There are a lot of different reasons people choose to follow a plant-based diet. For many, it’s about improving their health and wellness, helping them feels lighter and more energized. For others, the decision stems from environmental concerns or animal rights issues. Whatever your reason for choosing this lifestyle may be, it can be challenging to navigate the grocery store aisle when unsure what foods are acceptable at the core of your diet. This guide will give you an idea of what foods you can keep in your home to help get you started on your plant-based journey!
I. Delicious and Healthy Recipes for Your Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet.
Your diet is an essential part of your self-care, and it’s something you should be thinking about. I’m going to share some delicious & healthy recipes with you that you can make for your whole foods plant-based diet. These recipes are all vegan and gluten-free, so they are perfect for those following a vegan diet.
- TACO BELL PIZZA.
Ingredients
1 cup (75g) grilled blue cheese, shredded finely
One medium white onion, chopped.
1 cup (125ml) milk
One teaspoon (5ml) fine-grain sea salt
Directions
Wrap the edges of a pizza crust in aluminum foil and press firmly until coated—Preheat the oven to 425 °F (232 °C). Grill the pasta until al dente, then place the cheese on a baking sheet and season with salt. Bake the pizza crust for 15–20 minutes. While the cheese is cooking, prepare the green beans and tomato sauce by combining the al dente pasta, green beans, and tomato sauce in a large bowl. Next, add the basil, oregano, and garlic basil mix and stir until the veggies and basil have wilted. Then, drizzle pasta with olive oil and top with the grilled cheese.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 2 cups
- CHICKEN SCRAMBLE.
Ingredients
Two tablespoons vegan butter or oil
One teaspoon vitamin-A oil (optional)
Three cloves garlic, minced
One 14-ounce package of cooked, baked chorizo (I use Trader Joe’s), cut into 1-inch pieces.
3 cups (700g) baby spinach, packed
One medium apple, chopped.
1/4 cup (15g) toasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup (85ml) warm water
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with extra-large (3-inch) pieces of coconut oil and press a 2-inch piece of butter into the bottom of the pan. Set aside. In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat and add garlic, pork, onion, until softened.
III. What Are The Benefits Of A Plant-Based Diet?
A plant-based diet is an eating pattern that focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. People who follow a plant-based diet eat plant-based foods rather than animal-based foods. Eating a plant-based diet is good for your health. However, it’s not always easy to find foods you will love at your local supermarket anymore. There are tastier options out there, even if t’s challenging to find some healthy options.
Whether you recognize it or not, every food you buy comes from a plant. With some exceptions, for most people, their diet consists primarily or entirely of plant-based foods. Depending on where you live and what restrictions you have, there may also be restrictions on what types of foods you can or can’t buy at the core of your diet. Regardless of where you live, there’s a resource to help you navigate the grocery store.
The first and foremost thing to do is understand what foods can or can’t be in your diet.
To follow a plant-based diet, you can limit your foods that contain animal by-products or not eat specific animal-based products.If you’re trying to transition to a plant-based diet and wish to limit your meat intake, you can substitute meat in place of it. This is usually a great idea if it’s unseasoned or dry meat. Furthermore, if you’re curious about how you can include meat in your diet, check out this article to find out the benefits of having meat in your diet and learn how to include meat in your meal plan without causing your health problems.
When shopping for foods to be included in your diet, you can also look for plant-based varieties, if possible. Again, this will depend on your lifestyle and what restrictions you have.
III. How To Navigate The Grocery Store When You’re On A Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet.
One of the most common questions I get in emails is navigating the grocery store when you’re on a Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet. I figure that since I’ve been getting so many questions about it, I should share my list of favorite Whole Foods items that make my Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet easier and more affordable. Before I get into my favorite things, I want to address one of my favorite questions:
Are you looking for more information on food sustainability strategies? Check out our guide.
On a Whole Foods plant-based diet, you eat mostly fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and potentially smaller amounts of dairy products such as milk (3 cups/week based on 2% of calories), butter (1 cup/week), and cheese (1 oz or jar).
I love fruit, but it’s not something you’ll be able to find at the core of my diet. We were:
Most of my fruits came from a local farmer’s market or the seasonal produce section at my local grocery store. I was focused on seasonal vegetables for my greens because I knew that I had limited nutrients to work with while in lockdown.
Fruits and veggies aren’t easy to shop for when you are on a Whole Foods plant-based diet. You have to focus on the color and size of the produce. I target fruits that are in season, juicy, and of good quality.
On Sunday mornings, I typically do a fruit and vegetable breakfast ( oatmeal or granola with fruit and a cup of coffee) to get me through my day.
Whole grains, and especially oats, can seem intimidating when you first encounter them in the grocery store. Due to their high fiber levels and quick digestion, I buy them before cooking high-calorie meals like Sunday brunch, pre-teens, or weeknight chili. I usually end up using whole grain oats I already have in my pantry or on a shelf in my fridge.
IV-How To Shop For Your Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet On A Budget
Shopping for a whole foods plant-based diet on a budget can seem complicated and overwhelming at first, but I promise it’s much easier than you think! This is a guide to help you through your first few weeks of shopping.
You will need to plan out how you want to prepare your food ahead of time. Another vital aspect to consider is what types of meals you want to eat, and most importantly, what types are your favorite! Plan out about a week’s worth of meals and grocery lists ahead of time and save them on a Google document or your planner. When you’re ready to plan, print out your grocery list or plan, or use my favorite templates!
Remember: Whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains need to be cooked to meet the nutritional requirements necessary.
Vegetarian meal planning might be a challenge at first, but eating seasonally is critical! As for desserts, you may need to experiment with different recipes until you find a recipe you like!
If you ultimately decide to stick with a strict whole food plant-based diet, I’ll have a separate article documenting the steps I took to switch to a diet high in healthy, tasty, and affordable whole foods.
I hope you find this guide on grocery shopping helpful, and let me know if you have any questions.
This guide aims to assist anyone interested in making a transition to a whole food plant-based diet which isn’t sure where to start or why or how. After meeting with a nutritionist and some client development, I realized that getting better nourishment isn’t tricky. However, there were a few challenges that I faced in deciding to go whole foods. I encourage you to take on this challenge with patience and allow yourself to feel the difficulties firsthand as I did.