January is a perfect time to hit the reset button, build some healthy habits and set intentions for the year. It also happens to be Veganuary, when hundreds of thousands of people give plant-based eating a go.
I am a restaurant trained plant-based chef, recipe writer and cookbook author - Big Veg Energy is available to preorder now! I have been vegan for 13 years and have a holistic nutrition certification too, so I have lots of tips and tricks to share about how to eat more plants and enjoy it, which is the most important thing.
Why eat more plants?
Eating an abundance and wide variety of whole plant foods is essential for optimum health. Different plants offer different vitamins, minerals and benefits to your body but overall you may notice that you have more energy, better digestion, clearer skin and less brain fog.
Incorporating more plant foods into your diet is not only great for your health but also for the environment too, reducing your carbon footprint dramatically.
Stumbling Blocks
While going ‘cold turkey’ and ditching animal products overnight can work for some, lots of people really struggle with the all or nothing approach. Be honest and kind to yourself, because you may find that slowly learning more plant-based recipes that you enjoy, increasing plant-based days and gradually reducing animal products is more sustainable for you.
Lots of people get put off by the idea of never having some of their favourite foods ever again, but what if you reframe it? If you feel like you ‘can’t’ give up something specific, maybe you give up everything else and keep that one thing. Or eating it becomes a very rare occurrence that you plan, cherish and enjoy rather than take for granted.
Easy Swaps
Some really effective swaps are:
Silken tofu can replace single cream when blended into soups or pasta sauces, adding high-protein creaminess.
Firm tofu or tempeh, crumbled and stir-fried with a little soy sauce, makes a great mince alternative.
Nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavour.
Puy lentils and walnuts also work well as a savoury mince substitute.
This advice from Michael Pollan cuts through the noise that we hear around healthy eating. Do your best to eat plenty of fresh, whole foods, minimise processed, packaged foods and refined sugars and eat the correct amount for you. Try to eat a variety of vegetables and fruits with different colours too, as their colours usually correlate to specific properties. Experiment with new vegetables, flavours and recipes as this will help to keep it exciting. And remember, don’t worry if it doesn’t always go to plan, as every meal and every new day is a chance to reset.
I am hosting a talk called Reconnecting With Real Food with Seed Talks on the 7th of January and would love to see you there. My new cookbook Big Veg Energy is packed full of easy, wholesome, satisfying plant based recipes that I hope will inspire you! You can pre-order it now from all major booksellers.
