This Nutrition Coach Has 7 Pro-Tips to Help You Simplify Your Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet is only eating food that comes from plants and doesn’t contain animal ingredients such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey, as defined on the Forks Over Knives website. We’ve seen the rise of plant-based diets among many celebrities like Beyoncé and Jay-Z, designer Stella McCartney, and athletes like Venus Williams.

Large companies like Google are incorporating more plant-based dishes in order to reduce their carbon footprint. This lifestyle is gaining popularity every year.

Has a plant-based diet piqued your interest too?
 
 

Here Are 7 Easy Hacks for a Healthy Plant-Based Diet:

If you don’t have a ton of time to spend in the kitchen but want to experience the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, here are my top tips!
 

1. Double the Recipe and Freeze

Recipes that freeze very well include: spaghetti sauce (swap lentils for meat), soups, chili, enchiladas, and veggie burgers.

Separate out and refrigerate the portion to be served for your next meal before you set the food on the table – this stops everyone from picking at the leftovers!
 

2. Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose!

An example I like to use with clients is to cook up a variety of vegetables like peppers, onions, squash, and root vegetables to use in leftovers. You can make a Buddha bowl one day and then add to soup or enchiladas the next. It’s a completely different meal, but cuts down on prep time.

Another great way to cut down on prep time is to batch cook grains. Rice, quinoa, or millet can be used as a base for stir fry or they can be tossed into a wrap or salad or used in that Buddha bowl with your roasted veggies!

Need some Buddha bowl inspiration? Try this Mouthwatering Vegan Buddha Bowl With Quinoa and Sweet Potato (Recipe)
 

3. Pre-Prep Your Salads

Like salads but find that they get soggy if you make them ahead of time? Try putting them in a mason jar (the secret is in how you layer them). Pinterest has endless ideas to get you started!
 

4. Make Extra Pasta

Having pasta for dinner? Make some extra and allow it to cool slightly. Toss it with olive oil so it doesn’t stick together.

Put your pasta into a container and on a night when you’re short on time, just add your favorite veggies and protein for a quick pasta salad or defrost a batch of sauce from the freezer.

Stick with whole grain or gluten-free pastas as they offer the most nutritional value. And as a bonus, many offer the added benefit of protein!
 

5. Don’t Forget About Breakfast

I like to make a couple different batches of homemade muffins, scones, or quick breads and freeze them for a quick, healthy breakfast in the morning. And as a bonus, if you make it yourself, you control the ingredients!

Swap out white flour for oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour, white sugar for coconut sugar (most recipes you can cut way down on the sugar too!), and canola oil for sunflower oil or non-dairy butter. Toss in berries, apples, or bananas to help get your recommended daily amount of fruit!
 

6. Shop Local

If you know how to shop smart, a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be expensive. It can actually save you money!

One of my favorite pieces of advice is to visit your local farmer’s market or join a Community Supported Agriculture group (CSA). Many CSAs even run year-round offering vegetables that winter over well like potatoes, onions, squash, apples, and even hardy greens!

Shopping at a local farmer’s market supports your local economy, and because the farmer doesn’t have the overhead of trucking the produce thousands of miles to get to you, the savings can be passed on.

And let’s not forget a big bonus – local fruits and vegetables taste better too because they are fresher! You can visit Local Harvest to locate a farmer’s market or CSA near you.
 

7. Divvy Your Plate

Plant protein is a plant-based food with a high amount of protein. A few common examples of a plant protein are: quinoa, oats, chia seeds, nuts, lentils and tofu. Focus on a balanced plate of:

• ¼ plant protein
• ¼ whole grains
• ½ veggies
• A serving size of heart healthy fats like avocado or nuts

 
And then you have a well-balanced meal that doesn’t have to take lots of time to prepare!
 
 

You Can Adopt a Quick, Simple and Easy Plant-Based Diet!

Quick plant-based meals are attainable. And a plant-based diet doesn’t have to be your full-time job.

With these helpful healthy hacks, you can transform your endless hours in the kitchen to more time doing what you really love while still maintaining your plant-based diet.

Here’s to spreading lots of plant-based lifestyle vibes!

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