5 Ways to Eat More Plant-Based
By: Abbot'S Butcher
Tags: Plant Based, Vegan Diet, Vegantips, Cooking And Eating Vegan, Going Vegan

If you’re looking to start leading a more plant-based diet, figuring out where to start may seem daunting. Like any change, you have to give yourself space to adjust. It may mean that you start by eliminating red meat from your diet on weekdays, trying out a couple new plant-based products every now and then, or making Meatless Mondays a regular occurrence. It’s all about taking small steps and making easy swaps. The key is to be gentle with yourself, and to make small 2mm shifts where and when you can. And to help, we’ve compiled a list of 5 simple changes you can make on a daily basis that will help form a solid plant-based foundation.

1. Swap nutrient-dense oils for butter.

Oil is a great substitute for butter. The trick is to find the right oil for each application.

When it comes to baking, we love using coconut oil instead of butter. There are two different avenues to go down with coconut oil — refined and unrefined. Use refined coconut oil when you are looking for a mild, neutral flavor. But when your recipe pairs well with a hint of coconut, then opt for unrefined — as it’s minimally processed, but has a strong coconut flavor.

When cooking savory foods, such as Abbot’s plant proteins, try to stay away from canola and vegetable oils, and opt for extra virgin olive, walnut or avocado oil. Canola is highly processed and contains unnecessary trans fat; whereas, extra virgin olive oil, walnut and avocado oil are nutrient dense with antioxidants, Omega 3’s and a number of other health benefits.

2. Find your favorite mylk option.

When it comes to plant-based dairy, the options are endless: almond, cashew, coconut, oat, hemp, rice. The key is to find what suits you best. All have a different flavor profile and consistency. Some are thin, others are thick, some are slightly sweet, others quite neutral. The key is to try them all and find out what you enjoy most. You’ll likely find that some are perfect for baking, others great for smoothies and mylkshakes, and then still others best for cereals, or simply enjoying on their own!

Keep in mind, you can find mylk in both the refrigerated section or in a carton on a shelf. Mylk has a long shelf life unopened, but just be sure once you open it to refrigerate it! For maximum freshness, it keeps for a week once opened.

3. Make Meatless Mondays a regular occurrence.

Meatless Monday is a simple, and fun concept to start incorporating into your routine. The idea is to make one day a week all about eliminating animal-based ingredients from your diet. And it can be fun to think of delicious swaps — maybe starting the day with a warm bowl of cinnamon oats, or a hearty Chorizo Breakfast Burrito, trying a delicious Dill Chick’n Salad Sandwich for lunch, then indulging in some yummy pizza for dinner! Starting the week with Meatless Monday helps set the tone, where you’re making choices that put your body, and the planet, first.

4. Use plant-based substitutes for baking.

You don’t have to sacrifice any of your favorite sweet treat recipes. We’ve covered the plant-based mylk and butter swaps — but now for the eggs, here are some of our favorites:

1 Egg can be replaced with:

1/4 cup applesauce

1/4 cup silken organic tofu, blended

1/4 cup mashed banana

1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water

For those of you who are also trying to go gluten free, try using almond flour, coconut flour, and oat flour. And if you’re also looking to eliminate refined sugars from your diet, try using maple syrup, date sugar or coconut sugar instead of white sugar.

5. It’s all about intuitive cooking.

One of the most common misconceptions about going plant-based is that you have to upend your entire routine and sacrifice your most loved dishes. There are so many incredible plant-based proteins available these days, the options are endless. The trick is to find the staples that fit into your routine. Want to try making a classic dish like Spaghetti Bolognese? Simply swap in Abbot’s Ground “Beef”. Or how about using our Chick’n in a delicious Crispy Chick’n Taco? The beauty of plant-based proteins is that they don’t require you to reinvent the wheel. There’s a slight learning curve with cooking them, sure. But once you get used to the process, you’ll be making gourmet plant-based versions of all your most loved dishes.