Mindful Eating: How to Remain Aware and Enjoy Yourself When Choosing a Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet has many connotations because it can mean different things to different people. Moreover, as more and more people around the planet embrace healthier eating and environmental awareness, they focus on plant-based diets based primarily on foods from plant sources.

Therefore, choosing a plant-based diet means you are vegan, vegetarian, or focusing on packing your diet with mostly vegetarian foods. Your diet will consist primarily of foods from plant sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, oils, legumes, and beans.

Plant-Based Diets and Mindful Eating

Plant-based or plant-forward diets mean you may eliminate or restrict certain foods. Therefore, the term encompasses several diet varieties, including:

• A Mediterranean diet is where you choose to be semi-vegetarian or flexitarian. However, you occasionally include meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fish, and seafood.
• A pescatarian diet includes fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy products.
• A vegetarian diet includes eggs and dairy products.
• A vegan diet, avoiding all animal foods and by-products.

Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

Evidence from plant-based eating patterns has shown that Mediterranean and vegetarian diets promote better health and longevity.

Based primarily on plant-based foods, the Mediterranean diet includes eating fish, poultry, eggs, cheese, yogurt, and the rare addition of meats. Studies and clinical trials have shown that it reduces many diseases, including colon, breast, and prostate cancers. The diet also reduces the risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and depression in seniors. In addition, it promotes mental and physical function and decreases the risk of frailty.

People on a vegetarian diet have also shown lower risks of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes in studies. In addition, vegetarianism appears to support better health and longevity.

Carefully planned plant-based diets can provide enough protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals for optimal health. Vegan diets are also higher in fiber and phytonutrients. You will get all the major nutrients with a vegan diet, but you must watch your vitamin B12 and choline levels. These essential nutrients are found primarily in animal sources like egg yolks and liver from animals. Add supplements if needed.

Besides disease prevention, plant-based diets also encourage easier weight management. The reason is whole plant foods don’t have the calorie density of processed foods.

Finally, the benefits of a plant-based diet extend into the environment because growing vegetables requires the least amount of water compared to beef, which requires the most. Plant-based diets also contribute the most negligible greenhouse gas emissions.

How to Eat with Awareness and Joy on a Plant-Based Diet

However, maintaining a plant-based diet requires special care because it’s easy to fall into a pattern of eating unhealthy foods like potato fries or chips. It will help to plan your meals based on high-quality foods that provide all the significant nutrients.

Foods to Enjoy

Incorporate the following into your diet:

Load Up on the Vegetables – There are several ways to ensure you increase your vegetable intake. First, make sure you have a variety of vegetable colors on your plate for lunch and dinner. Make sure you include plenty of colors in choosing your vegetables. And stock up on delicious and healthy vegetable snacks like hummus, salsa, or guacamole.

Change Your Attitude to Meat – Consider eating meat rarely and have a smaller amount.

Cook with Good Fats – Cut out all animal fats. Instead, use olive oil, olives, nut butter, nuts, seeds, and avocados as alternatives.

Choose to Go Vegetarian at Least Once a Week – Good substitutes for meat in a vegetarian meal include a bean stew or whole grains cooked with various vegetables.

Make Your Breakfast Wholesome – Make your breakfast a wholesome start to the day by eating oatmeal, barley, quinoa, or buckwheat. Then, add nuts or seeds and fresh fruit to ensure breakfast includes all the required nutrients.

Don’t Forget the Leafy Greens – Incorporate at least one green leafy vegetable into your meals daily. These include kale, Swiss chard, collards, spinach, arugula, lettuce, etc. You can eat them raw in salads or steam, grill, braise, or stir-fry, preserving their flavors and nutrients.

Make More Salad Meals – Many people don’t realize that a salad can become a whole meal when you build it up with all the correct plant-based foods. Use fresh salad greens of your choice, and add other vegetables. For example, add beans, brown rice, peas, or tofu and finish with herbs.

Replace Dessert with Fruit – If you crave dessert after a meal, choose your favorite seasonal fruit to ebb your sweet tooth.

Beverages – You can drink coffee and tea daily, especially green and herbal teas.

Foods to Avoid or Limit

Depending on the plant-based diet you plan to follow, there are some foods that you will want to limit or avoid altogether.

If you are vegan, you will avoid the following:

• All dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Meat and poultry products like chicken, beef, and pork
• Processed animal meats like bacon, sausages, cold meats, etc.
• All animal products like eggs and dairy products
• Honey

If you’re a vegetarian or pescatarian, you will avoid

• Meat, poultry, and fish
• Processed animal foods

Foods everyone on a plant-based diet, including a Mediterranean diet you should avoid:

• Refined grains or “white” foods, like white pasta, rice, and bread
• Sweets foods like cookies, brownies, cake, chocolate bars, etc.
• Sweetened beverages like fruit juice and sodas
• Potatoes and French fries

Valuable Tips for Beginners of a Plant-Based Diet

It’s easy to become confused as you try remembering your nutrition basics. However, depending on what you want to avoid, these tips will make transitioning to mindful eating easier when you follow a plant-based diet.

1.     Things to Stock Up On

The best aisle to stock up on is the fresh produce aisle. However, you will also need grains, canned beans and legumes, and frozen or canned fruits and veggies for busy days when you can’t go shopping. These products ensure you have a stock of required items at home to prepare a meal according to your dietary requirements.

2.     Replace Meat with High-Protein Legumes

When thinking of how to make your food more filling, you can replace meat with the following high-protein legumes:

• Tofu
• Chickpeas
• Tempeh
• Black beans or pinto beans
• Dried peas

Other high-protein supplements include plant-based protein powder and seitan.

3.     Make Careful Decisions When Eating Out 

Following a plant-based diet doesn’t necessarily mean you cannot eat out. Most restaurants cater to the needs of a vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and Mediterranean diet. Ask the waiter to help you choose a meal comprising several healthy menu components.

4.     Select Seasonal Options

Seasonal fruits are often local, fresher, and cheaper. They also have a smaller carbon footprint than imported out-of-season fruits and vegetables. In addition, plant-based diets make it easier to stick to a budget since beans, grains, and frozen foods are cheaper and go further.

5.     Remain Mindful

Every time you cook a meal, remember your decision and avoid or limit the use of fats. Also, limit the sugar and refined grains because they will make your home-cooked meals unhealthy.

Takeaways

For those looking to begin eating a more mindful plant-based diet, there is much to consider when making the transition. It’s important to know what foods to avoid and what tips and tricks can help make incorporating plant-based options into your meals easier. Here are some tips on how to get started:

1. Stock up on fresh produce items in the grocery store – Having the right ingredients at home is essential when switching to a more mindful, plant-based diet. Look for non-perishable items that you can stock up on

2. Replace meat with high-protein legumes – When making your food more filling, you can replace meat with high-protein legumes like tofu, chickpeas, tempeh, black beans or pinto beans, dried peas, plant-based protein powder, and seitan.

3. Make careful decisions when eating out – Eating out doesn’t have to mean you can’t eat mindfully. Most restaurants cater to the needs of a vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and Mediterranean diet. Ask the waiter to help you choose a meal comprising several healthy menu components.

4. Select seasonal options – Seasonal fruits are often local, fresher, and cheaper. They also have a smaller carbon footprint than imported out-of-season fruits and vegetables. In addition, plant-based diets make it easier to stick to a budget since beans, grains, and frozen foods are cheaper and go further.

5. Remain mindful – Every time you cook a meal, remember your decision and avoid or limit the use of fats. Don’t let processed food take over your plate – the more you cook, the better. Practicing mindfulness can help you make healthier choices and nourish your body with various healthy foods.

6. Consult a dietitian or doctor – Consulting a registered dietitian or doctor is essential when transitioning to a plant-based diet. The professional can guide and advise on ensuring all meals are balanced and provide the essential nutrients to your body.

Following these tips, you can successfully adjust to eating mindfully on a plant-based diet!