Help with Plant Based?????

A great place to learn how to create a healthy way of eating is at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/. Their information is science-based and kept up-to-date. There's no reason why what you learn there couldn't inform a smart plant-based eating plan that leads to good health and a strong immune system.

I found Dean Ornish's book Eat More, Weigh Less to be interesting...his recipes are, to my mind a bit complex for every day, but good.

Try looking at vegetarian cookbooks in the library--this way you get to see what you like/don't like w/o spending a lot.

I'm a huge fan of Moosewood cookbooks. They're plant based but do include fish and eggs. They blog a lot of their recipes, too.

One cookbook I picked up at the library called for celery...in EVERY RECIPE. No joke. I like celery but not in everything.

Or there are so many great food blogs on plant based.

Start by figuring out what you like, how you like to cook and how much time you have. If you don't like soup or salad, like my husband, a cook book or blog that focuses on those won't be effective for you in the long term.

You'll find a lot more creativity in plant based with "ethnic" food...thai, indian, ethiopian, vietnamese, korean...so much flavor! Even authentic Italian/Mediterranian have richer flavor profiles. But some people prefer a blander diet. Know what you want.

Decide how much time you have to cook...I have recipes that take half the afternoon in chopping and sauteing, etc...and they're worth it and I like cooking. But if I don't have that kind of time, I'll reach for my 20 minute meatless or 4-ingredient vegetarian recipes...If you don't love cooking, you'll have to figure out what you're willing to do and how often.

The site linked below has evidence-based information, curated by degreed Registered Dietitians, about plant-based eating. There's a good "Tips for New Vegans" link right at the top of the home page.

https://veganhealth.org/

Unfortunately, there are a number of vegan advocacy sites that . . . well, lets just say that they're willing to manipulate the truth to get people to adopt a vegan lifestyle. It's sad, because there's a fine case to be made for it without needing to resort to misinformation, and misinformation can actually turn off sensible people.

It's not essential to be fully plant-based (let alone vegan) to have a healthy way of eating, but many people would benefit from eating more plants, even in context of an omnivorous diet. I'm not sure how aggressive your personal goals are, in terms of being partly or fully plant-based, but even if you're considering just increasing the plant portion of your eating (while still eating some animal products) or making a gradual transition, the site I linked should still give you some useful starting info.

Truth in advertising: I'm not vegan or fully plant-based myself. I've been ovo-lacto vegetarian for 45+ years, from thin to fat to obese and back to thin again. I don't usually encourage people to go fully plant-based (or even vegetarian) unless they have ethical reasons to do so, because fully plant-based/vegan is a slight bit more socially complicated, and makes it just a tiny bit more difficult to get well-rounded nutrition. Those trade-offs are worth it, in an ethical context. For weight loss or health, I think a plant-rich omnivorous way of eating can be equally beneficial, for the majority of people, and maybe just that tiny bit easier.

Definitely your choice to make, though. Best wishes!

MacdaddyMama wrote: »

Hi! I can’t believe nobody here helped you. I’m in the same boat. Try a Facebook group called plant based and vegan recipe for beginners and another one called vegan social club with your nearest big city name.

Thank you for this suggestion!

Hello, I must say I found the app daily dozen rather useful, it's free and it tells you all the food you need to rest daily to have a healthy plant based diet. More info about plantbased diet and why is good for you you'll find in how not to die, the cookbook from the same doctor however I find waaaay to complicated.

Hello dpedersen27! Today is the first time I ever logged in to the "Community". I've been using MyFitnessPal for 3 weeks and I am a flexible-plant-based eater. (Flexible means I will eat an egg or a salmon fillet or tuna occasionally.) To get started I bought a book at Barnes and Noble called " The Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan". It is an easy easy read with alot of nutritional information AND recipes. Also, besides scouring the internet for recipes - I LIVE on You-Tube! The videos there about plant based eating are great. Keep in mind though, you don't have to make yourself nuts creating new recipes and wearing yourself out in the kitchen. There are alot of pre-made things I am utilizing - Costco has a great selection of vegetarian items and even Walmart. Lastly, I bought a WITHINGS scale that connects via WiFi to my fitness pal app. It's great. Good luck to you!