A Health Coach Shares How To Start A Plant Based Diet (2024)

What is the easiest way to start a plant-based diet?

Taking on a few healthy habits, like creating healthy plant-based inflight meals can set you up for a more energized vacation on the ground. But that’s just a start. Read on to learn more about how to start a plant based diet no matter where your travels take you.

Start By “Crowding Out Your Foods”

The easiest way to begin a plant-based diet is to “crowd out your foods” or adding more of the healthy things so there is less room for the things you’d like to remove. 

Shop The Grocery Store Perimeter

Most all the fresh, whole foods is generally at the edges of the grocery store while many unhealthy snacks and other processed foods are on the shelves in the center. So, if you generally shop the store perimeter, you will, in turn steer clear of processed foods, which can cause unwanted inflammation.

Add Two New Vegetables Each Week

A great rule of thumb for how to start a plant based diet is to add two new vegetables each week to your diet that you don’t normally eat. 

Some nutrient-dense vegetables worth adding to your shopping list include kale, squash, and sweet potatoes. And look for in-season produce as it will often pack the most nutrition punch. Bonus points are that adding in new ingredients also keeps your tastebuds excited. 

Don’t Skimp On Herbs, Spices, And Sauces

Fresh herbs and spices amp up your food’s flavor while also adding health benefits so they’re a culinary win win. Turn to beneficial ingredients like ginger, turmeric, cayenne, sumac, and cinnamon, to name a few. 

And we always have healthy plant-based sauces on hand to add a jolt of flavor, such as garlic tahini sauce, miso-citrus dressing, cilantro chutney, and green harissa sauce. 

There are plenty of great plant-based meals to try, not to mention that the New Year is also the perfect great time to cook some healthy winter recipes. 

Also, as we discussed in our tips for making Mexican vegetarian recipes that taste like classic meat dishes, certain vegetables do a great job (in texture and flavor) as stand-ins for meat (we’re looking at you, mushrooms and carrots)!

Pros Of A Plant-Based Diet

If you need motivation for how to start a plant based diet, take heart that there are many benefits, including:

It Reduces Inflammation 

Eating a whole-food diet rich in low glycemic plant-based foods helps to fight inflammation in the body. There are creative meat substitutes too.

It Can Lead To Weight Loss

Obesity is an epidemic in America, and eating plant-based can help with this and associated issues like diabetes and high cholesterol.

It’s Better For The Planet 

Eating plant-based cuts down on the impact on Mother Earth, since plants need fewer resources to be harvested than animal products. We have to raise the crops that feed the livestock, which requires a lot of water and land, and, as such, livestock produces higher greenhouse gas emissions. 

It Means You Don’t Need To Count Calories

When you eat a balanced diet of food from the earth, you will get the nutrients your body needs, have fewer cravings for more food, and better satiety. 

Conversely, eating processed, nutrient-depleted foods (ahem, most store-bought snacks), leaves our body craving more because it is trying to make up for lacking nutrients. 

It Can Help Alleviate High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure increases your risk of heart disease. Eating a diet rich in vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fruits like blueberries, for example, can help to lower elevated blood pressure. 

Cons of a Plant-Based Diet

The biggest issue most people encounter when starting  to eat a plant based diet is figuring out how to optimize their nutrition.

Supplements may be necessary for overall well-being since plant-based diets generally have less vitamin B12, zinc, and protein than an omnivore diet. 

For example, while a plant-based diet has many positive benefits, the downside can be that you could have a more challenging time absorbing zinc. You see, copper and zinc essentially fight for the same space in the body.

And, since a vegan or vegetarian diet is often higher in copper, there’s a possibility that you could have some copper dominance. But we need zinc for tight junctions in the gut so it’s key to keep tabs on this.