Jess and Stef Dadon | Contributors - Nourish plant-based living

9th January 2023

Words by Jess and Stef Dadon

Category: Mind | Features

The sisters behind footwear brand TWOOBS are here to make your pathway to plant-based easy, enjoyable, and one walked in super cute sandals, if you like!

Sure, when you first venture into plant-based, it can all seem a little daunting. A question as basic as ‘what will I have for lunch today?’ can feel complicated, particularly if your previous go-to was a salmon bagel. Fear not! We’ve got you covered.

Here are our simple tips to get you moving towards plant-based with ease.

#1 SUSS OUT THE ALTERNATIVES

When you’re making plant-based changes, it doesn’t mean that you’ve suddenly lost the taste for meat or fish. Take it from us – two people who had tuna eating listed as a favourite pastime in their original blog bio. We understand giving up your favourite foods can be tough! But there are oh-so-many alternatives out there now: from chickpea tuna and jackfruit chicken to veggie bacon, meat-free sausages, and of course the Beyond Burger. Check out the plant-based section at your local supermarket or health food store and we guarantee you’ll be spoilt for choice.

#2 MAKE A LIST OF YOUR GO-TO MEALS

While cutting out an entire food group might seem drastic at first, when you think about it, a lot of what you eat is probably already meat free. Let’s see … hot chips, roast veggies, and smashed avo are all vegetarian (and usually vegan). So is pasta, pizza, rice, bread, falafel, and lots of curries … the list goes on! Create a list of all your favourite dishes that still work in your new diet. Don’t forget to add the ones that are easily made plant-based with a few little tweaks. It also helps to note down a few go-to options at your local takeaway places. Plant-based does not mean missing out! You can turn to your trusty list whenever you’re feeling confused about what to eat.

Hot chips, roast veggies, and smashed avo are all vegetarian (and usually vegan). So is pasta, pizza, rice, bread, falafel, and lots of curries … the list goes on!

#3 SEEK OUT NEW (AND EASY) RECIPES

If you’re anything like us, the thought of spending hours in the kitchen every day might be a hurdle to changing your diet. Luckily, we’re not the first to walk this path. Many talented people have already clocked those hours in the kitchen and share simple, delicious, tried-and-tested recipes for the rest of us to enjoy. Our go-to cookbooks are Quick & Easy by Deliciously Ella and Whole by Natural Harry. We also love food blogs like Minimalist Baker and accounts like @vegancanteen and @woon.heng on Instagram. Once you sashay down the rabbit hole of veggie foodies on social media, you’ll wonder why you ever thought plant-based was going to be hard.

#4 TRACK YOUR NUTRITION

If you’re worried about not getting enough of the good stuff like protein and iron … don’t be! Gram for gram, vegetables often have a higher iron content than foods like meat and eggs. Pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds contain about the same amount of protein as beef or lamb. The big ‘secret’ to plant-based nutrition is to focus on wholefoods and eat a variety of them. Pretty simple. Sure, it can be a good idea to make sure you’re getting all the nutrients and vitamins you need when first making changes. You can easily track your nutrition with apps like Cronometer, which should provide all the information you’ll need to get started with confidence.

The big ‘secret’ to plant-based nutrition is to focus on wholefoods and eat a variety of them.

#5 BE PREPARED TO EAT WELL

Avoid getting stuck with peanut butter on toast for dinner every night by preparing to eat well in advance. If you’re the organised type, put your skills to good use with some meal planning, a weekly shop, and food prep. You might even do a bulk cook up and freeze things like soups and curries. And even if being quite so organised isn’t your style, you can still make sure your pantry is stocked with the essential staples and veg alternatives for your favourite meals. A little preparation ahead of time makes things way easier when you’re hungry.

#6 MAKE SOME VEGGIE FRIENDS

It can be really helpful to have a few friends who are also hanging out in veg town. This doesn’t mean cutting your old friends loose, it’s just great to have people who can share tips, restaurant recommendations, and even your values. And they’ll always be up for checking out the latest plant-based cafe. We’ve got a WhatsApp group with our fellow veggie friends where we swap recipes, recommend meat alternatives, and organise to go out together. There are also loads of Facebook groups you can join for this purpose, too.

#7 REMEMBER WHY YOU WANT TO GO VEG

There will be times that you’ll feel tempted to deviate from your new-found plant-based path. When this happens, it’s helpful to come back to why you made this choice in the first place. Was it your health? Your decision to no longer support industries that harm animals and the environment? If it was a doco like Seaspiracy that inspired you, perhaps give it a rewatch. There are plenty of others, too. We recommend Cowspiracy, What the Health, and Dominion, although some can be tough to watch. All the more reason to simply stick with your plant-based intentions! You could even write these down so that you can read your own words of encouragement or commitment when you need them.

#8 BE PROUD OF YOUR CHANGES!

Don’t forget to congratulate yourself for the changes you make. Lots of people don’t even try, even when they understand the reasons for doing so. You’ve made a choice to make a difference in this world and that is pretty freaking incredible. Big yay for you! Go out for a celebratory vegan degustation or treat yourself to that thing you’ve been wanting. You deserve it.

***

While changes can feel complicated at first, it doesn’t take long for them to become your new normal. We also believe that changing your diet is the simplest form of activism there is. This is the laziest protest you’ll ever attend. You’re already eating every day anyway and with a few simple tweaks – voila! You’re basically Jane Fonda.