 0.0, Curious Elixirs’ No 1 (Negroni) and GHIA’s Aperitif. Check out this article from CancerWellness.com.

FAVORITE RECIPES:

I have become a decent cook, but I always look for the “easy” recipes, the ones that have short ingredient lists and are not going to be complicated or take a lot of time. Call me the 30-minute chef! I also have found some great “transition” recipes like the lasagna-stuffed squash below!

• Lasagna-Stuffed Spaghetti Squash (veganize this recipe w/ “fake” cheese & leave out the meat)

• No-Tuna Salad Sandwich – from Forks Over Knives

• Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic Reduction – from Minimalist Baker

• Bang Bang Roasted Brussels Sprouts – from forkly

• Bloody Mary Juice – from The Truth About Cancer

• Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls – from The Healthy Maven

• Cowboy Caviar – from the Blue Zones

• Muffuletta Sandwich – from the Yummy Mummy

• Nourish & Glow Miracle Bowl – from Oh She Glows

• Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash – from It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken (make this for the holidays and you won’t be disappointed!)

• Oil Free Salad Dressings – from No Meat Athlete

• Acorn Squash Black Bean Soup Bowls – from Plant Pure Nation

• Salt & Pepper Shrimp with Cucumber Salad – from Real Simple

• Sushi Bowls – from Prevention.com

FAVORITE SOURCES FOR RECIPES AND INFORMATION:

• Minimalist Baker - https://minimalistbaker.com/ 

• Oh She Glows plant-based recipe blog - https://ohsheglows.com/

• Forks Over Knives – https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/

• Kris Carr: Crazy Sexy Cancer - https://kriscarr.com/recipes/

• Blue Zones.org – https://www.bluezones.com/recipes/

• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - https://www.pcrm.org/

• Plant Pure Nation - https://www.plantpurenation.com/ 

• Rebecca Katz: The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen - https://www.rebeccakatz.com/

• One Meal a Day – www.omdfortheplanet.com 

FAVORITE UPGRADES:

• Add ground flax seeds, chia seeds and hemp seeds/hearts to salads, smoothies, etc.

• Use Turmeric (1 tsp/day with pepper in your salad dressing)

• Chop or mince your garlic 10 minutes before you cook it to get full benefits

• Cut your broccoli 30-90 minutes before you cook it to get full benefits

• Choose the “best” lettuce – red loose-leaf is best, bagged mixed greens are better than iceberg or romaine alone. Tear up your lettuce to increase antioxidants.

• Buy whole spinach, kale, lettuce, greens in bunches not bagged or in plastic clam shell

• Use unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Save onion skins for soup stock & remove after cooking (most nutritious part). Store onions in cool dark place – frig is ok but crisper drawer is too humid

• Save broccoli & asparagus ends for soup stock and store in the freezer

• Add seaweed and algae products – nori, wakame, kelp

• Use canola, avocado, or olive (not at high heat) oil for cooking (no sunflower or corn oil)

• Use bananas to make “nice cream” (freeze then slice & mix in high speed blender, add other frozen fruits, then put in container and keep in freezer) – recipes from Minimalist Baker

• Use nutritional yeast - It’s a deactivated yeast commonly used as an ingredient in creamy, dairy-free cheese substitutes and as a topper for foods like popcorn, pasta, and French fries. It’s fondly called “nooch” for short.

FAVORITE PRE-BIOTIC FOODS:

• oats, apples, flax seeds, barley, yams, sweet potatoes, jicama, wheat bran, seaweed, garlic, asparagus, leeks, onions, bananas, dandelion greens, chicory root

FAVORITE PRO-BIOTIC FOODS:

• yogurt (with live/active cultures & low in sugar), kefir (fermented milk drink from cows or goats),

• sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi, miso, kombucha, pickles,

FAVORITE CANCER FIGHTING FOODS:

• Cruciferous Veggies - Cabbage, Kale, Broccoli, Brussels (eat 1x every day)

• Berries

• Turmeric

• Garlic, onions, leeks, chives

• Citrus

• Tomatoes

• Green Tea (always organic Japanese green tea)

• Omega-3’s

• Dark Chocolate

FAVORITE RESTAURANTS:

You can still eat out too. Never fear…there are options!

Use Happy Cow to find vegan and vegetarian restaurants wherever you might be. They also have an app for your phone. And the “AirVegan” app tells you which airports have plant-based dining options!

Other apps – “Vegan Pocket” and “Is It Vegan?” let you check individual products by scanning the bar code (but remember, just because the Oreo Double Stuffed Cookies are vegan does NOT mean they are healthy!)

Check out these articles specific to eating out….

• How to Order a Healthy Plant-Based Meal - https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/dean-ornish-anne-undo-it-how-to-order-plant-based-any-restaurant/ 

• And read this article to figure out how to eat plant-based, vegan or vegetarian at any restaurant - https://spoonuniversity.com/how-to/vegetarian-hacks-for-restaurant-menus-

• Try These Vegan Fast-Food & Chain-Restaurant Options on the Go - https://www.peta.org/living/food/chain-restaurants/

FAVORITE RESOURCES:

• ·Environmental Working Group – www.EWG.org;  get their list of the “dirty dozen” and the “clean fifteen” each year to know what you need to buy organic.

• Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - www.PCRM.org 

• NutritionFacts.org - https://nutritionfacts.org/  - Dr. Michael Gregor, How Not to Die

• Dr. Fuhrman – The Healthiest, Anti-Cancer Foods: G-Bombs 

FAVORITE ARTICLES:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Plant Based Diet - https://www.forksoverknives.com/how-tos/plant-based-primer-beginners-guide-starting-plant-based-diet/

• 15 Foods That Boost the Immune System - https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/foods-that-boost-the-immune-system

• The 17 Best Protein Sources for Vegans & Vegetarians - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-for-vegans-vegetarians

• How to Avoid Anemia on a Vegan Diet - https://www.livekindly.co/how-to-avoid-anemia-vegan-diet/

• Can’t Eat Diary? Here are the 7 best alternatives to cheese - https://fabfitfun.com/magazine/alternatives-to-cheese/

• The 19 Best Prebiotic Foods You Should Eat - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/19-best-prebiotic-foods#TOC_TITLE_HDR_21 

• 11 Probiotic Foods That are Super Healthy - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-super-healthy-probiotic-foods

• Why is Nutritional Yeast Good for You? - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast.  And on the flip side…4 Potential Side Effects of Nutritional Yeast - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast-dangers

I hope there is a tip here that might be useful to you. If you need help on achieving your goals I would be happy to meet with you to determine if coaching is right for you.

In peace, love and health

Karla