Before you read this, think about your favorite foods to eat. What are they? What do they taste and smell like? How do you usually prepare them? These foods can be fruits, vegetables, dinners, breakfasts, lunches, or snacks. Whatever you thought of, those are the foods that you should learn how to make plant-based and start incorporating into your diet. This practice can be a bit difficult if you’re new to eating fruits and vegetables. So, here’s the best way to get started with forming sustainable eating habits! Remember to always listen to your body and feed it what it needs, as well!

We also highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App  — with over 20,000 delicious recipes, it is the largest meatless, vegan, plant-based, and allergy-friendly recipe resource to help you get healthy! And don’t forget to check out our Weekly Meal Plan Archives! 

This week, we’re bringing delicious, fully vegan, and plant-based ways to enjoy simple, vegan recipes!

Simple Tips for Going Plant-Based

1. Start with what you like to eat.

When it comes to adding new foods to your diet, filling your plate with foods you’re excited to eat and try is an excellent place to start. If you’re new to cooking greens, browse our site for recipes that make you want to get into the kitchen. It can be as easy as making some crispy air-fried (or baked) kale, to trying your hand at tofu scramble.

2. Take your time.

Change all at once or going vegan overnight works for some people, but it doesn’t always work for everyone. It’s okay to start with one change at a time and find out how you feel. Any step towards eating a more plant-based diet counts!

3. Learn what’s in season and eat seasonally.

Eating seasonally is important because you’re not only eating the freshest foods at the peak of their season, but you’re also getting the chance to expand your options outside of the things you usually eat each week. Eating seasonally can also be beneficial because sometimes fruits and vegetables that are out of season tend to be more expensive. Eating seasonally can be a privilege because it depends on where you live and what foods you have available to you. The best way to figure out what foods are in season is to do your research, or simply visit your nearest farmer’s market. You can also pay attention to the selections in the grocery store, as well! Items in season may be on sale or highlighted in a particular section.

4. Pick up a few skills in the kitchen.

This means that if you’re wanting to make more food at home, figure out what you need to learn to start. For example, if you’ve never tried pan-frying tofu, you might want to start learning how. Pick a recipe that has that in it and start getting better at the process. Once you’re familiar, you can figure out your flavor combinations and how to make them in the way you enjoy.

5. Start with your drinks.

If you have a particular drink like coffee or matcha every day, think about trying non-dairy milk in it! There are a few wonderful choices on the market, but you can also make oat milk at home. In the same vein, pay attention to what you’re consuming when you could try a plant-based alternative. For instance, if you love protein or granola bars, try making those at home to take for a snack.

Beginner Recipes

Source: 15-Minute Lentil Tomato Pasta

These amazing recipes are perfect to start with when you’re new to plant-based cooking. These breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and snacks not only taste good but are easy to make! We’ve included a few of each variety to keep it simple, but you can find many more recipes in our Recipes Archives!

Breakfast

• Tofu Scramble by Bila
• Pumpkin Pancakes by Dominique Ebra

Lunch 

• Creamy and Crunchy Chickpea Salad Sandwich by Christina Bedetta
• Chickpea Miso Noodle Soup by Kris Dee

Dinner

• Brown Lentil, Bean, and Rice Soup by Julie Zimmer
• 15-Minute Lentil Tomato Pasta by Caroline Doucet

Dessert:

• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars by Taavi Moore
• Chocolate Chip Banana Nice Cream Sandwiches by Desiree Rodriguez

Snacks:

• No Bake Chocolate Oat Bars by Hannah Sunderani
• Crunchy Pumpkin Roasted Chickpeas by Kat Condon

Easy Ways to Help the Planet:

• Eat Less Meat: Download Food Monster, the largest plant-based Recipe app on the App Store to help reduce your environmental footprint, save animals and get healthy. You can also buy a hard or soft copy of our favorite vegan cookbooks.
• Reduce Your Fast Fashion Footprint: Take the initiative by standing up against fast fashion Pollution and supporting sustainable and circular brands like Tiny Rescue that are raising awareness around important issues through recycled zero-waste clothing designed to be returned and remade over and over again.
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• Sign a Petition: Your voice matters! Help turn petitions into victories by signing the latest list of must-sign petitions to help people, animals, and the planet.
• Stay Informed: Keep up with the latest news and essential stories involving animals, the environment, sustainable living, food, health, and human interest topics by subscribing to our newsletter!
• Do What You Can: Reduce waste, plant trees, eat local, travel responsibly, reuse stuff, say no to single-use plastics, recycle, vote smart, switch to cold water laundry, divest from fossil fuels, save water, shop wisely, Donate if you can, grow your own food, volunteer, conserve energy, compost, and don’t forget about the microplastics and microbeads lurking in common household and personal care products!