First move: Always ask what plant-based options are available when you get handed a menu. You’d be surprised by the ‘secret’ vegan dishes that most restaurants have to offer, and most restaurants have an “allergen menu,” or a menu marked clearly with potential allergens in each dish. More and more, we are seeing vegan options show up fully and proudly as an option under mains, with codes like GF for gluten-free, Veg for vegetarian and V for vegan. It’s about time!

You may not even have noticed that your favorite restaurants already have vegan options listed on the menu! If you don’t see a ‘V’ next to dishes that sound vegan but with a small cheese topping, then ask if that can be made vegan by holding the cheese. Alternatively, minestrone soup or another veg-sounding dish could have hidden meat or poultry ingredients, so ask if it’s made with a ham hock or a base of chicken stock. If so, move on to another choice. If you see vegetarian dishes on the menu, ask for no egg or dairy, if they can accommodate, to make it plant-based.

It’s inevitable that you will find yourself at a restaurant that doesn’t have vegan options, but don’t stress. An important part of dining out on a plant-based diet is being flexible with the menu that is in front of you. Look at the veggie sides, or the pasta dishes and ask for them to hold the cheese. Getting creative with the menu is the easiest way to make sure you enjoy your time dining out. We hacked popular the menus of popular cuisines to take out any stress you may be having about eating out.

How to Eat Plant-Based or Vegan at Any Restaurant

Classic American Fare

You may associate American food with burgers and steaks, but those aren’t the only things on the menu. The sides are where the plant-based glory happens. Mix and match all the different sides such as steamed spinach, Brussels sprouts, kale salad, mushrooms, fries, and baked potato with olive oil drizzled on it – these are enough to fill yourself up. Look for steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, a veggie medley, or any other vegetable sides they have. Keep in mind that your evening meal does not have to be the biggest one of the day, and eating light will make you sleep better, according to Dr. George Gurthie, author of��Eat Plants, Feel Whole, who we interviewed about how to eat plant-based to be healthier.

Mediterranean Restaurants

Mediterranean restaurants or diners have everything – and much of it is plant-based – from hummus to grilled veggies, to baba ganoush, making it one of the healthiest restaurants to choose when eating plant-based. For a light starter, order hummus with pita bread, olives, or vegetable dolmades (stuffed grape leaves).

You can often get a plate full of dips – baba ganoush is made of eggplants and tahini, a sesame seed spread, and hummus and olive spread can fill you up and provide you with plenty of protein. If you’re feeling full after these starters order a Greek salad without the feta cheese. A traditional Greek salad is loaded with tomatoes, onions, olives, peppers, and cucumber so you will be more than satisfied with this. For a larger dinner portion order a grilled veggie wrap, roasted eggplant, or grilled veggies with a side of rice.

Mexican Restaurants

Mexican food may just be the easiest cuisine to eat vegan without trying too hard. You can alter many of the classic options like tacos, burritos, and fajitas to fit your plant-based diet. And of course, you can still order your guacamole and salsa with chips as starters. As a main dish, order any veggie-based taco like a mushroom taco or just one stuffed with roasted veggies and guac.

For a filling and larger portion, order a veggie fajita without the cheese or sour cream. Bean and vegetable burritos will satisfy your hunger as well a side order of rice and beans (watch everyone dive in or follow suit). Mexican food incorporates tons of veggies and beans into its dishes, so don’t be afraid to ask what dishes they can “veganize” for you. Mostly that just means holding the cheese and sour cream. But keeping all the taste!

Thai Restaurants

Thai food is another easy cuisine to enjoy when you are plant-based. Many Thai restaurants have naturally vegan options like curry with chickpeas and tofu, or the kitchen can easily make a dish over as plant-based. Any veggie dish will typically be vegan, of course, but make sure to double-check with the restaurant whether some vegan-sounding ones use chicken stock for cooking or animal fat in the frying. Some personal plant-based favorites are the vegetable spring roll, vegetable curry, and vegetable pad thai. Make sure that your Thai dishes don’t have egg, dairy, or fish sauce hidden in the sauces, so ask for those to be held, just to be safe.

Italian Restaurants

Start off dinner on a healthy note with a house salad. It will fill you up more than you think. and give you a minute to consider your next move. (Make sure to order oil and vinegar or a dressing that isn’t dairy-based or non-vegan.) You may then decide to go for a Marinara pizza, hold the cheese. Of course, your friends might make fun of you but when they try the pizza with veggies, mushrooms, peppers and tomato sauce, and no cheese they will agree that they barely miss it!

Another great choice is a pasta dish with red sauce or the puttanesca olive sauce, which is salty and can satisfy any yearning you may have for parmesan. As hard as it is, say “no thank you” to the waiter when he brings the grated parm.

Japanese Restaurants

You may be surprised by how easy it is to eat plant-based at a Japanese restaurant. Take your pick of plant-based appetizers including edamame, miso soup, seaweed salad, and avocado salad. Japanese restaurants have veggie sushi options such as asparagus rolls, cucumber rolls, avocado rolls, sweet potato rolls, and mixed veggie rolls. Some even add peanuts to give the rolls a little crunch. Ask what vegan options they have and usually, there is a whole list of them on the menu. Veggie tempura is another favorite, just ask if they use vegetable oil.

Chinese Restaurants

Chinese food is another cuisine that offers loads of plant-based options. Chinese food is veggie-centric, especially if you want to order your favorite dish with tofu or as they often have listed, “bean curd.” If you aren’t in the mood for a big meal, order the veggie spring rolls or veggie dumplings (steamed or fried) with a side of brown rice (which is so much better for you than the white starchy variety). Fried rice is trickier since eggs are often mixed in, but you can often ask for that or Moo Shu veggies without the egg.

Most restaurants will accommodate your needs if you say “I am dairy-free and meat-free” and ask them to steer you to dishes that are veggie-based. Main dishes that are great for sharing or for yourself are tofu with mixed vegetables, steamed vegetables, or eggplant and rice.

Bottom Line: Eating out isn’t off-limits on a plant-based or vegan diet.

You don’t need to go to vegan-only restaurants to eat delicious plant-based food – but if you do want to find vegan fare near you, check out The Beet‘s handy restaurant locator, powered by Happy Cow. We have every state covered, and most of Europe too.

Our many City Guides are written by local experts who can give you the 411 on every major metropolis from Brooklyn to LA, Austin, and Boston, and counting.

Wherever you call home, make sure to get familiar with the restaurant menus at your favorite spots, and most importantly, be flexible and know that you can find things that are healthy and plant-based everywhere you go. In the first few weeks, it may seem weird ordering your favorite pizza sans cheese or making your go-to order the veggie sides served on one plate, but after a few times dining like this, you’ll have new favorites and they’ll all be plant-based.

The post Your Guide to Dining Out at Restaurants While Plant-Based or Vegan appeared first on The Beet.

Whether you are going plant-based to lower your lifetime risk of disease or to benefit the planet, the first thing to do is spend time in the produce aisle.

So first, stock up on vegetables and fruit, nuts and seeds, legumes and all nature of foods you can grow (as opposed to foods that are raised or that walk or swim). Then add your favorite whole grains, in their most minimally processed forms, since those whole wheat and brown rice style grains are full of fiber and will keep you feeling satisfied and full for longer, while helping to prevent blood sugar spikes.

How Are You Going to Satisfy Your Cravings?

Whether you love to snack on salty crunchy chips, or have a sweet tooth and can’t live without chocolate chip cookies or a pint of ice cream with your RHOBV viewing session, you can find plant-based salty snacks and dairy free ice creams.

Can’t imaging enjoying a cup of coffee without creamer? There are so many new dairy-free coffee creamers that we provide the 20  best tasting dairy-free creamers that are plant-based and  will satisfy your need for foamy froth on your am latte!

Here is a plant-based starter kit to buy at the store and have everything you need on-hand as you begin your vegan diet journey: Snacks, treats, staples and even a few unexpected plant-based delights in the mix. And of course sign up to get the 4-recipes-a-day meal plan newsletter in your inbox every morning that is our helpful 7 Day Beginner’s Guide to Going Plant-Based. It has expert tips and plenty of inspiration to keep going and motivate you through your first week.

So many questions pop up when you start your plant-based journey. Some include:

“Can I have creamer in my coffee?”  Yes, since these days there are many great plant-based non-dairy creamers that taste as good as the real thing. Still other questions include: Do I need to be strictly vegan? The answer to that is up to you. You can decide to avoid all animal products and byproducts, from dairy to honey, or you can go mostly plant-based which means avoiding as many animal products as you can, but forgiving yourself if you slip up.

Where Do I Get My Protein on a Plant-Based Diet?

“Where do I get my protein?” is another common question and legitimate concern, although there are so many clean plant-based sources of protein, including these 20 Vegetables with the Most Protein to eat on a plant-based diet. And of you can substitute plant-based sources of protein into most recipes that call for meat. For the Top 10 Sources of Plant-Based Protein, according to a nutritionist, here are some easy ways to add protein into your diet:

• Seitan has 21 grams of protein for 1/3 of a cup
• Tempeh has 16 grams of protein in 3 ounces
• Lentils contain 13 grams in a half cup of cooked legumes
• Hemp Seeds have 10 grams of protein in 3 tablespoons
• Tofu has 9 grams of protein for 3 ounces (or one third of a block)
• Quinoa has 8 grams of protein in one cup

So with a little planning, and shopping, you won’t lack for protein if you mix any of these into your stir-fry, your grain bowl or your morning smoothie (in the case of hempseeds).

Here is Your Starter Kit to Help You Get Going on a Plant-Based Diet

For most people, the easiest way to get off go is to simply seek out vegan or plant-based substitutes for their favorite foods. That’s what worked for me, since I had never really tried oat-milk ice cream or cashew-nut cheese before going plant-based in spring of 2019. Now I am a walking expert and encyclopedia on all the different plant-based alternatives that are easy, tasty and healthier for you than meat, if one reason you are going plant-based is for the sake of human health.

When shopping for plant-based or vegan products, it helps to know your motivation. For me, it’s driven primarily by a desire to be healthier as well as concern for our environmental wellbeing. I love animals, as do most people, so the fact that I don’t eat them is a major win.

On the health front: Simply by avoiding saturated fat in meat and dairy, studies show, you can lower your lifetime risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, including hormonal cancers like breast cancer and prostate cancer, and now, a new study finds, pancreatic cancer as well.

Plant-Based Starter Kit. What to Buy to Make Going Plant-Based Easier

It’s so much easier to go plant-based now, even than it was just five years ago. Along with the ubiquitous Beyond Burgers and Impossible Meats, you now have a plethora of delicious and authentic tasting meat alternatives in the chicken category, as well as plant-based dairy products like cream cheese, yogurt, milk, ice cream and as mentioned, non-dairy creamers.

There are now great non-dairy cheeses of all variety, including slices, shreds and spreads. Some are made from cashew milk, while others use almond milk, and still others are from a blend of plant-based incredients. When it comes to Mayo and other vegan substitutes, watch out for tropical oils like palm oil and coconut oil, since both are high in saturated fat and you could be swapping out one unhealthy item (butter or mayo) for another.

But don’t skip the innovative products that make disbelievers shake their head in wonder at the taste and how similar to the real thing a plant-based substitute can be. The one that I love to use to blow people’s minds is JUST Egg, which whips up into an omelet as delicious as any you’ll ever taste.

When it comes to “getting over the hump” and starting out, not all decisions are made with health as the first priority. Sometimes you just want what you want. Like pizza, or ice cream.

For that moment, I suggest you stock up on Amy’s Pizzas and Oatly ice cream. When you’re entertaining, make sure to keep a box or large bag of Gardein Meatballs which will give you traditional dinner options (add them to a red sauce and serve over your favorite pasta) even if you’re not a big cook.

Califia almond milk is so tasty, I have it on cereal and never blink about the taste. It just tastes like milk to me. Now with all the products flooding the market, you can make it through an entire day, week, or month of plant-based meals and never feel you’ve “compromised” on your favorite foods and tastes.

Because of all the choices out there, I decided to put together a Plant-Based Starter Kit that is what I used to get through my first period of going plant-based. That plus I signed up for Sakara Life, which is full of delicious and fresh tasting prepared salads and meals, But that set me back a pretty penny so I decided to not continue it and instead go it alone. Still, if a plant-based meal delivery service is a helpful tool for you, there are so many great ones, including Mosaic Foods.

This kit is includes all the foods that I love and depended on when I went plant-based and had to figure it out.

Here, I have compiled my best version of your Plant-Based Eating Starter Kit. I realize you may like a different choice of plant-based milk or non-dairy creamer or dairy-free ice cream –enter your personal favorites and add a rating at the Product Reviews in the Beet Meter – where we rate products for both taste and health.

But for now, with a quick sweep of Whole Foods, I came up with the only 17 items you need to start your journey and transform to being a plant-based eater. This is a kit, so use it as needed. And good luck!

Breakfast Starter Kit Items

1. Almond Milk. We love Califia Brand but there is also Oat Milk and many other great kinds of milk out there. This is a personal preference. If you like Blue Almond or another option, go for it. There have never been more milk choices at the market.

2. Coffee Creamer. Again this is a personal preference. I chose Califia Better Half combo of Coconut Cream and Almond Milk, but you can choose any of the growing number of non-dairy creamers hitting the shelves. If you like creamier taste try the Oatly Barista Edition.

3. Vegan Butter Spread. Earth Balance is a fantastic plant-based butter spread. So is Myokos (more of a solid) and I Can’t Believe It’s Vegan. These melt well on toast or bagels, and you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference from the real thing in a blind taste test.

4. JUST Eggs. Every other egg substitute makes scrambling or omelets watery or lacking stiffness, but JUST Eggs actually give you that egg-like texture when you make them. I loved this option all summer for healthy protein-packed breakfast, especially mixed with veggies.

5. Tofutti Cream Cheese. You could start an office fight of us all arguing over which one is the best cream cheese, but the larger point is that there are great new plant-based offerings. Suffice it to say that Tofutti is my favorite, but there are lots of good ones. Check out our review with the Beet Meter ratings attached for the story. Then add your ratings and reviews.

6. Oatmeal. Okay so there is nothing particularly vegan about it but it’s the perfect base to add other fruits and nuts and raisins on top, and fill up quickly without any compromise. If you’re Gluten-Free we recommend Bob’s Red Mill classic for a base. Just add almond milk.

7. Non-Dairy Yogurt. This is an especially tricky category since most people don’t love the overly-sweetened coconut milk choices that are everywhere. We have found a few that are tasty, not too sickly sweet, and have a yogurt-like taste and consistency. Check out the yogurt review we published, and add your favorites and ratings to The Beet Meters!

Lunch Starter Kit:

1. Vegenaise. The great thing about lunch is you can go out for a salad or veggie wrap, or pick up soup or another veggie-based offering — even an Impossible Whopper. If you’re making your own sandwich at home, make sure to have Follow Your Heart Vegenaise handy.

2. Cheese Slices or Shreds. Make your grilled cheese or salad with vegan cheese. Chao makes a good one, as does So Delicious (the mozzarella is legit) and for nachos, we love how Miyoko’s singles melts and grips the chips like the real thing. These cheeses make it easy to be plant-based, even for cheese lovers. (Trust us.)

3. Head over to Sweetgreen or Just Salad, or even your local BK when you’re feeling lazy and need fast food for the Impossible Whopper, or make yourself a hummus and flatbread snack, or avocado toast. For a list of amazing lunch options to make and bring to work, check out the 21 Day Plant-Based Challenge and look at the Carousel of Recipes!

Snack Starter Kit:

1. Air-popped Flavored Popcorn. Most of the offerings include cheese so look for the Vegan “V” sign. We love Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt flavored popcorn because it delivers the most band for the buck when you want a little indulgence mid-afternoon.

2. I also lived on Hippeas, which I won’t tell you are healthy, but made of chickpeas and with that much-needed crunch, these yellow bags of snacks had a way of disappearing when we kept them on-hand in the office kitchen. Stock up and feel good about your afternoon indulgence.

3. Natural, Raw Almonds. This is pretty basic. But if you need an easy, protein-packed healthy snack to have on hand, almonds are a great bet. Steer away from the salty or roasted options that carry more sodium and calories than you need.

4. Home-made-style Hummus. Protein, protein, protein. Everyone asks where to get it. You know that plant-based protein is abundant in chickpeas and soybeans, tofu and of course hummus. In fact there are dozens of sources. But for the low-hanging fruit, keep hummus in the fridge and dip anything you like into it. Celery, pretzels, your finger. Just eat it.

Dinner Starter Kit:

1. Veggie Burger. Dr. Praeger’s, Hillary’s, Boca, and others all make tasty, filling and healthy veggie burgers that don’t try to imitate meat. If you want something that will “fool” your tastebuds stick with Beyond or Impossible (my personal preference). These are more classic veggie burgers from beans, mushrooms, beats, and other recognizable grown ingredients.

2. Frozen Pizza. Amy’s vegan supreme plant-based pizza is a medley of veggies like mushrooms, peppers, and meatless pepperoni and veggie sausage, all on an organic crust and covered with a generous dose of vegan mozzarella-style cheese.  Keep these stocked!

4. Beefless Ground crumbles. Making Tacos? shepherd’s pie or a bolognese sauce? These ground-up alternative meats are delicious and you would never know that there is no beef in the sauce.

5. Sliced Italian Saus’age. There are now so many options for sliced or breaded “chicken” and “pork” as well as meatballs, and other alternative meats you can try a new one every night for a month and still not have tasted all of them.  We suggest keeping a bag on hand for when you want to add them to pasta or another traditional meat-filled dish.

Dessert Starter Kit:

1. Non-Dairy Ice Cream. So Delicious and Oatly make amazing non-dairy ice creams. So does Salt and Straw, depending on whether you prefer Almond Milk, Oat Milk or another base. The richest of the bunch are coconut cream based treats; when we tried them all we loved the Ben & Jerry’s which taste as rich as the real thing but are massive calorie bombs. Still, when you transition to plant-based eating, don’t deprive yourself. A couple of pints of non-dairy ice cream go a long way to make your new lifestyle choice feel delicious.

2. Partake Cookies.  Whether you love to dip them in milk or just savor them on their own, the Ginger Snaps out of the box have all the authentic taste of the cookies you grew up with. My dad had a particular hankering for these and while chocolate was my jam, I can’t snap a ginger snap without thinking of long beach days, sailing our sunfish, and generally enjoying a little well-deserved treat. These will bring you back!

3. Tate’s Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies. What is summer without chocolate chip cookies? The best of the bagged (not homemade) are Tate’s and now that they make a vegan version, you don’t have to ever compromised your plant-based lifestyle for taste. Stock up. Your houseguests will love them too!

And watch: The Game Changers. We can’t say it enough. If you’re an athlete or doing this because your body doesn’t recover as fast as it used to, or you want to boost your performance overall, plant-based athletes are so inspiring that you can’t help but feel like you’re making the right choice for your body. Watch it on Amazon Prime tonight.

The post Your Plant-Based Diet Starter Kit: The Only 20 Items You Need to Succeed appeared first on The Beet.

Plant-based protein doesn’t just come from processed meat alternatives like Beyond or Impossible burgers or meats. All the vegan protein you need can be found in whole foods like grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, and vegetables. Meat alternatives such as tempeh, seitan, and tofu – all made from plants – are also packed with protein. We know this may sound like a foreign language at first, but we have all the resources you need to become fluent in plant-based protein.

The Beet consulted a nutritionist to give you the top overall sources of plant-based protein. You’ll be surprised by which high-protein plant-based foods are already in your diet. For all you protein-seeking fanatics out there, we did a complete roundup of all the vegetables with the most protein, the grains with the most protein (hello quinoa), the seeds, nuts, and legumes with the most protein. Peas should get more respect.

You may also want a refresher on how much protein you need. A woman should get 45 grams a day, and slightly more if you are extremely active. A man should aim for 55 grams, and add another 10 if you’re training or hitting the gym hard-core. That’s all you need. Keep in mind you can get about one-third of that just by snacking on almonds and pumpkin seeds. Have beans for dinner and you are halfway to the goal. (One note: Since so many people categorize foods wrongly–edamame is a legume, for instance–we double-dipped and put a few items on more than one list, just to make sure you don’t miss some great sources.) Check out these lists of plant-based proteins and become a plant-protein expert yourself.

Here is the Holy Grail of Protein When You Decide to Try Plant-Based Eating:

• The Top 10 Sources of Plant-Based Protein According to a Nutritionist 
• The Top 20 Vegetables with the Most Protein 
• The Top 15 Legumes with the Most Protein 
• The Top 11 Nuts with the Most Protein
• The Top 10 Grains with the Most Protein
• The Top 6 Seeds with the Most Protein

The post The Top Sources of Protein on a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on The Beet.

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet is one that is focused on vegetables, fruit, whole grains (that are minimally processed such as quinoa, oats, brown rice), and legumes, along with nuts, seeds, and leafy greens. When you adopt a plant-based diet, you not only eat more plant foods but you avoid meat, dairy, poultry, eggs, and fish. The benefits of a plant-based diet range from helping you lower your markers for heart disease to losing weight. Plant-based diets are scientifically proven to help you lower your risk of heart disease, including stroke, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer, as well as Alzheimer’s and dementia.

There is no right way to start a plant-based diet. Some people cut out dairy first, then meat, and continue from there, while others go meatless on Mondays, or a single day of the week and expand by adding days until they are mostly or fully plant-based. If you want to start a plant-based diet, you can try it for a set amount of time, such as three weeks, and see how you feel and what works for you. Plant-based diets range from vegan to vegetarian, flexitarian, pescatarian, and everything in between. The more plant-based you go, the more health benefits you will experience. Here’s what you can expect when you switch to a plant-based diet:

Timeline of the physical benefits of going plant-based

1 Hour Results: Diabetes symptoms will be easier to manage

Every time you eat, your gut secretes hormones that not only make you feel full but also increase insulin, to signal to your body that it needs to get ready to properly handle the calories coming in, and use these as fuel or store them as fat. When you switch to a plant-based diet, it helps keep your blood sugar in check, due to all the fiber in vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, which helps your body burn fuel steadily rather than cause insulin to spike, which leads to storing calories as fat.

Switching to a plant-based diet can help the body to make healthy amounts of insulin, for most people. If you have type 2 diabetes, within a few days of starting a whole-food, plant-based diet, “you may be able to significantly reduce your insulin dose or medication,” says Hana Kahleova, M.D., Ph.D., director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Of course, only do this under a doctor’s supervision and talk to your doctor before you try to treat your symptoms with diet.

For people with prediabetes, who may have no diabetes symptoms, switching to a whole food plant-based diet may help reverse the markers such as insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome. Diabetes symptoms are slow to show up, but millions of people with prediabetes may not know they have it.

2-3 Days Results: Go to the bathroom more regularly

One side effect of the Standard American Diet is a lack of fiber, which may explain why so many people report struggling with constipation and other gut ailments. Fiber is essential for digestive wellness, among other things, and because only plants contain fiber, you’ll notice that your bowel movements become more regular after eating a whole plant-based diet. “By adding fruits, veggies, and whole grains, you’re altering the bacteria in your gut, giving them the food they love, which will decrease constipation and keep you regular,” says Jennifer Mimkha, M.P.H., R.D., plant-based dietitian and owner of Prana Nutrition in Tampa, Fla.

1-Week Results: Your cholesterol and blood pressure will stabilize

If you’ve seen The Game Changers documentary, you know that after just one week of eating only plants, a group of firefighters celebrated a drop in their cholesterol. Why? “Plant foods have zero cholesterol and generally have a much lower saturated fat content, except for palm and coconut oils, which should be avoided if your goal is to lower cholesterol,” says Joel Kahn, M.D., founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Bingham Farms, Mich., and author of The Plant-Based Solution.

Total immersion into a whole-food plant diet can result in a rapid drop in your total cholesterol as much as 100 mg/dl, which Kahn calls a massive shift. As a result, you may be able to stop taking a statin or avoid starting a cholesterol medication in the first place. Don’t try this without your doctor’s approval. And The Beet encourages you to see your practitioner before you make any changes to your diet or medications.

10 Day Results: Your blood pressure may drop

Just ten days of eating a plant-based diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes can reduce blood pressure by 10 mmHg or more and allow medications to be reduced, Kahn says. Some people might even be able to cut their meds within a few days, or weeks, under doctor supervision. If, however, you take more time gradually ramping up to 100 percent plant-based approach, changes will take longer. The one caveat? “If you eat a diet of processed ‘junk’ food, even if it’s vegan, your blood pressure may not respond at all,” he says. Add in regular exercises such as walking, swimming or biking, and you’ll see your results kick in even faster.

2 Week Results: You’ll get slimmer, especially if you avoid sugar

In studies published by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), average weight loss after switching to a whole-food, plant-based diet is about a pound a week. Some people may lose more, like two or three pounds a week, if they also stay off simple carbs like white bread, pasta, and rice, along with sweets. “Plant-based does not mean eating Twizzlers and sugary drinks, but focusing on whole foods and high-fiber foods. If you stick to the veggies and nutrition-dense meals, you can jump-start your weight loss and ramp up metabolism, by increasing the “afterburn” of meals by keeping blood sugar stable.

Along with eating a diet of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, make sure you’re avoiding added sugar, vegetable oil, and salt. “They cause you to have cravings and systematically overeat,” says Chef AJ, Los Angeles-based vegan chef  who lost 100 pounds on a plant-based diet, and is the best-selling author of The Secrets to Ultimate Weight Loss. Chef AJ recommends eating foods lower in calorie density, or calories per pound of food, to lose weight. Fill up on foods with less than 600 calories per pound, which includes non-starchy veggies, fruit, unrefined complex carbohydrates, potatoes, whole grains, and legumes.

3 Week Results: Chest pain will diminish and your taste buds will change

Serious heart disease brings on angina, or chest pain or discomfort in your chest area. (If you ever feel this, run to call your doctor, since it could be signs of worsening heart disease, a blockage, or even a heart attack.) Some patients have alleviated chest pain by switching to an oil-free healthy plant-based diet, according to doctors who say patients have dramatically reversed symptoms of heart disease in as little as three weeks, just by eating only healthy plant-based foods. You can experience rapid, profound changes, with this kind of dietary 180 reversal, including angina symptoms dropping by as much as 90 percent, Kahn says.   

Plant foods probably won’t taste as good at first, especially if you have a cheese habit. But by week three you won’t miss your favorite Jarlsburg or brie. When you consider that most foods in the American diet are laden with sugar, salt, and fat, those often make your tastebuds water, just by inhaling the scent of a Cinnabon at a food court. As a result, foods without these ingredients aren’t that appealing –at first. Just give it a couple of weeks and “your tastebuds will adjust to the delicious flavors of whole natural foods,” Chef AJ says. You will begin to crave roasted vegetables, clean protein sources like chickpeas and beans, enjoy your plant-based diet, and may even get grossed out by the look of steak or meat. Bonus? The longer you eat only whole plant foods, the more you’ll like them.

3-4 Week Results: Feel more energized

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet may mean that you no longer have to rely on coffee or other caffeinated drinks to get you through a hectic day, largely because of the nutrient density of the foods you’re eating. “When you stop fueling yourself with quick-burning, simple carbohydrates, and fat-laden animal products and start nourishing yourself with plants, your body will have the nutrients to fuel you properly, giving you lasting energy,” Mimkha says.

1 Month Results: Clearer skin and better heart health

By one month, all systems in your body will be feeling different, less inflamed, and less achy. Less inflammation can help everything from boosting clear skin health to lowering markers for heart disease.

For one thing, eating red meat and egg yolks or foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol can lead to a spike in unhealthy gut molecules and these get mixed with oxygen in the blood to create Trimethylamine N -oxide, or TMAO. Research now shows a strong connection between your TMAO levels and hardening of the arteries, and ultimately how likely you are to get heart disease.

“TMAO promotes clogged arteries, organ scarring, and blood clotting and predicts a worrisome outcome in many disease states,” says Dr. Kahn, who’s drawn more TMAO levels in patients than any other doctor in the United States. Yet when you stop eating red meat and egg yolks (research is still teasing out whether eliminating other animal products will have the same effect), abnormal TMAO levels can return to normal in just four weeks. Ask your doctor to check your TMAO with a simple blood test, since this is a predictor of atherosclerosis specifically, and cardiovascular disease in general.

Clearer skin is another byproduct of going plant-based

One of the most significant changes among people who adopt a plant-only diet experience is a clearer complexion. “When you eliminate animal products, especially dairy, you’re reducing your intake of pro-inflammatory foods, which tend to cause acne,” Mimkha says. Cut out the inflammation in the body, and your skin and pores can stay cleaner, unclogged, and allow naturally cell turnover without looking dull or red, she explains.

Within 6 weeks (or sooner): Your sex life will improve

The documentary The Game Changers showed what happened to three male college athletes who ate different meals and then underwent a nocturnal-sex-function test. One a plant-based burrito, one ate a meat burrito and one at a chicken burrito and then all three were measured for sexual function as they slept. The next day they were shocked to see the results of the study, which monitored the size, duration, and frequency of their erections during sleep.

The athlete who ate the plant-based dinner had the highest performance in terms of sexual function (stronger, longer and more frequent erections) compared to his counterparts who had eaten meat. Compared to heart disease patients, these results are much more immediate, explains Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, because of their relatively healthy circulation to start with.

How long does it take most people to see sexual performance improve? Anywhere from three to six weeks, Esselstyn explained. Often, when a patient diligently follows a plant-based diet and then stays on it for up to six weeks, Dr. Esselstyn told The Beet, they see a dramatic improvement in their circulation and their ED is reversed, even without the benefit of a pill.

The reason, he says, is that the same circulatory system that impacts your arteries and heart disease can also improve the smaller vascularity below the waist. So if lack of performance in the bedroom is an issue, going plant-based can clear it up, since according to Esselstyn, the healthier you are overall, the healthier your sex life will be.

Within 1 year:  Better blood circulation

Circulation is the term for how well your blood moves through your blood vessels and delivers oxygen and nutrients to the body. Clogged arteries or hardened, narrowed blood vessel walls have major consequences, in the form of heart attacks and strokes. Yet if you’re strict about eating a whole-food, plant-based diet, the effects will stop clogging and hardening in their tracks and improve circulation overall. Just by switching to a whole-food plant-based diet, it’s possible to stop and even reverse symptoms of heart disease.

The longer you stay plant-based, the more your blood vessels can recover. What was once narrowing and constricting healthy blood flow begins to open up, even partly, so year after year, your heart disease symptoms can actually be reversed. After five years, your body acts younger than the day you gave up meat. So if you are hooked on seeing the results of a plant-based diet, keep it up, since eating a whole-food plant-based diet continues to have improvements for five years and more, Kahn says.

Bottom Line: You can see results quickly when you switch to a plant-based diet

Here’s what to expect when you switch to a plant-based diet. After just a few days, the health benefits of eating a whole-food, plant-based diet become clear. Your heart health improves, your skin clears up and the more you stay away from simple carbs and sugar, you can experience healthy weight loss. Keep it up to reduce your long-term risk of heart disease.

If you’re looking for more reasons to incorporate a healthy, plant-based diet into your day-to-day life, check out The Beet’s Health & Nutrition articles. For one week of recipes and tips to get started, Check out the free Beginner’s Guide to a Plant-Based Diet.

The post Here’s What Happens to Your Body When Switching to a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on The Beet.

This is the time of year when we start psyching ourselves up for the best version of ourselves. Once Santa is on his merry way, many of us are thinking about getting back in shape and taking every step toward healthier eating and living. But don’t do it alone. Call in your squad and get the uniforms ready: here’s how to enlist a friend to stick to those plant-based goals.

1. Start with the facts: You know why you’re going cold turkey on the turkey, but maybe you know things your BFF doesn’t. Yet. Clue them into the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of giving up meat, eggs, and dairy. This can mean some movie nights, going to a class or lecture, or a mini book club (check out T. Colin Campbell’s “The China Study” for an enlightening read).
2. Create a plan: So the two of you are going to give the vegan thing a try. What’s your plan? Are you donating non-vegan pantry items? Is there a countdown to start date? Get a solid plan going (maybe during a meal at Veggie Grill’s newest New York City location?).
3. Create a menu: Okay, so neither of you are Julie or Julia, but you can cook your way through some delicious vegan recipes. Maybe work through the same cookbook just trading off nights. Or each tackle recipes from different books. Either way, come up with some drool-worthy menus to cover you from morning until evening snack and compare notes on what you loved and didn’t love about your new plant-based meals.
4. Date night it up: Whether you’re on this mission with your bestie or your bae, date nights are a must. What are the hottest vegan spots in town? Or maybe a favorite meaty restaurant is now upping its vegan game? Go out and enjoy some new food and fun.
5. Shop together: There are two kinds of people in this world: those who love going grocery shopping and those who are missing out. Be among the former! Head out to farmer’s markets together and find some fun new veggies to cook up. Or maybe make a trip to that co-op you’ve been meaning to visit for a while and see what kind of fun ingredients they have in stock. But most important: take your time shopping and enjoying the process. Food becomes part of your body, so make selecting it as interesting and immersive as you can.
6. Compare progress: What’s working? What’s not? Where are your biggest challenges? What about your partner’s? Do you feel different? Did anything change for either of you physically, spiritually, emotionally? The more you chat about progress and ups and downs, the easier it is to keep going.
7. Celebrate your victory: Okay, so giving up bacon for a few weeks isn’t exactly like running a marathon or scaling Mt. Everest. But it’s still pretty big! And for many of us, new habits can be hard to make stick. Whether or not going fully plant-based is the new normal for you or your partner, giving it your all deserves some kind of reward. Maybe it’s a night out or a weekend getaway. Whatever you do to celebrate your achievement, be proud of yourself and your partner. What will you tackle next?

The post Going Plant-Based With Your BFF Increases Your Chances of Sticking To The Diet appeared first on The Beet.

Filling your plate with veggies, grains, legumes, and other plant-based proteins will make you feel so much better if you make them the staple of your diet for the next three weeks. Some of your favorite foods are already plant-based, you just may not realize it. To break down in the simplest terms, when you switch to a plant-based diet, you give up animal products like meat, poultry, dairy, fish or egg and for some people, who are doing it for ethical reasons, honey, because it is the product of bees. For the “Why” of this approach to eating, read the stories on Health & Wellbeing part of The Beet, including the 20 Health Studies that Show How a Plant-Based Diet can benefit your health.

The list of foods you can eat is so abundant we decided to list them. You can have everything that grows, including:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Legumes
• Mushrooms
• Seaweed
• Nuts
• Seeds like hemp, chia and flax
• Soy-based products like Miso paste
• Grains such as rice, quinoa and farro
• Meat alternatives (Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan)
• Dairy-free milks
• Nut-based butters
• Nut-based cheeses
• Nut or soy-based ice creams
• Healthy fats like avocado or olive oil

Breakfast:

If you like milk in your coffee, use plant-based milks like almond, oat or soy milk.

If you like cream in your coffee or tea, try out dairy-free creamers.

If you like honey in your tea, add a tablespoon of agave or maple syrup.

If you need to start your morning with eggs, make JUST eggs instead.

If you like to eat yogurt for breakfast, eat dairy-free yogurts like Lavva or So Delicious.

If you like honey in your oatmeal or yogurt, drizzle maple syrup on top.

Lunch:

If you like grilled cheese, use a dairy-free cheese like Chao or Parmela.

If you like meat or poultry in your salad, add tofu, tempeh or seitan.

If you like sandwiches, make a veggie-packed sandwich with avocado, lettuce, hummus, peppers, and tomatoes, mushrooms and lentils or chickpeas.

Dinner:

If you add ground beef to your bowl, add ground alternatives like Gardein beefless ground crumbles.

If you crave a good burger, switch out the meat patty for a veggie or bean burger.

If you like meat in your stir fry, add pan-fried tofu with tons of veggies and sticky rice.

If you like pesto in your pasta, use vegan pesto, Gotham Greens makes a great one.

If you crave parmesan on your pasta, try Follow Your Heart alternative.

For the full list of vegan and plant-based products and ratings for taste and health check out The Beet Meter under our Product Reviews section.

The post Want to Eat Plant-Based? Here Are the Foods You Love, That Make It Easy! appeared first on The Beet.

It’s tempting, at the start of the year, to tell yourself you will get it all done: Lose weight, start saving money, quit drinking, go plant-based, and get to the gym every day. That’s virtuous and to be commended. But it may be slightly unrealistic.

We asked Victoria Barrios, a certified Lifestyle Transformation Coach, to help us understand what it was that made her clients successful, and what she coaches people to do, when they set off on a new life goal. Barrios shares how she coaches people to make lasting change, one step at a time. This is designed to help anyone wanting to go plant-based and change their approach to eating, for her tricks to succeed.

How do you help people make lasting changes in their lives?

Before setting any goals, I tell my clients to lay out their vision first and work backward from there. Why? You may have several goals, but only one of them is actually achievable now.

You might have four goals but only one of them is truly important to you.

The more goals you have, the easier it will be to get overwhelmed, which actually keeps you from taking any action or succeeding at the most important goal. It’s tempting to try to transform everything all at once and emerge as a whole new you. But more likely you will end up giving up on all of them and end up right back where you started.
Instead of listing out a bunch of goals and trying to tackle them all at once, start with your vision. Your vision is what gives you clarity and direction; without it, you won’t know if you’re on track for what you truly want in life, and your goals (or wishes) could end up taking you down the wrong path. So, how do you map out your vision? You need to get crystal clear on two things first:

Know Your “What” and your “Why!”
Your “what” should consist of exactly what it is that you want for your life right now and for as far in the future as you would like to allow yourself to visualize.
Your “why” is the reason behind your “what.” If you don’t know why you’re doing something, then it isn’t personal, and you might never truly understand what you’re working towards.
For example, part of my vision is to help others understand who they are and what they’re meant to do on this Earth so that they can begin to transform their lives. Why? Once I discovered for what I was truly meant, I began to see massive transformation in my own life.

Now it’s Your Turn to State Your Vision for Your Life

Write down that vision and hang it where you can see it every single day so that you won’t get sidetracked. Once you’ve got your vision laid out, your goals will become easier to identify.

Your vision could be a short paragraph long or just a sentence. Try something internal, as opposed to just physical. “I want to be my healthiest version of myself, and be kind to myself and others.” Try your version of that, and keep it concise.  Next comes the harder part:

It’s time to pick one goal and make it the easiest or simplest one to achieve.

Why? Once you accomplish a simple goal, it builds trust with yourself and momentum–which means you’ll be able to achieve more challenging and long-term goals in the future.
After you’ve decided on your one key goal, write it down and stick it next to your vision. Make sure you give yourself a realistic deadline for completing the goal. If you’re not sure how much time you’ll need, give yourself extra time, but follow through!
Finally, tell someone about the goal. We all need accountability, and it’s much easier to reach our goals if we know someone is going to keep reminding us about them.
Are you ready for the most important part?

Don’t make it your accountability partner’s job to get you to finish the goal. Ultimately, it’s your life! You are the author of how it goes. Write your story, one paragraph or day at a time.

Let us know what your goal is and share it on The Beet’s Facebook page or the comments below. We will do the same and help each other achieve our key goals in the months ahead.

The post How to Make Your Resolution Stick: Take it One Goal at a Time appeared first on The Beet.

In order to maximize your energy and the immune- and brain-boosting effects that come with following a plant-based diet, you’ll want to stick with foods that are as close to their natural source as possible. (I.e. roasted, unpeeled potatoes rather than French fries– though certainly order the fries every once in a while!).

Fill your grocery cart with whole grains, leafy greens, veggies, legumes, beans, nuts, and seeds, and then lean on conveniently packaged products like meat substitutes, nut cheeses, and dairy-free ice cream for a treat. For more help stoking your plant-based pantry, see The Beet’s guide. And if you want to see our picks for the best tasting and healthiest plant-based milks, yogurts, cheeses, butters, cream cheeses, pizzas and more, check out our Product Reviews and the Beet Meters. Then add your ratings to your favorites!

Aim for Abundance

When switching to a new healthy eating plan, it’s sometimes tempting to focus on what you’re trying to avoid. However, this type of thinking can backfire, making you feel too limited and stuck following rigid “rules.” Instead, frame your thinking around all the foods you can eat, and starting with those first, not just trying to avoid meat, cheese, and poultry.

Approaching your new lifestyle from a place of abundance and rather than one of sacrifice (tip: use statements like “I get to eat more greens and berries” instead of “I can’t eat eggs and dairy”) will help position your changes in a more positive light and keep you on the right track for the foreseeable future.

Remember—it takes time to make big, sweeping changes in your diet. Have patience with yourself, and start small. Maybe that’s swapping your usual half-and-half for oat milk in your morning coffee, or using hummus rather than mayo for a sandwich spread. Give yourself kudos for small wins and forgive any slip-ups. You can keep track of how you’re doing on the weekly calendar and tracker below. Print it out (three times) and you can track your progress for the entire 21 days of the challenge!

Your Sample 7-Day Menu

Here is an example of how to help you visualize a week’s worth of that healthy plant-based approach to eating. As far as calorie and nutrient goals go, everybody is different, and this program is not designed around a strict caloric intake. As a guideline, on this program, 40-60% of your calories will come from plant-based carbs, 10-30% from plant-based protein and 25-35% from plant-based fat. You can decide whether to shift some of this depending on your weight-loss goals.

A note on protein: Most research shows that adults need only about 46 to 56 grams, but that may increase another 10 grams if you’re more active. Ask your doctor or a nutritionist what’s ideal for you.

Let’s Talk About Calories

Most experts are moving away from thinking about healthy eating in terms of simply counting calories. Because not all calories are equal (i.e. the calories from a double cheeseburger aren’t nutritionally the same as the calories from a broccoli salad, your priority should be instead to focus on quality, not quantity. That means seeking out nutrient-dense whole foods that are high in fiber to fill you up and fuel you up. If you do want to track your caloric intake, you can do so through an app or web service like cronometer.com. The Mayo Clinic has a simple calorie calculator for your size, age, gender, and activity level, so you can determine the right amount for you—everybody is different.

Our 21-day guide is focused not on calories but on how to eat healthy for yourself and the planet via a plant-based diet for three weeks. It’s designed to switch you over from animal protein to plant protein to feel better, and weight loss is likely if you keep portions in check. But this is not strictly a weight-loss plan. It’s a healthy-eating plan to feel healthier, by simply changing the way you think about food.

This sample one-week plan is meant to be a helpful guide. You can mix and match the meals in the 21 Day Plant-Based Challenge recipe lineup as you please. Just aim for mostly plant-based eating for the next three weeks. Start here:

All nutrition data ℅ Cronometer.com.

Here’s a handy tracking chart you can print out each week to help you plan your weekly meals:

The post Your Sample Week of Plant-Based Eating & Progress Tracker appeared first on The Beet.

Did your local coffee shop accidentally slip you some dairy milk in your latte? Don’t beat yourself up about it, and don’t let it allow you to spiral back into your prior eating habits. Focus on having well-rounded, plant-based meals for the rest of the day, and keeping a positive attitude. Because it happens to all of us, especially when we’re just starting out and trying to unlearn something we’ve done our entire lives, three times a day.

Sometimes you get mistakenly served a dish cooked in butter at a restaurant, or you eat a piece of candy not realizing that it contains gelatin (an animal product). Although you can’t rewind the clock, you can control your response, and maintaining a positive mindset and persevering will help fortify your actions into a habit.

Even when, if everyone at the table is enjoying calamari or tuna tartar, you reach for it out of habit and sheer desire, it’s not a major deal. In fact, the healthiest way to eat is to aim for 95 percent plant-based foods or more, according to T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study, the most comprehensive study ever between diet and health, and one of the major scientists behind the whole-food plant-based movement. Campbell says that the body gets used to eating plant-based and our microbiome changes over from producing bacteria to metabolize animal protein to one that is designed to metabolize plant-based foods. Once this happens, a small slip-up will not throw your body back into the state that you started in; quite the opposite. Your body will basically ignore the small animal product and stay geared toward plant-based food.

So understand that slip-ups happen, temptations are part of life, and you can still be on track for your 21 Days of Plant-Based eating, even if every now and then you are not perfectly plant-based. Think of it this way: Every time you choose a plant-based meal you are better off than before, and every time you skip animal product you are making a choice for your health. Those small victories add up. Keep track of your progress on the log that is part of the Sample Week of Healthy Eating. Print it out and put it where you can write down your progress. You’ll be surprised at how far you have come, in such a small amount of time.

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