Overcoming Hurdles

A whole food, plant-based lifestyle does involve spending time in the kitchen, but there are ways to make it less time-consuming and more enjoyable. With practice, you’ll find it easier to prepare simple meals for yourself and the people you live with. You’ll also determine where you’re willing to cut corners because perfection isn’t the goal.

Here are our top tips for busy people:

• Don’t be beholden to recipes. Some of the best plant-based meals involve assembling a few different ingredients in one bowl (like a “power bowl” or “Buddha bowl”), with a drizzle of your favorite sauce or dressing. Example: Brown rice, roasted sweet potato cubes, steamed spinach, canned chickpeas, and lemon tahini dressing.
• When you’re getting started, create a rotation of meals you find easy and delicious. Check out these 30-minute weeknight dinners.
• Map out meals in advance to guide your shopping and reduce the stress around “what’s for dinner?”
• Prep food for the week when time allows:
  Wash and cut vegetables.
  Cook whole grains and beans.
  Steam or sautée greens.
  Make dressings, dips, and sauces.
• Simplify breakfast:
  Stick with staples like oatmeal, chia pudding, or other breakfast bowls, and change up your toppings. Try different fruits, seeds, and nuts.
  Prepare pancake or waffle batter, and store it in the fridge overnight.
• Build meals that work for multi-diet households, such as lentil taco bars, potato bars, pizza with topping options, and breakfast bowls.
• Batch-cook meals for easy freezer-to-oven options.
• If your budget allows, check out prepared meal services like Whole Harvest to fill the gaps in your week.

While cravings for sugar, chocolate, and cheese are common, you may be surprised to find that your taste buds adjust as you distance yourself from processed foods. Your cravings may even subside altogether. (Some of us end up craving berries!) In the meantime, here are some ways to manage the more challenging moments:

• Make your home your haven: Avoid bringing foods into your kitchen that you don’t care to eat, or keep them out of sight if your family members follow a different approach.
• Choose water first, to see if it fills you up. Drink it straight from the tap or infuse it with fresh fruit or cucumbers.
• Head to bed: Sometimes we crave food when we’re tired or have other unmet physical or emotional needs.
• Have nutritious foods on hand for when cravings hit:
  For the sweet tooth, stock up on fresh fruits, or make smoothies or “nice” cream with frozen bananas or mango.
  For a savory or crunchy snack, try garbanzo beans, rinsed, dried, dusted with spices, and baked in a warm oven until crunchy. Roasted sweet potatoes can also be satisfying as a combination of sweet and crunchy. Bake them in the oven with a drizzle of broth or aquafaba (the liquid from canned or boiled chickpeas or other beans) for extra depth of flavor.
  Enjoy a handful of raw nuts, like almonds or walnuts.

If you’re missing your favorite meals or recipes — pizza, burgers, or otherwise — get creative in the kitchen with healthy swaps. Many food bloggers have already done the hard work of recreating recipes. And if it’s pizza you’re craving, request no cheese and lots of vegetables when you’re out, or check out this fun pizza party guide by Plantstrong.

A shift in eating habits can prompt some difficult discussions at home. Here are some tips for navigating the conversation:

• Talk about your reasons for exploring this way of eating and ask for their support and care, if not their participation. Respect their choice to eat differently.
• Lead by example — don’t preach. Pursue better health for yourself, and your results will likely inspire others!
• Refer to your physician’s recommendation for plant-based eating to demonstrate support from a medical expert.
• If they seem open to it, watch a plant-based health documentary together, or recommend a book or podcast as a way to learn more about the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle.

If you’re going it alone, you may need to build a support system or create your own incentives to stay focused on the behaviors you wish to create. Our suggestions:

• Enlist a close friend, family member, or neighbor to experiment with the lifestyle alongside you. Set up time to meet or talk regularly about your progress and pitfalls. Message each other to check in, share food photos, and disclose challenges as they arise.
• Consider “habit stacking,” which is a way of connecting new behaviors to old habits in order to build them into your routine. For example, prep and chop vegetables while you listen to your morning podcast or evening news show; start your meal with a green salad or your morning with a piece of fruit; or add one new vegetable to your shopping list each week as you make the transition.
• Create a plan for when you veer off track. It’s going to happen, so visualize your on-ramp back to plant-powered eating. Say you brought something you don’t want to eat into your house; what will you do once it’s there, and how might you prevent this in the future?
• Offer yourself non-food rewards for healthy eating at predetermined mileposts, like time elapsed or health goals reached. You might take a special trip, enjoy new entertainment in the city, or add something new to your wardrobe.
• If you’re worried about food waste, consider sharing extras with your accountability partner or a neighbor; learn some tips for optimizing produce storage (see our FAQ page); and try not to go shopping when you’re hungry which can lead to overbuying. If you have time to shop for groceries a few times per week, buy what you need for two days rather than guessing for the whole week. You can also compost plant-based leftovers in municipal composting bins or at local drop-off sites.

Let’s face it: We’re a long way off from the convenience of whole food, plant-based restaurants. You may choose to compromise when eating out, or cut back on restaurant meals altogether. Most places have some healthier vegan items on their menus, but as with all restaurants you’ll need to look out for refined grains; added oil, sugar, and salt; and other hidden ingredients (whew!).

Here’s what we recommend:

• Many places have ingredients that can be combined to make a great plant-based dish, but that dish may not be on the menu. Call ahead to see what your options are, and request that the kitchen mix and match ingredients (by adding chickpeas to a salad, for example, or putting steamed vegetables over a bed of brown rice).
• Assume that all dressings are made with oil, though you may find a tahini dressing without. You can opt for squeezed citrus, avocado, or some other kind of fruit to top your salad.
• Beans are often prepared with oil, though you may be able to get plain, pressure-cooked beans if you ask.
• At salad places, toppings that are coated in spices are likely made with oil, salt, or sugar.
• When ordering juices and smoothies, request unsweetened plant milks. To reduce calories, go light on nut butters and coconut milk (especially full-fat) and skip protein powders.
• Don’t assume that the staff know what “vegan” means — feel free to define your terms.
• Decide where to compromise, like eating white pasta if whole wheat isn’t available or requesting the kitchen reduce rather than eliminate the oil in a dish.
• Most importantly: Ask questions, and be patient with the staff. They’re just serving what most people want to eat.

Check out our Plant Powered Plates initiative to learn how we’re training local restaurants in healthier cooking techniques and getting more wholesome plant-based dishes on menus!

Hey, it happens. Here are some ways to get back on the path:

• Practice kindness with yourself and revisit your “why.” What’s your motivation?
• Rely on dishes you find flavorful and comforting to help yourself recommit.
• Join our next Plant Powered Jumpstart to dive deeper into the lifestyle. You’ll receive support and accountability alongside other community members.
• Sign up for a PPMNY Lifestyle Mentor for on-one-on guidance.
• Connect socially with like-minded people online or in person who can cheer you on — we’re here for you!

It’s possible to save money when choosing whole plant foods! Research shows that plant-dominant diets are the most affordable for those in the U.S. Here are some specifics:

• Whole grains and dry beans are less expensive than meat, dairy, and processed foods like vegan burgers and cheeses.
• Eating produce in season can keep costs lower. Check out FoodPrint’s Seasonal Food Guide for details.
• Organic produce is often more expensive than conventional, but you don’t need to eat organics to be healthy. Simply eating plants over animal foods reduces your exposure to toxins in the food system.
• Good nutrition doesn’t require plant-based milks or other dairy alternatives, which are still priced higher than their competitors.

The simplicity of whole foods makes this lifestyle more accessible than you might think! Learn more about ways to navigate affordability here.