Madeline
When I made the decision to switch to a plant-based diet, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was raised on the standard American diet of meat, starch, and a small amount of vegetables. I have been living the low carb, glutten free, and keto diet for over a decade where meat and daiy sustained me. The thought of giving up meat and dairy was daunting, to say the least. But I was motivated by the prospect of improved health and a reduction in eating from an industry that is forced to cut corners.
It’s been about a month since I made the switch, and I am not sure what my food eating future holds for me, but this is not as difficult as I once imagined. Not only have I never felt better, but by buying whole foods and eating more at home, my food bill has never been so low. If you’re thinking of making the switch to a plant-based diet, I hope this article will give you the motivation you need to take the plunge!
Why I Decided to Switch to a Plant-Based Diet
I can pinpoint the first time eating mostly Plant-Based crossed my mind as something I would like to do.
I work in the Technology industry and at the time I worked for a Salesforce partner. For those who are not familiar, Salesforce is one of the largest (and coolest) technology companies in the world. Each year they throw one of the largest technology conferences of the year. True to the stereo type of technology companies, they spotlight all kinds of celebrities, including Michelle Obama, Tony Robbins, U2, Foo Fighters, WILL.I.AM, Jessica Alba… you get the gist.
This particular year in 2019, one of the minor speakers was the amazing chefs, Dominique Crenn and Samin Nosrat. I have followed the careers of both women and I greatly admire both women. During their talk, I hung onto every word they said. But over three years later, the one thing that stuck with me is that they both mostly eat plants. A question came up about how to eat plants and they just said something along the lines of, “a little olive oil and bake it. The simpler the better.” To me something that simple coming from some of the best living chefs in the world, it was powerful.
Fast forward to more recent times and I am curious about food. I read Fast Food Nation (affiliate), which talks about how the fast food industry influenced how people ate meat in the United States and how the meat industry had to bend to produce as much meat as was needed. I watched Food Inc (affiliate), that underscored this idea.
I read How Not To Diet, which talks about the health benefits of plant-based foods and getting more fiber. I listened to a podcast with the co-founder of Butcher Box. He said in his interview that it is bad business to tell people to eat less meat. But eating as much meat as this country does, is ruining the meat industry, which is why he started Butcher Box to begin with. It seemed like everywhere I turned was signs pointing me in this direction.
The Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet
The health benefits I am interested in are eating less of the chemicals and other impurities that are added when an animal is manufactured for eating. When I learned about the benefits of eating more fiber, the benefits to reduces various diseases and how it can lead to weight loss, I was double excited. This was never my drive, but to know that this is an added benefit, I am happy to welcome it.
Debates About The Health of A Plant-Based Diet
It would be dumb of me to not mention that the benefits of eating a plant-based diet can be debated. My college best friend was a vegan for the first ten years I knew him. It was not uncommon for us to go out to eat, him to realize there was nothing on the menu he could eat and left his meal to french fries. This happened again and again to the point that I would check restaurants ahead of time or force him to eat a green food. This is not the healthy way to eat plant-based.
When the topic came up with a co-worker, his response was “I have a friend who went vegan and ended up in the hospital from a calcium deficiency.” This is likely because she was not eating enough leafy greens which have plenty of calcium.
Bottom line is that if one is going to be plant-based, they must not be a picky eater. Beans, lentils, leafy greens, nuts, fats made from plants, all must be incorporated into a diet to make the plant-based diet successful.
Plant-Based Recipes You’ll Love
I just started down this journey, so when it came to finding healthy recipes, I was a little lost. Down below are a few recipes I have been eating on a regular basis and have been enjoying.
Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa & Black Beans
Creamy Broccoli Red lentil Soup
Enjoy!
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