What is a WHOLE FOOD PLANT BASED DIET?
Do you only eat plants? Do you ever eat animal products?
How do I get started? I believe that I should be eating more PLANTS in my diet and less ANIMAL PRODUCTS…but where do I begin?
How do I get my kids to transition to this way of eating?
These are just a few of the questions we receive from Mother’s all around the world. It seems like this way of eating is getting more and more common. People are hearing about it- books and documentaries are readily available- and people are more and more open to the idea that eating PLANTS is the key to health and longevity.
I had some high school friends come over to my home this past week for a fun gathering. They asked…”So- are you vegan?” I quickly answered- NO. We WHOLE FOOD MOMMIES answer this question all the time. We believe vegan’s focus on what NOT to eat…while we like to focus on what we DO eat. And the primary source of calories and nutrients we eat comes from PLANTS.
1. A Whole Food Plant Based Diet consists of: VEGETABLES, FRUITS, LEGUMES (BEANS), WHOLE GRAINS, NUTS & SEEDS.
2. Do we NEVER eat animal products? Speaking for myself- NO. Does that mean frozen chicken is in my freezer? NO. But, my refrigerator is sometimes friends with eggs, butter and chicken paste. Do my children eat animal products? Sometimes, but it is limited. Again, we promote PLANTS and teach them the disease-proof effects they have on the body.
3. There are many different ways to get started. Here are some quick and easy tips:
– Start with fruit smoothies for breakfast. This is a great way to consume fruit- and kids love it!
– If you are just starting- Have a dinner once a week with NO ANIMAL PRODUCTS (we have many recipes on our site to choose from) and add on from there to what you and your family desires.
– Read the book DISEASE PROOF YOUR CHILD by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The more you KNOW- the easier the transition will be- because you know the WHY behind it all.
– Have fruit and veggies on the counter for an afterschool snack- kids are the most hungry when they get home. They will eat it…have some dip if that will help with the vegetables. Let your kids get hungry! It helps!
– In the beginning I made my prior recipes- just left out the meat. Try a veggie spaghetti or fajitas without the chicken. A dinner made with rice and veggies- seasoned with soy sauce is so good!
– A false belief is that this way of eating means a whole new shopping list and new grocery store. The list will probably change the most- but everything you need is in most grocery stores.
– Need some recipe ideas? Check out our recipe section- dive into it. Have fun!
I hope this helps answer some questions for the beginners!
Much love~
Whole Food Mommies
Source: WFM 1-10