5 Easy Ways to Get More Plant-Based
Diets that are heavy in plant foods have been used for centuries by ancient roman gladiators, professional athletes, and even body builders starting in the 80s. Over the past decade, plant-based diets have risen in popularity due to the research pointing to it's benefits for the body, overall health and our environment.
Eating more fruits, veggies, seeds and grains help your body in a ton of different ways. Here are a few:
1. Maintain strong cellular health (i.e. help fight disease like certain cancers)
2. Support organ function and toxin elimination (trust us, fibre is your friend)
3. Keep your brain function strong
4. Reduce your risk of Heart Disease
5. Help maintain a healthy body weight
Below are 5 tips for upping the plant game in your diet and a few delicious recipes that re-create traditional meat-heavy faves.
Beans and legumes: Per 1/2 cup, chickpeas have 19 grams of protein and lentils have 9 grams.
Soy: Tofu (11g/serving), fortified soymilk (8g/serving), and edamame beans (9g/serving)
Tofu Tip: cut your tofu block into 4ths and freeze them in a container overnight. When the tofu is thawed it becomes more spongy and porous and can easily soak up a marinade or dressing.
Seeds: per 3 Tbsp, hemps seeds have 10g of protein, Chia seeds 6g of protein and flax seeds 6 grams.
Vitamin B12: vital for nearly every organ in the body and blood flow circulation. B12 levels is something plant and meat-eaters should all watch out for.
Iron: a mineral that is essential to help the body carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts if the body. Women need 8-18mg of iron per day while men only need 8-11g per day. For max absorption combine iron rich foods with Vitamin C.
Vitamin D: crucial for maintaining healthy bones and teeth, and also a key player in mental health. Though Vitamin D can be soaked up from a 10 minute sun bath, mushrooms also contain a fair amount. 4.9 IU per 1 cup of mushrooms. A daily supplement is needed by most, especially in darker seasons.
Omegas: healthy fats that help in the fight against heart disease and support mental health.
The Omega-3 daily recommendation is 250-500mg/ day, 28g of chia seeds contains 4915mg of omega-3.
The Omega-6 daily recommendation is 12-17g, 3.5 ounces of walnuts contains 38 grams.
Making veggies and plant proteins the star of your meal is the go-to rule for more Vegan/Vegetarian eating. Here are a couple of veg-for-meat swap recipes we love:
Pulled BBQ Jackfruit Sandwich
Lentil Walnut Tacos
Blended For Plant Based Diets
All of our blends are vegan, here are our top picks for plant-based diet support (all with 14-20 grams of protein, 60%-90% of your Iron RDI, and very high in the following: Vitamins A, B12, C, K, Folate, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium and more).