How Do I Stay On Track With Plant-Based Eating?
Real tips you can bring home and use today
I browse my Substack feed regularly throughout the week. I usually have time for one or two posts before I’m off and running in a new direction. Maybe you can relate!?
But Saturdays are different. I sit down with a mug of tea in hand, giving myself an hour or two to move through everything I’ve missed during the week. As fall brings in cooler weather, I turn on the fireplace for a cozy glow.
I came across a new Substack I’m following. I’m intrigued by herbal-infused skincare, something I plan on getting into as I’m resigned to spending more time inside as fall turns into winter. I love the way Carrie writes, and who can resist a Substack called Plants, Flowers, Oils, and Whimsy? Not me!
Her Self-Care Saturday post talked about how she stays on track with healthy eating habits.
As she says, everyone has different reasons for wanting to eat healthy. It means something different to each and every one of us.
Her question, How do you say on track, is one I hear a lot. (It’s probably the second most popular question, outside of: Where do you get your protein?)
So, as my follow-up to Carrie’s question, I thought I’d provide you with a few tips of my own.
How do you stay on track with plant-based eating?
My motto is: Plant-based is a journey, not a destination. I’ve been on this journey for 30 years, since I lost my dad in 1994 at the age of fifty-four. I could never go back in time and tell my younger self what I know today. I wasn’t ready for any of it.
Staying on track is about choices. I choose to do what I do today. Tomorrow will be different. Comparison between the two shouldn’t be.
So my daily question is: Given what I know today and how I feel today, what choices can I make?
Look, sometimes I order a pizza because I’m tired or aggravated or just don’t want to spend time in the kitchen. (I have a local pizza place that makes a mean vegan sausage pizza - I’ve done my research and know who to order from. 😉) But I understand that choice and realize it’s part of the journey. Tomorrow will be another day.
Plant-based is a journey, not a destination
What about meal planning and prepping?
I recently jumped into that here:
Do you need a different meal every single night?
I think this is one of the most misconstrued things about plant-based eating. We get overwhelmed with the posts that give us “100 recipes for fall” or “100 plant-based recipes for breakfast” and quickly throw our hands up and say, "I can't do that.”
I ask people: “How do you eat now?”
I eat the same breakfast every single morning. I’ve been doing it for years. It’s a plant-based smoothie that I love so much. I've invested in a travel blender so I can make it when I'm on the road.
Before I was plant-based, I ate the same cereal day in and day out. It was quick, and it filled me up. It’s what I did.
You’re probably the same way. Skip the “100 recipes” approach and just work to find your favorites. What do you like now? If you love mac n cheese, find a great recipe you fall in love with. (Here’s my favorite; we make it frequently in the colder months.)
Having these favorites you can rely on repeatedly will be a life-changer as you’re trying to stick to your plant-based diet. If you’re wondering what’s for dinner, pull up a favorite.
Shouldn’t you be on the lookout for new recipes?
Yes! Just because you have your favorites on “speed dial” doesn’t mean you should stop experimenting on your good days. Like Sundays, when you feel like experimenting with something new.
This is where I highly recommend following my Cookbook Club. It’s an easy way to find new cookbooks that I’m using in my own kitchen, try them out yourself, and find new favorites of your own.
What about snacking and cravings?
Yep, that’s never going to change. Maybe that’s human nature!?
You sit down with a sandwich, and you crave something salty. You get bored or tired mid-day, and you reach for something sweet.
If you don’t plan for these moments, you’re going to reach for the unhealthiest things in your reach. Change your pantry, change what you carry with you, and you’ll have healthier options to reach for.
Remember, this changes gradually. My sweet tooth has lowered dramatically over the years. I no longer can eat what most people consider a treat. A candy bar - no way - it’s way too sweet.
But that hasn’t changed my love of chocolate. One small square of dark chocolate is all I need now to satisfy that sweet tooth. I don’t ignore it - I control what it looks like.
Just a few of my tips on plant-based living …
Here you go, a few answers to the top questions I hear from people trying to eat more plants. Do you have more? Let me know what questions you have, and I’ll include them in another edition of plant-based questions and answers.
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