by Miriam Hahn
Welcome to the Plant Based World!
Powering your body on plants for optimal health and performance is a trend that is here to stay. Not only are we feeling more vibrant and alive, but we are also taking care of our environment and saving the lives of millions of animals.
Move over meat, let’s do this! Here are 5 ideas to help you jump start your journey to a plant-based lifestyle:
- Make a list of your favorite meals and then find a plant-based substitute. For example:
Beef Tacos: Lentil tacos with guacamole and all the toppings!
Hamburgers: Try a plant-based alternative like Beyond Meat or Hilary’s just to name a couple.
Chicken Wings: Experiment with buffalo cauliflower wings. They have the wow factor!
Tuna Sandwich: Enjoy a chick pea “mock tuna” sandwich with pickles and plant-based mayonnaise!
Pasta with meat sauce: Substitute a mushroom bolognese sauce with vegan parmesan! - Make salads a meal! Plain lettuce salads are a thing of the past. Add some bulk by adding, beans, grains, olives, nuts, seeds, avocado and dressings that are nutrient dense like hemp seed ranch or tahini lemon dressing. Try the Greek Farro salad recipe below!
- Meal plan and meal prep. Pick one day a week to jot down the meals you will make that week. If planning for the whole week is too overwhelming, work 3 days at a time. Build your grocery list off of your meal planning sheet and pick one day a week to make grains, beans, overnight oats, sauces etc. to get a jump on the week of meals ahead.
- Stock your plant-based pantry with all of the essentials! To get a FREE printable download of what you will need, click here!
- Make double when you are cooking! Who doesn’t love lunch ready to go the next day? Soups, sauces and chilis also freeze well. Knock out a meal or two for next week while you are at it.
Also remember to give yourself some grace. Look for progress not perfection. You don’t have to be 100% perfect at this right out of the shoot!
The Greek Farro Salad recipe is below and all others mentioned can be found on Instagram & Facebook account @youcare.selfcare
Greek Farro Salad:
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked farro
2 cans garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 can artichoke hearts
15 olives (green or kalamata)
1 cucumber, diced
1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 red pepper, diced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
Dressing
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice from one lemon
Salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients together and top with dressing
2. Chill!
Miriam Hahn is the owner of YouCare-SelfCare a private wellness practice, specializing in plant-based lifestyle and disease prevention. She is a certified wellness coach and a graduate of the Cornell University Plant-Based Nutrition Program.
Her services include online wellness and cooking courses, virtual boot camp programs and plant-based cooking classes/ group wellness classes held in Phoenix. https://www.youcare-selfcare.com/
Follow along on Instagram and Facebook for hundreds of plant-based recipes! https://www.instagram.com/youcare.selfcare/?hl=en