Easy plant-based ideas for YOU!

I've been vegetarian my whole life and just became vegan in March, primarily because of health issues and food intolerances. Thought I’d post some easy and customizable foods to give you all some ideas for incorporating more plant food into your diet. Sorry this post is so long, I wanted to be thorough.
Also, I’m absolutely NOT trying to say that anyone needs to adopt this lifestyle, I just thought it might be helpful to share some plant-based meals and snacks that I enjoy.
Feel free to add some of your own!

·Zucchini “spaghetti”: Just spiralize some zucchini and serve it raw or cooked. Insanely simple. I like mine with basil and marinara sauce (you can add in regular pasta, other vegetables, use other sauces, etc.)
·Sweet potato “spaghetti”: Spiralize a sweet potato and sautee it (again, you can customize it). This is one of my absolute favorites when served with Cajun seasoning.
·Spaghetti squash: You can cook spaghetti squash multiple ways, even in the microwave; just look up instructions for the method you decide is best for you. I like my spaghetti squash served with some whole wheat pasta and nutritional yeast.
·Cauliflower "rice": Use a blender or food processor to rice the cauliflower, then sautee it and season it how you wish. You can eat it plain as a side dish (like me) or use it in stir fries, salads, stuffed bell peppers, rice and beans, and other recipes.
·Salads: You can literally put whatever in a salad. You can use romaine, spinach, kale, arugula, or mixed greens as your base and add carrots, cucumber, tomato, artichoke hearts, bell peppers, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almond slices, raisins, whatever you like. Mix it up and keep it interesting!
·Soups: There are so many great vegetable soups out there, even though most at the store are pretty high in sodium. Minestrone, lentil soup, and tomato soup (some are made with dairy – check the label) are good places to start. I’d recommend making your own soups from scratch, or use store-bought vegetable broth and add in your favorite vegetables/beans/grains.
·Sandwiches: Sandwiches are super versatile and there are tons of veg options. My favorite is spelt bread with hummus, cucumber, and kale.
·Tacos: Again, plenty of veg options. I prefer a flour tortilla (simply because corn tortillas always break on me and I end up with a mess lol) and I like to fill them with black beans, lettuce, corn, and guacamole. You could also use bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, pico de gallo, jalapenos, and probably other things I’m blanking on right now.
·Veg and dip: Humus, black bean dip, nut butters, guacamole, salsa, and other fun dips with any vegetable you feel like dipping.
·Raw fruit: Bananas, apples, berries, pineapple, melon, mango, grapes, kiwi, oranges, and basically most fruits make great snacks. You can also top fruit with nut butter and add vegan chocolate chips, granola, nut slices, chia seeds, and other fun stuff.
·Grape and banana “popsicles”: Frozen grapes taste just like popsicles, and frozen bananas are really creamy and delicious.
·Smoothies: Fruits, veg, nut butters, protein powders (Vega is great), almond or soy milk, anything. You can also do a smoothie bowl and add toppings like nuts, coconut flakes, granola, raw fruit, chia, flax, etc.
·Nuts: Super simple and satisfying. I like pistachios the best.

As a final note, make sure you are eating appropriate portions to fulfill your energy needs. I know we often focus on eating less, but it’s equally important (if not, MORE important) to ensure you’re eating enough.

Edit: I decided not to post this under recipes as these really aren't quite recipes, just general ideas for those looking to add more plant based foods into their diets