How to Start a Plant-Based Diet (12 Great Tips)

by Alena
Pinterest Hidden Image

How to start a plant-based diet the easy way! These 12 tips help you transition in no time and offer lots of free resources and helpful downloads.

Did you just come across some of the great reasons for going vegan or watched an inspiring documentary on plant-based eating?

More and more people are looking to start a plant-based diet but don’t know where to start. From saving animals’ lives to combatting climate change and reducing the risk for chronic disease, there are so many benefits!

If any of these reasons for starting a plant-based diet or even going vegan have intrigued you, one of your next thoughts might probably be:

“wow but this seems so overwhelming, how do I even start?”

At least, that’s what it’s been like for us back 10 years ago. From going vegetarian and then dairy-free, we finally made our way to a whole food plant-based diet!

These days, transitioning to a vegan diet is so much easier, especially if you have someone breaking down the most important steps for you.

Let’s dive right into them!

Nutriciously Week of Bowls iPad

free 7-day vegan meal plan

Your next week of eating is planned out with these quick and delicious vegan bowls, meal prepping steps & full grocery list.

How to start a plant-based diet

We want to make things less overwhelming for you by sharing these 12 tips on how you can start a plant-based diet! Come on board – we promise it’ll be easier and more fun than you might think.

1. Find your motivation

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are many great reasons for starting a plant-based diet.

Maybe you want to feel better physically or try to lose some weight on a plant-based diet, reduce your environmental footprint or stop supporting animal agriculture — it doesn’t matter.

Anything that excites you to take further steps towards a plant-based diet is great!

Keep it close to your heart, write it down, research it regularly to stay in touch with your motivation and learn something new along the way… because the reasons for not eating animal products are endless and you might resonate with more and more over time.

You could watch some documentaries or YouTube videos to keep focused even when things get a little harder.

Woman with cozy white sweater squeezing lemon over bowl of rice and chilipin it

2. Eat enough food

This is something that confuses many in the beginning stages of their plant-based diet and can be different for everyone — depending on what their former diet looked like.

Especially if you come from a diet high in animal products and processed foods, your body won’t feel great if you start to fill your plate with the same amount of veggies instead.

That’s because most plant-based foods are high in fiber and water, causing them to be much lower in calories per volume compared to steak, butter, cheese and eggs.

You need to get sufficient energy from your meals, so be sure to fill your plate with hearty plant-based foods like potatoes, beans, pasta, tofu, bread, nuts and seeds!

Find the best high-calorie vegan foods here.

Especially those with small appetites should focus on them as well as people who are at a lower weight. If you tend to have an insatiable hunger, then more veggies instead of nut butter is great!

Check out our articles below for more.

3. Surround yourself with healthy foods

Guess what, you cannot eat what you don’t buy or have around you! Simple but true.

Create a supportive environment by keeping your home as free from animal products and highly processed foods as possible.

This means browsing your kitchen in search of any food that isn’t beneficial to you or that you plan on not eating anymore – either give it to someone else who’d like to eat it or simply toss it to not be tempted (we like to use local food sharing groups to donate the food we don’t want to consume).

The next step in helping yourself change your ways is to buy heaps of fruits and vegetables, potatoes and rice, beans, or nuts, so you’re always able to prepare healthy meals and easy snacks.

Find some great tips for being vegan on a budget or get our full vegan grocery list on our blog!

Produce can also be bought frozen instead of fresh to prevent food waste – plus you always have something in the freezer to whip up a quick and well-rounded meal.

All of these foods, although they are healthy and unprocessed, have a pretty long shelf life which makes them very convenient.

two printable pages to create a vegan grocery list

download our free printable vegan grocery list

Grab your free PDF and sign up for our newsletter by entering your email below!

4. Prepare for being on the go

It’s one thing to eat plant-based at home but what if hunger hits and you’re out and about?

Instead of ravenously looking for something that you could eat and being tempted to just grab a highly processed or animal-based option, you could make sure to always have some kind of snack with you.

Find our guide on making bliss balls here, some tasty kid-friendly vegan snacks as well as high-protein vegan snacks you can make yourself!

Our favorites include fruit, nuts, energy balls or vegan bars – but also homemade wraps, sandwiches, grain-based salads or simply leftovers.

Other tips here would be to eat before you leave the house and know of a few locations you can grab some good plant-based meals or snacks.

Here’s an article on many common fast food and restaurant chains and what you can order there!

top view of a table loaded with vegan snacks from muffins and oat bars to fresh fruit and morepin it

5. Make food swaps

Our advice is generally to take a gentle approach and slowly but steadily add more plant-based foods into your diet. We don’t restrict, we replace!

Swap some of your favorite processed or animal-based food for a healthy alternative. For instance, to veganize your meals you could use avocado instead of butter, tofu instead of chicken and kidney bean burgers instead of beef.

To make more wholesome plant-based choices, have dates instead of white sugar, use whole grain instead of white flour spaghetti and have fruit as a snack.

Increase the amount of healthy vegan ingredients in your meals until you’ve crowded out the bad stuff.

14 Easy & Tasty Food Swaps

6. Start With a Plant-Based Breakfast

Three vegan main meals per day can seem a bit daunting when you’re just starting out. But how does chocolate oatmeal for breakfast sound? It’s just one delicious, easy and healthy way to start your day.

Usually, breakfasts are the easiest meals to veganize. Think pancakes, chia pudding, peanut butter and jelly sandwich or savory options such as tofu scrambles with potatoes or avocado toast.

And there are a lot more are vegan breakfast options out there such as our easy recipes for:

These easy plant-based breakfasts will inspire you to move on to a healthy vegan lunch, which is the next meal you can tackle. Once you feel confident to have a fully plant-based breakfast and lunch, move on to dinner.

Continue until you have all meals and snacks transformed into plant-based ones. Tip: Our favorite lunch is just leftover dinner!

Vegan Breakfast Guide
woman in grey shirt sitting on a table and looking at her phone while drinking almond coffeepin it

7. Educate yourself

There is a lot of misinformation out there and you will run into more than just one conversation about how unhealthy, complicated or useless a vegan diet is.

We’ve all been taught that animal products are part of a proper diet and it’s understandable that people around you are opposed to the idea of eating only plants.

Whether it’s real concern, curiosity or being offended on their part, having a few facts on hand is always a good idea

Lots of huge organizations like the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics have stated that properly planned vegan diets are healthy for all stages of life, lots of doctors and dietitians recommend eating a plant-based diet for the prevention of chronic diseases – plus there are anecdotes and real-life examples of people thriving on plants.

Here are our favorite vegan resources!

8. Find like-minded people

Human beings are social creatures. We’re highly impacted by the people we surround ourselves with and one of the most common reasons why vegans go back to animal products again is social pressure.

As much as we want to inspire not-yet-vegans to try plant-based eating for a while and take a look at the reasons behind veganism, we also want to prevent more ex-vegans.

We often hear from our readers that they don’t have any support at home from their families – which is why we highly recommend reaching out online and joining a virtual vegan group somewhere. 

A good place to start would be Facebook (you’re always welcome in our private group here) where you can search for vegan or plant-based groups – some of which might even be in your local area!

Having someone to talk to about delicious plant-based food and have the opportunity to rant, or ask for help if you’re looking for a specific product, is invaluable.

There are many other platforms like Meetup to get in touch with like-minded people in real life.

After a while, you might even influence some friends or family members to try more plant-based meals and get an ally that way – who knows.

Let the results speak for themselves and people will become curious at some point. We definitely are a growing movement, so let’s all connect!

Be sure to check out some of the following articles for further advice:

African American woman and man in kitchen with man cutting tomatoes on a cutting board and woman holding spatula near man's mouth to let him try some foodpin it

9. Equip your kitchen

Similar to stocking up on plant-based staple foods, you should also make sure to have some basic kitchen tools at home.

From things like a cutting board, sharp knives, baking sheets, pots and a nonstick pan to a small blender or food processor – these tools will open up a huge world of meals you can create.

One of our favorite kitchen tools is the Instant Pot, a pressure cooker for grains, legumes, soups and more.

No need to spend a ton of money, you can ask around if someone has a spare tool or can lend you a specific one to see if you’d become a regular user.

Sometimes, you can also get a good deal over at Amazon or other online stores if you keep an eye on an item you’d love to get. See our article below for more details!

The Best Kitchen Tools

10. Gently create new habits

Be loving and kind to yourself. If you haven’t reached your goals yet or feel like you’re not doing things perfectly, don’t beat yourself up — just keep going into the right direction!

Your thoughts have a bigger impact on your perception and reality than you might think. It all just comes down to creating new habits so eating a plant-based diet feels like second nature to you.

Putting yourself down or under pressure can cause a spiral of negative beliefs and events, so don’t forget about the big scheme of things and adjust your expectations according to your own pace. When you become your biggest fan and supporter, your success is much more likely.

Go back to some of the tips above and take things meal by meal.

long brown-red haired woman wearing a grey sweater shaking her head and long hair in the sunpin it

11. Keep things fun & exciting

Once you have dabbled in vegan waters and tried to make plant-based versions of your favorite meals, you can take it one step further. There are probably quite a few dishes you’ve never even heard of or foods you haven’t tried!

During your next visit to the supermarket, pay attention to all the different types of fruits, veggies, beans, lentils, grains, nuts and seeds and choose one or a few that look interesting and which you have never eaten before.

Browse the internet for ideas on how to cook amazing new meals that you can implement as a weekly dinner option.

And if you’re more of a snacky convenient type of person: so many packaged food options these days are plant-based and can be sent to your doorstep, should you not find them at your local store.

Best Vegan Subscription Boxes

12. Make a solid commitment

Now that you have created a good foundation for your plant-based lifestyle, it’s time to commit. Choose a few weeks or a month during which you’ll try to put everything into action and really follow through.

Clean out your kitchen or kitchen space, have all kinds of plant-based staples on hand, keep a list with your favorite plant-based meals and snacks around, and enjoy every single bite!

Maybe following some fellow vegans on social media could give you some additional inspiration and help you feel less alone.

It’s up to you to decide to make this happen and then you’ll be able to recognize all of the amazing benefits of living this way.

More helpful resources

Free vegan transition eCourse

Join our free 6-part online course to learn how to transition to a plant-based diet the easy way with proper nutrition education, downloadable recipes, shopping lists, meal plan and blueprints for creating easy and tasty vegan recipes.

Nutriciously Transition Course iPad

join our free vegan course!

Learn how to thrive on a plant-based diet with practical tips & a 3-day meal plan!

Which of these tips have helped you move forward and include more plant-based meals into your diet? What are the areas you need to work on the most? Share with us in the comments below and Pin this article here.

Browse these categories

Alena sitting in a cafe with a bowl of fresh plant-based food and a glass of coffee in front of her

About Alena Handwritten FontAlena Schowalter is a Certified Vegan Nutritionist who has been a vegetarian since childhood and vegan since 2012. Together with her husband, she founded nutriciously in 2015 and has been guiding thousands of people through different transition stages towards a healthy plant-based diet. She’s received training in the fields of nutrition, music therapy and social work. Alena enjoys discussions around vegan ethics, walks through nature and creating new recipes.

58 thoughts on “How to Start a Plant-Based Diet (12 Great Tips)”

  1. I noticed you recommend avoiding ALL OIL including coconut. There is plenty of evidence that coconut oil is very good for you. What is the science behind your recommendation?

    Reply
    • Hey Michelle,
      we like to base our salad dressings on tahini which we mix with lemon juice, water, salt and pepper.
      Another idea is to mix balsamic vinegar with some agave and mustard. Many of our dressings are based on mustard which can be mixed with soy milk for a creamy dressing :)
      As for the cooking part, we sautée our veggies in a non-stick pan without any added fluid or use a few tbsp of water / veggie broth. Baked veggies in the oven do well without any oil, only spices. Here is more information on cooking techniques without oil: http://nutriciously.com/plant-based-cooking-techniques/
      Hope this helps!

      Reply
  2. This makes me feel so much more confident in my decision to try a plant based diet, thank you! I slowly want to incorporate more and more whole foods in my diet. the hardest part for me I think will be the lunch and dinner prep for work nights. My boyfriend and I work opposite days too, but he is on board with the change in our food. I work Thursday- Sunday and he Monday – Friday. Any advise?

    Reply
  3. Love love this! I’ve been a vegan for about 8 months now, initially did it for the animals but after doing so much research about it health wise and reading “Whole” which I totally recommend to anyone interested in nutrition – I find that I’m making all those necessary changes to live a fully whole food plant based diet and I’ve never felt better!

    Reply
    • Hey Patricia,
      thanks so much for your lovely feedback! Have you joined our free course in transitioning to a whole food plant based diet? We love Campbell’s work, along with other great plant-based experts such as McDougall, Esselstyn, Greger or Barnard. So happy to hear that you’ve been feeling so great since making the switch! Do let us know if you need any further support :)
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
    • Thanks for the lovely comment! Yes, it’s a very inviting community here – most of us have been the only plant eaters around and therefore want to connect & help each other out :)

      Reply
    • Hi Sabrina,
      there could be several reasons for not losing weight on a plant-based diet.
      1. You don’t really have any weight to lose.
      2. Your body has to adapt to some hormonal or metabolic stuff first or has to heal.
      3. You eat food that’s too high in calorie density or just drink a lot of your calories.
      4. Your portion sizes are somehow too big (but that’s not very easy when eating whole plant-based foods).
      Feel free to email me with some details so we can look at this a little deeper! Here are some infos for now: http://nutriciously.com/eat-lot-still-lose-weight/
      Best,
      Alena

      Reply
  4. I’m curious about not having any oil on plant based diets. What I think I know about vitamins there are very important vitamins that are fat soluble. So, I’ve always believed it’s necessary to have a small amount of a healthy oil daily for that reason. Let me know your thoughts on that . Thank you!

    Reply
    • Hi Marie,
      thanks for your question! We get that a lot and will be publishing an article on it soon. The reasons why you should consider cutting out oil are:
      – there is nothing in the extracted oil that isn’t in the whole food it came from
      – it is devoid of fiber, vitamins, minerals
      – all whole plant-based foods have fat, you could sprinkle nuts/seeds on your meals instead of pouring oil
      – it impairs your arteries, weakens your immune system
      – it has a whopping 120 calories per tbsp
      I hope this answers some of your questions for now! Be sure to look out for the upcoming article on this topic :)
      Best,
      Alena

      Reply
  5. Starting plant based diet today after finding out last week that I am pre diabetic. My fiance and I did Whole 30 in April, he lost 20 lbs, me 7. My questions are these:
    Do you buy or make any type of bread or pita?
    What do you eat for breakfast besides oats and fruit? I ate eggs every day.
    Do I need to take any supplements or vitamins?

    Reply
    • Hi Kelly,
      we don’t make bread or pita at home but rather buy whole grain versions of them at the store.
      We usually have oats for breakfast, sometimes smoothie bowls or smoothies, avocado on whole grain bread, scrambled tofu, hash browns, or sweet rice.
      Yes, we do take a vitamin B12 and during winter also vitamin D. These are basically all you need on a vegan diet! Whole plant-based foods are really nutrient dense, so you’ll get everything else you need. We don’t believe in magic green powders or anything, it’s more about the overall diet.
      Hope that helps!
      – Lars

      Reply
  6. We whatched a show on Netflix called What the Health. Any one who feels like crap, and is taking too many pills needs to watch this.

    Reply
    • Me too! Am still exploring this plant based diet but love the way I felt last time I went fully vegetarian. I felt like me, so if this is as powerful I can’t wait to fell like me again!

      Reply
        • I watched the show as well and definitely got me thinking about my health. Something that really caught my eye is that going Vegan can help towards MS or ecrolosis. Is this true?
          Also, do we need to buy organic veggies, regular veggies or grow my own?
          But definitely like this site. So helpful for us who are looking into it.

          Reply
          • Of course the goal would be to grow your own or buy 100% organic. For various reasons, this is not always possible for every person. Never let a fear of GMO or pesticide residue stop you from eating plant foods. The risks are so slight as to be irrelevant, and the rewards are too numerous to ignore.
            I try to grow what I can, but in the store, I buy the fruits and veges that I like, I don’t much worry about or even care if they are organic or not, gmo or not. If I like them, I’ll eat them instead of processed or animal based foods, and that is where I have to start.

    • My husband and I just watched it. Which is what led me to start researching how to do a lifestyle change. Very eye opening.

      Reply
  7. I have begun the switch, am 75 and in pretty good health. The last couple of days, on a 1400 calorie plant based plan with the only exception for this week being a nighttime GNC lean protein drink. Anyway I have had shakiness and hand tremors. Is this typical at this age or dehydration?

    Reply
    • Hi Carole,
      awesome that you’re making this shift at your age! So impressive. Are you full and satisfied on only 1400 calories? Most people eat at least 2000 calories, especially when being on a whole food plant-based diet. This caloric deficit could be the reason for your shakiness. Other than that, we’re not health professionals and urge you to get checked by a doctor! You might find someone here: https://www.plantbaseddoctors.org/
      We’re not a fan of protein shakes at all, especially those with lots of unhealthy ingredients! Please reconsider. It’s much better to eat whole foods for your calories and nutrients.
      Hope this helps!
      Best wishes

      Reply
  8. Hi Alena,
    what do you recomend for someone who is starting on a plant based diet but is also on a more strict calorie diet? 2000kcal a day is allot for me…I’m trying to loose some weight…

    Reply
    • Hi there Ana,
      thanks for your comment. For weight loss, you should keep your fats pretty low and only get into a slight caloric deficit. There’s a thing called fat balance which means by reducing your dietary fat and keeping your calories at a reasonable level, your body will get into its own fat for metabolic processes. When I was slightly overweight (170lbs at 5’7) I ate around 1800 calories per day, loading up on non-starchy veggies, potatoes, rice, and some fruit. This helped me lose 50 lbs in less than a year without any additional exercise.
      The beauty of whole plant-based food is that it’s filled with water and fiber and it’s high in carbs which means you’ll be full before you can get enough calories. I ate a HUGE amount of food for these 1800 calories, believe me. You cannot trick your body and eat way too little, that won’t really help your weight loss as you’ll pack on the pounds again. Focus on nourishment and healing! Email me if you’d like further support.
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  9. Hi! I just signed up for the course and am looking forward to gaining more recipes. My spouse and I have been trying out vegan / vegetarian meals for about a month and are totally planning to continue. Thanks in advance for the course.

    Reply
    • Hey Liz,
      thanks so much for the comment! We love having you on board :) So awesome that you both want to make the switch together – it’ll be way easier as a team. Let me know if you need any further support and just drop me an email!
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  10. Good morning, I’m considering starting a vegan diet for many reasons. Here’s my dilemma, I am dealing with kidney failure and have been on dialysis for about 4 years. As a result I have to limit the foods that are high in potassium which includes a lot of fresh veggies and fruit, and legumes. How do I get the protein I need while avoiding these items. Thank you for your time.

    Reply
  11. Hello Alena,

    I went vegan for health reason one year ago following a ten month course of multiple antibiotics as I had chronic lyme. When I did this was eating probably between 1600-1800 calories but my diet was high in “healthy” fats (30%-35% on average)- nuts, seeds, nut-butter oils for roasting veggies, coconut, etc. I didn’t really research the diet, I just went for it and I didn’t supplement b12 for the first 6 months. I began losing my hair shortly after going vegan and I also lost a ton of collagen, lost weight, had horrible body odor, and turned jaundiced. Fun! Eventually, I decided I needed to change something, so I went HCLF high raw vegan for a month, and I cut out grains and legumes and ate mostly raw. I also made sure to eat at least 2,000 calories. This did help somewhat with my hair, but I was so hungry and cold all the time. I was tested for thyroid and iron, and my levels are all fine. I do have hormonal imbalances.

    All throughout my time as a vegan, I had a lot of fear and anxiety because all of my lyme doctors (at least four) told me that I should eat meat to be healthy. I finally gave up on hclf raw vegan and ate meat at their recommendation, and I felt a bit better. But then some of the symptoms that had improved on my vegan diet slowly returned. Last month I decided to go all in on Weston Price to know for sure, so I tried out a higher fat lower carb meat-heavy diet and lost a ton of hair, my skin turned so yellow and I had horrible body odor. I also had a return of lyme symptoms like joint pain and neck pain, etc. I now believe that much of my struggle on the vegan diet is attributed to the antibiotics and my lack of an understanding of how to eat this way, not because of the plant based diet. I think I was maybe not eating enough carbs/calories and eating far too much fat (spoonfuls of peanut butter and coconut ice cream) at night to compensate for being under-carbed during the day.

    My question is: I would like to return to a plant based diet, but I am scared that I will not be getting enough protein for my hair (even though it continued to fall while eating meat). As a 107 lb. 5’3″ woman, how much protein do I really need? How much fat is a good amount to be eating to balance hormones (so many specialists have recommended copious amounts of fat, but doing this gives me body odor and turns me yellow…).

    I am also scared of grains and legumes, because they are demonized by the raw vegan crowd AND the paleo people. But eating only fruits and vegetables was not sustainable for me especially during the winter in New England. I do have digestive problems and IBS, so I don’t want to damage my body. I want to heal and thrive!

    I guess any advice or resources you could throw my way would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much for all you do! I am loving your blog and I am excited to give veganism another shot and do it right this time! :)

    Reply
    • Hi there Jaclyn,
      thanks for reaching out! What, you have gone through a lot – so sorry to hear. Honestly, I don’t feel very confident to give you specific advice since I’m not a trained health professional. We usually recommend people eat a balanced plant-based diet, including all food groups from whole grains to veggies, fruit, legumes, nuts, and seeds. All of those have their own nutritional values, are linked to longevity and can prevent chronic disease.

      Regarding hair loss, here is a good source: https://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/hair-loss-with-a-vegan-diet.html
      And another one: http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/hairloss

      Recommendations for protein intake are from about 45 grams for females up to 100 grams for those not being able to digest the plant proteins as well (http://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/vegan-nutrition-primers/plant-protein-a-vegan-nutrition-primer/). The official recommendation is 0.8 grams of protein per kg of body weight. http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.php

      As for your fat intake, stick to whole food sources and find your own sweet spot – focus on getting your omega 3’s, taking a vegan DHA supplement if you could have problems with the conversion. We’re not about macronutrient ratios very much, just meeting your needs and finding the range you personally thrive. Don’t go below 10 or way above 30 percent of calories from fat is my rough estimate.

      How about getting in touch with a plant-based professional on that? Many offer skype consultations. See if you find someone here: https://www.plantbaseddoctors.org/

      I’d recommend against raw vegan diets, they don’t have any advantage compared to healthy vegan diets that include whole grains and legumes – plus, these complex carbs are awesome for your energy, blood sugar levels and more :) We used to eat a high raw diet as well and it made my digestion and my husband’s hair worse.

      Thanks again for the kind words and sorry I couldn’t be very helpful, I’m afraid!
      I really hope you can find the vegan diet that works for you and helps heal your body <3

      Feel free to check back in anytime!
      Warmly,
      Alena

      Reply
    • Hi there Priscilla,
      thanks so much for that question! It totally depends on your goals, honestly. One the “grain hierarchy”, unprocessed ones like brown rice are a little healthier compared to flours like brown rice flour. Pasta and bread are a little more calorically dense, which could come in handy if you find yourself hungry a lot of times or don’t get enough calories by eating large portions of unprocessed food. Whole grain pasta or bread isn’t really bad for you, use them as often as you want or need to right now! What stage of transitioning to a whole foods plant-based diet are you in? Feel free to let us know more for better support :)
      Hope this was helpful! We have these flour products at home around 2 times per week and more often when we eat out.
      Best wishes,
      Alena

      Reply
  12. Hi. My husband and I are interested in starting a plant based diet for both weight loss and health benefits. He’s 6′ about 235 and I’m 5’4 170. This is so far away from my usual Low carb beliefs that i really could use any advise you can give me for just starring out. We eat supper at home. Lunch to go. Never been breakfast people. Small town with a small town grocery store. (No almond butter. Lol ) help!

    Reply
    • Thanks so much for reaching out, so awesome that you guys want to try out a plant-based diet! I would suggest you start by gathering information on what kind of meals you might like, which ingredients are easy to get and then start making a few of them throughout the week. Then, challenge yourself to commit to eating a plant-based diet for 3 weeks to see what can change in your bodies during that time – that’s really motivating and 21 days doesn’t seem like too much.
      Feel free to join our e-course that’ll help you transition here: http://nutriciously.com/course/
      You can also email me with further, more specific questions x

      Reply
  13. Hi Alena, am really excited to start this plant based diet. For health reasons both I and my husband will be trying it out.

    Thank you, Bella

    Reply
  14. Hello,
    I am interested in plant based diet, I just watched “What the Health” & it freaked me out, I haven’t eaten any dairy or meats since, I didn’t realize we our diets were rich in both. My dilemma is my husband isn’t on board, and when he shared that I suggested I can still eat fish, salmon, halibut, Dungeness crab, & more food that comes from our river & ocean. Would that still be ok?

    Reply
  15. im Wanting to change to a plant based diet. After learning what they are putting in this meat myself and my children need a change. I’m just kind of lost on where to start like where to get some basic meals and start this process. My kids are used to so many different snacks and I feel like with them I need to slowly change myself I don’t mind diving in. Would love some suggestions.

    Reply
  16. husband who is morbidly obese is not on board with any dietary changes and our son follows suit and turns his nose up at any veggies what so ever. I also take care of my 78 yr old mom who is set in her ways. my almost 2 yr old grandbaby loves fruit and a few veggies. I am the only one in the house who would be making this change. I have food addiction and worry about my abilty to do this although I want and need the change. I dont even know where to start. I have been reading all day and trying to take in all the info I can. I guess Im just scared of change

    Reply
  17. Hi, I have recently been diagnosed with follicular lymphoma, after much research I have decided to take on a plant based diet. My support nurse is not on board and thinks it’s in healthy – I would really like to know your thoughts on this? Many thanks!

    Reply
  18. I just watched a video on YouTube by DR. William Schnoebelen called “Swallowing Big Fat Lies: Weston Price and Paleo debunked.” I just started a keto-like diet a week ago and lost 3 lbs, but now I am thinking of going the opposite way of keto. Both keto and plant based diets utilize lots of veggies and no sugar, which is probably why both can be successful for weight loss. This video has got me thinking that I should not be having oil, dairy, and meat. The video is from a bit of a biblical standpoint, but it is also backed by science, so it is convincing whether you are religious or not.

    Reply
  19. I am just starting transitioning to a plant based whole foods diet. I am doing it because the evidence is overwhelming that this is better for overall health. My question is regarding total calories for the day. You state to shoot for 2000 kcal per day which is really a lot for me. I do not want to gain weight. In fact, I need to lose between 10-15 pounds. What is your advice about maintaining and losing weight while eating this way.

    Reply
  20. I’ve been reading through some of the information on the site and through the replies and like how the information is given in a positive way. I am interested in starting a plant based diet, however the person I live with is not. Any advice on how to handle the transition when not having complete control of what is available in the house?

    Reply
  21. This is such a helpful post. I am trying to move toward a plant-based diet – I have several reasons for wanting to fo this but the biggest is that I have an ongoing cough caused by allergies. I’m not a fan of taking daily medication and to be honest, it really doesn’t do that much good. I want to see if eating a plant-based diet will make a significant difference. Many thanks.

    Reply
  22. I was on a plant based whole grain, whole food diet for almost a year despite this I had hypertension (135/88), IBS, GERD, and impaired glucose intolerance along with high fasting blood glucose (108) and reactive hypoglycemia episodes. I am also allergic to wheat, oats, soy, rice, and corn. I switched to a very Low carb (less than 20 grams of carbs per day) and no more GERD, IBS or reactive hypoglycemic episodes. Fasting blood glucose (87) and BP (115/65). ] HDL on planted based 36, and 39 on low carb. LDL 100 PB and 135 low carb. Tryglycerides 100 plant based and 80 low carb.

    Is there any hope for me to get plant based with the same results as low carb?

    Reply
  23. I watched “what the health” on netflix yesterday. I then had my partner watch it with me tonight. Thankfully he is as shocked as I am about what is happening on a global scale and more relevantly to our own friends and family.
    I am hoping to link up with like minded people who are close to us geographically to share advice, give support and help each other out. We live in NSW Australia.
    I will also be joining the courses to broaden my knowledge of a PBD.
    Is the there anyone who can offer advice or support regarding this dietry change with someone who has had WLS?
    Cheers Deb :)

    Reply
  24. I am starting the process of transitioning vegan i really want this for health reasons the red meat especially i just feel so tired and weighed down after i eat dairy and red meat especially…but! it seems so overwhelming anyone have any tricks they did to help them along with transitioning? I am doing lots of reading which is giving me much info but like i said i am just feeling overwhelmed at this point.

    Any advice is greatly appreciated as i want this more than anything.

    Reply
    • Cold turkey works for some and transitioning is best for others. I think the best thing to start with is to educate yourself about what nutrition you need to thrive, (It sounds like you have done a lot of reading already) But if not Dr Gregger is a great starting point, he has an app called the daily dozen, that is a good way to make sure you are getting everything you need, you can tick off certain food groups throughout the day. I think it is important to do it the right way so you can maintain it.
      Another great thing to do is to check out some blogs (such as this one) to read experiences and to get some recipes you will enjoy, learn a few staple dishes that fit in with your lifestyle. You can get help with free meal planner sites such as lighterworld.com, that gives you recipes and a grocery list based on your kitchen appliances, how many people you are cooking for, what foods you like and what foods you must avoid. I hope that helps Julie.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Bella Cancel reply