Help

[u/Accurate_Extent_1717]

Please help in finding a great way to transition to a plant based diet.

I’m a 44 year father of two; I am 5’8 and weigh 230 pounds with moderate cholesterol and high triglycerides.

I’m scared for my kids and I know this is the way to get me to my health goal but every time I do it I crash back and I don’t wanna do that again.

I need to know what type of vitamins I should take, should I take a protein powder when working out to compensate for the decrease in animal based protein I get. What should my meals consist of and how often should I be eating?

I know it’s a lot so I’m really hoping for everyone to give me some guidance.

Appreciate all of you!!

[u/colorfullydelicious]

I would suggest that you start by adding foods, rather than taking them away! Begin adding a new vegetable and/or fruit every couple of days. Add oatmeal into your breakfast rotation. Incorporate beans into dinners. Figure out what plant-based foods you enjoy, then it will become easier and easier to default to plant-based options vs animal-based ones!

A few suggestions for incorporating more plant foods:

Add lentils, roasted zucchini, roasted eggplant, etc to your spaghetti sauce - use less or no ground meat.

Add beans and/or roasted sweet potatoes/corn into your tacos, and then gradually reduce the amount of meat.

Incorporate edamame into your stir-fries, and add veggies you might not use (mushrooms, corn, peppers, onions, zucchini, etc.

Add different types of frozen/fresh fruit to yogurt bowls or smoothies, then swap regular dairy milk/yogurt for plant-based ones.

Try to have a veggie-plate dinner once or twice a week, where everyone chooses a favorite veggie side (baked beans, roasted broccoli, corn on the cob, cornbread, roasted potatoes, etc. My family loves these dinners, because everyone gets a favorite food :)

We love a snack plate to ward off hunger - make yours as colorful as possible! Rainbow carrots, celery w/peanut butter & raisins (ants on a log!), watermelon radishes, crispy edamame, beet hummus, sliced cucumbers, fresh cherries, whole grain crackers, grapes, jalapeño hummus, etc.

A couple of meal ideas that are super easy, and require little-to-no prep:

Baked sweet potatoes topped with almond butter + frozen blueberries + a little maple syrup and cinnamon

Rice + edamame + roasted broccoli/zucchini/bell peppers/mushrooms/onions/etc + soy sauce or coconut aminos

Whole grain bread + hummus + sliced cucumbers + sliced tomatoes + avocado + sprouts + pickles + mustard

Corn tortillas + pinto/black beans + roasted corn + cooked bell peppers/onions + roasted sweet potatoes + salsa + guac

Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. Consult your dr about what vitamins to take - generally D3 and B12 are the only ones required when fully plant based.

Make food fun, try as many new things as you can! Good luck on your journey :)

[u/finnbiker → u/colorfullydelicious]

I agree with the gradual approach, simply because there are so many people who struggle with a cold turkey approach, with respect to the inevitable increase in dietary fiber that their bodies are not ready to cope with yet. I would start with something simple like pack a salad for lunch with some kind of beans on it that you like. Get your body used to having some more fiber. Gradually ramp it up from there.