FIG’S BEST EVER PLANT-BASED STARTER GUIDE
We are thrilled you want to eat more plants! And no shock or yearning or deprivation is required. If it’s not delicious — if it doesn’t make you FIG (Feel Insanely Great) — forget it. So exhaaaaaale; you can do this and it doesn’t have feel so damn. hard!
Before we get tactical, let’s cover a few basics.
This is, above all, a positive journey. It’s fun to FIG (Feel Insanely Great)!It’s also a private journey. You don’t need to explain or apologize for anything.
Focus on what you are eating instead of what you are not eating.
The goal is to put more plants in your mouth. So, are you doing that?
Where to begin?
Learn, don’t yearn. Follow this guide and you will be well on your way to adding lots of disease fighting, brain boosting, heart healthy, diabetes kicking foods to your diet.
Food is emotional:
Facts are not. Do your own research and make your own plan.
Understand your habits – read Mindless Eating by Brian Wasnik and watch Dr Doug Lisle explain the Pleasure Trap in his famous TED talk.
Understand what food does to your body – read How Not to Die by Dr. Michael Gregor
Listen to this fascinating Rich Roll podcast in the car, kitchen, wherever.
Watch “What the Health,” “Forks Over Knives,” “The Game Changers” and/or “Kiss the Ground.”
Use Nutritionfacts.org – a science-based, nonprofit resource – to answer specific nutrition questions.
Ask the protein question:
Consider this -- All animals (we eat) eat plants and then we eat animals to get their protein. Why not just skip the animals and eat the plants (which all contain protein)?
Remember, plants are plenty full of protein. We don’t need meat.
Deal with the exceptions, B12 and Omegas:
B12 is the only thing you cannot get from plants, and that’s because we’ve depleted the soil of B12.
Omegas – Fish oil is high in omegas because the fish eat algae. So, eat algae or take an algae-based omega if you want more omegas. Take a multi that has it all (algae omegas, B12 amongst others). Complement has it all and was created for plant=based folks, but do your own research because you may find a couple that support your needs even better,
How and when should I start?
Right now.
Gradual change will lead to the formation of habits and long term change.
So, change what you can – or are willing to – right now, even if that means eating some oatmeal instead of eggs for breakfast.
A common way people get going is to put more veggies on their plate, crowding out the meat. Or, pick one meal a week to be plant-based. The satiety from meals full of fiber might just be enough to convince you to add even more plants!
Eating more plants is the goal; perfection is an illusion.
Pay attention to how you feel and sleep when you eat more plants. Not to get all superficial, but you may want to take a look at the quality of your skin once you're eating more plants. HELLO aging backwards!
Set yourself up to succeed:
Plan ahead (i.e. make your sandwich at breakfast and pop it in the fridge); don’t let “food be thy emergency.”
Stock the house! Surround yourself with delicious plant-based food you like to eat.
Stocking great food at home is hugely important. Then 90% of your meals are things you love and there’s little reason to panic. The other 10% doesn’t matter as much and may fall to 5% and then < 5% over time. No stress.
Have 3 go-to meals at the ready and get really good at making them. Then a plant-based meal is no big deal.
OK, but what should I eat?
Basically anything that grows in soil. Plants are everywhere. Yum.
Note: Salad is not a meal unless it has LOTS of gear on top (ie nuts, beans, avo, cheese, seeds, nori, awesome dressing, etc.)
Go back to Michael Pollan. “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
Eat delicious food. You don’t have to cry over a bowl of steamed veggies feeling sorry for yourself, when there are literally millions of recipes out there! Google a few foods you have in your fridge and pantry and get cooking. We still do that all the time. It’s fun. Tomatoes, leeks, potatoes, chickpeas, RETURN. Oh what fun you will have searching all the recipes for one that “hits the spot”!
Seek out vegan restaurants! They will show you what yummy ridiculous can be done with plants. Use the Happy Cow website or app to find plant friendly menus.
Buy a few cookbooks that speak your language. If you're an excellent cook, stretch yourself with more involved recipes as in Matthew Kinney’s Plant Lab. If you're a newbie, get a Plant Based for Dummies cookbook.
Stay focused on what you are eating instead of what you are not eating. The goal is to eat more plants. Don’t worry about the other stuff.
Try starting with these two steps:
Make a list of your go-to meals. Can any of them be made plant-based? “Google” it! I bet you find some great recipes for the mac and cheese you crave that is way healthier and maybe even more tasty! Challenge yourself to make one of these plant-based subs this week. Also, “Google” substitutions (i.e. what is vegan and healthier than butter"?; what can you use instead of meat in chili?)
Choose one of the above and eat it! (Breakfast and lunch may be the easier place to start.)
Common Questions
What is the difference between whole food plant based and vegan?
Both avoid animal products, but a whole food plant based diet includes only whole foods that haven’t been processed or are very minimally processed. For instance, Oreos are vegan, but decidedly not good for you. They are not a whole food as they have lots of additives and tons of sugar. Oil is refined so it is recommended that you mostly stay away from it on a WFPB diet. Instead, get your fats from avocado, nuts, and seeds.
How do I cook quinoa?
Quinoa comes out best if cooked in a ratio of 1 3/4 quarter cup broth or water to 1 cup quinoa. Quinoa has a bitter coating on it, so it must be rinsed in a fine mesh strainer before being cooked. If we’re using it for a more savory recipe, we cook it in veggie broth. For breakfast quinoa dishes, we make it with water. Cook in a covered pot stirring occasionally until there is just a very small layer of water in the bottom then shut it off and let it sit until the water is soaked up. The whole process should take about 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and it should be perfect. Over cooking quinoa and using too much water makes it more on the mushy side. Cooking for two little time will make it too crunchy. Find the middle of those two, taste it and decide how you like it best. Most of our quinoa dishes get a crispy quinoa topping. It’s such a nice little treat and so easy to make! Simply take a thin layer of some of the cooked quinoa putting it on a dry pan or a pan sprayed with a tiny bit of oil and tossing it around until it gets crispy.
What the heck is nutritional yeast?
Nutritional yeast or more affectionately called “nooch” is loved by lots of plant-based peeps (ourselves included) because it's full of B vitamins and protein. It gives things a cheesy, nutty flavor that mimics cheese. When ground in a coffee grinder or food processor with cashews, almonds, or brazil nuts (all of the nuts give it a slightly different flavor, so try them all and see what you like) and a little bit of salt, it makes a delicious substitute for Parmesan cheese which can be used on pastas, soups, salads and best of all, popcorn.
How can I eat beans all the time and still have any friends?
The ill effects of beans go away very quickly. When they're not regularly in your diet, some find them hard to digest, but when they're in there all the time they don't cause any of the “after-effects” that eating them only occasionally can cause. It's most likely a change in your gut biome. When you're still eating meat and beans and your biome isn't Steller, the beans present a problem. And reality, the fiber in beans is a prebiotic and helps your gut biome flourish. In conclusion, beans, beans good for the heart, the more you eat, the less you....
Isn’t tofu/soy bad for me to eat?
With all of the research out there now, it is very clear that you should worry a lot more about not eating tofu than actually eating it! Soy is a powerhouse food that has been found to fight cancer and heart disease. It also helps regulate your hormones. We believe it is better to stick with organic and sprouted tofu, as it’s easier to digest and is non-GMO. Fermented soy is also a good way to go, and tempeh is very versatile and delicious.
How can I live without cheese?
You can and you should. Cheese is one of the most addictive foods out there, loaded with saturated fat which we know can cause inflammation and clog arteries. So stay away and don’t give in to its power! Transition foods can help here. There are a lot of vegan cheeses that you can purchase or even make for yourself. They are not loaded with as much saturated fat and end up not being as crave worthy, but fill the hole that your precious cheese has left in your heart.
How will I get enough protein?
We are all waaaayyyy too obsessed with PROTEIN! It’s important to remember that ONLY 8-10% of the calories we eat in a day need, and should be protein. This has been the RDA for years, yet people pile on the protein and food companies cram it into whatever they can. Protein soda anyone? Ugh. Once you look at all the research and realize that is all that we need and should have, you realize that you were probably eating way too much before, and can easily get it from a plant based diet. Most plants consist of 10% protein, so if you are just eating plants, you are good to go. This article will help you understand the protein punch that plants have.
How do I cook without oil?
You dry sauté, water sauté, or broth sauté. We just about always broth sauté.Just as you would use oil, you put a bit of broth on a hot pan and wait for it to steam, then add you ingredients to the pan, as the broth cooks off, add a little bit more. *Don’t add too much broth as it will end up boiling your food and it will not be as delicious. Do this until desired degree of cooking is achieved.
Please ask us some questions so we can add them to this list!!!
Link to common questions
Link to how to stock your pantry
Link to our favorite non-recipe recipes