10 Tips To Eat More Plants Everyday
October at KARIN YOGA LIFE is all about eating plant based. As I’ve said before, eating plant based doesn’t mean you can’t eat meat, it just means trying to eat mostly plants.
Even if you don’t want to eat plant based, nutritionists recommend a minimum of 5-10 servings of fruits and vegetables everyday (I recommend trying to stay on the higher side). It sounds challenging, but that’s why I’m going to share some tips that I use to eat more plants everyday!
1.Start with a smoothie
Starting your day with a smoothie allows you to have vegetables with breakfast in a way that you don’t even notice! Normally, I use oats and bananas as the base and add vegetables like cucumber, carrots, parsley, kale, and ginger. The important thing to follow here is to make sure to add vegetables not only fruit, so you’re not having too much sugar.
2. Veg it up
This tip is super simple but not something we always think about. Just add more vegetables to whatever you are cooking or eating. That can mean adding more to your pasta, soup, wrap, or maybe just on the side of your meal. There’s always a way to add more vegetables!
3. ½ to ⅔ of your plate should be plants
This is applicable to breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you do this, you’re guaranteed to get in all the plant servings you need.
4. Eat the rainbow
When you eat a meal, does your plate have lots of different colours? It is good to aim to have more than two or three colours on your plate. You can do this by just adding more fruits or vegetables to what you’re eating. Eating the rainbow means you’re getting a wide variety of nutrients in every meal.
5. Going nuts
Nuts and seeds are my go to snacks. Something I love to do is mix almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins and other nuts and seeds to make a homemade trail mix. It is filling and nutritious, and already prepared so I don’t need to scramble to find a healthy snack when I’m feeling peckish. Snacking on nuts and other healthy options like fruit is a great way to increase your plant intake.
6. Think ahead
When you know what you’re going to eat, it’s easier to ensure you’re getting all the nutrients you need and not just going for something quick and probably unhealthy! Try to make a list beforehand and shop for the plants you like and know you’ll eat and the plants you want to include in your cooking. This makes sure you have what you need in your kitchen.
7. Try substitutes for meat proteins
Beans, chickpeas and lentils are all great sources of protein and easy to include in your cooking. It’s as simple as adding a can of one of those to your salad. It is still recommended to eat some lean protein like fish or chicken, but substituting that for a plant protein sometimes is a great way to get more plants into your diet.
8. Switch from dairy milk
A tip I recommend to everyone is to try out plant based milk. I love oat milk, it works well for everything I used to use regular milk for. Some people face digestive issues with dairy products, but aside from that, it’s a great way to sneak more plants into your diet.
9. Go global
Go international when you’re cooking! Mexican, Chinese, Indian and Mediterranean cuisine have a lot of plant based recipes that are so easy, yummy and affordable to make at home. This includes meals like stir frys, burritos, and simple curried vegetable dishes.
10. Switch out your dessert
Many of us do like our desserts. A great tip is to switch out unhealthy desserts for fruit. This doesn’t have to be boring! An idea that I like to do is drizzle bananas with peanut butter and top it with berries then stick it in the freezer. So good!
Check out my last blog post about why you should try to eat plant based. There are more reasons than you think!
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