Wholefood plant-based diet
A whole-food, plant-based diet is essentially a vegan way of eating, but with the focus on foods in their most natural and nourishing form. Simply removing animal products doesn’t automatically create a healthy diet. It’s very easy to rely on the wide range of ready-made vegan convenience foods now available, but these can often be high in fats, salt, and highly processed ingredients. If you begin your journey by preparing your own meals from scratch, you set the foundation for lasting, positive habits.
Whole plant foods — fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, nuts, and seeds — provide the body with the nutrients it needs to thrive. While replacing animal fats with plant fats is a step in the right direction, all fats are not equal, and balance is key. Foods such as avocados, flaxseeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds contain beneficial fats and each brings its own unique nutritional value. A healthy plant-based lifestyle also involves being mindful of your individual nutritional needs and planning meals that are varied and satisfying.
A typical day might include a bowl of oatmeal topped with berries, chopped nuts, and toasted seeds with your favourite plant milk for breakfast; a hearty bean stew served with wholegrain rice and a vibrant mixed salad for lunch; and a baked sweet potato with homemade hummus and steamed vegetables for dinner. Fresh or dried fruit can make a perfect snack, dessert, or smoothie addition.
The possibilities are endless, and once you become familiar with your staple ingredients, cooking becomes a creative and enjoyable experience rather than a challenge.
Some ingredients you might like to keep on hand include:
Plant-based cupboard staples
Keeping a well-stocked cupboard makes creating nourishing meals simple and spontaneous. Some everyday essentials include:
- Wholegrains – oats, brown rice, quinoa, barley, wholewheat pasta
- Pulses – lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, cannellini beans
- Tinned tomatoes and natural tomato paste
- Nuts and nut butters – almonds, walnuts, peanut, cashew
- Seeds – chia, flax, hemp, pumpkin, sunflower
- Dried fruit – dates, raisins, apricots
- Herbs and spices – turmeric, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, oregano, basil
- Vegetable stock powder or cubes
- Plant-based milks
- Vinegars – apple cider, balsamic, red wine
- Tamari or soy sauce
With these on hand, a wholesome meal is never far away!