The New Year—and the resolutions for good health that come with it—is a great time to consider finding ways to add more plant-based foods to your diet. It’s also an ideal time to look at some of the research that supports why people should consider doing it. While many may want to add more plant-based foods to their diet, they are not always sure how to go about doing it and find the process of changing their current ways to be stressful. Knowing some simple tips to make it happen can make a world of difference.
“Eating healthier and more plant based doesn’t have to be difficult,” says Amir Marashi, M.D., co-founder of Ntidote Life, a plant-based nuts and snack company. “Most of us have fallen into a habit, so it is a matter of making small changes that will add up to big results and help create new habits.”
There has been a lot of research done that show the many health benefits of eating a plant-based diet, as well as the new popular documentary on Netflix, called Live to 100, which covers the research on the Blue Zones, or areas of the world where people live the longest. The research continuously demonstrates that a foundation for longevity and healthier outcomes lie with eating a lot of plants, among other healthy lifestyle choices.
In the August 2023 issue of the journal Nutrients, the researcher asks if a plant-based diet can help to end cardiovascular disease as we know it. The research shows that only 6 percent of Americans are meeting the bare minimum when it comes to the recommended amount of daily fiber intake. Fiber comes from plants, therefore those who eat more plants increase their fiber intake. The report states that a plant-based diet was the only intervention identified that can clinically reverse atherosclerosis.
In the July 2023 issue of the World Journal of Clinical Cases, researchers report that the risks of cardiovascular disease, which is a leading cause of death in America, can be reduced by 29 percent when following a vegetarian diet. This is, again, due to the higher consumption of plant-based foods, which provides fiber.
From the phytonutrients and antioxidants that plant-based foods provide to the fiber our bodies need, here are some super simple tips for getting more plants into your diet:
- Serve fruit with meals. Most people don’t think to do this, but adding a little dish of berries, fresh mango, or other fruit, can be a nice addition to dinner. Plus, those little servings of fruit will add up over time, giving the body a nutritional boost. You can also get more fruit into your diet by making a smoothie and adding in a powdered supplement for more nutrition.
- Scout out better snacks. We are a nation that loves to snack, which makes it important that we reach for healthy ones. Make it a goal to opt for healthy plant-based snacks. Look for sprouted nuts, trail mix, flavored nuts, and more.
- Include a side salad. Adding a quick side salad to your dinners can put some additional veggies into your diet. To keep it simple, opt for pre-bagged salad from the produce department and top it with a healthy dressing.
- Opt for meatless Monday. One day per week, opt to be plant based all day. This will help create a stress-free way to start getting more plant-based meals into your diet. Look for recipes online, or take some favorite dishes and swap the meat out with beans, lentils, etc. As the fall weather arrives, make that dinner each week a plant-based soup, such as minestrone or black bean.
“Nobody has to feel overwhelmed by trying to change everything overnight,” says Marashi. “Making simple changes, such as swapping out your snacks for healthy plant-based ones, will have a significant impact. Start there and see where it leads.”
