Are you among the one in five consumers interested in shifting your dietary priorities toward more plant-based foods? If so, you may wonder, how do I start?
Focus first on why you are pursuing change. Is it for environmental, health, or any of a variety of ethical reasons? Whatever your reasons, embrace them, and refer to them to reinforce your commitment to change.
Use Comfortable language.
If the words vegetarian, vegan, ovolactovegetarian, and pescatarian are confusing, think of them as options on the animal-vegetable food “dial,” from a strictly plant-based food orientation to one that allows eggs, dairy, or fish. Like a “dial,” the issue is not all-or-nothing—no rigid diet is involved. Based on decades of research, health experts recommend plant-centered, low meat “flexitarian” eating styles, including the well-known Mediterranean diet, for optimal health and environmental sustainability.
Core Features of the Flexitarian Approach.
Of foremost importance are a variety of whole grains, vegetables of different colors, fruits, nuts and seeds, legumes, and extra-virgin olive oil. Fish and other seafoods, with their many health benefits and generally low carbon footprint, are included. Meat is an option, in small amounts.
Whole natural foods are emphasized, as they are nutritious and health-promoting. This is true, too, of minimally processed foods, which allow storage and more convenience. Among these are extra-virgin olive oil, whole grain breads, soy-based tofu and tempeh, nut and seed butters, humus, baba ghanoush, plant milks, unsweetened whole grain cereals (e.g., oatmeal), and canned fish.
Change
Changing any complex behavior is difficult to do, and it usually takes months. A slow, incremental path makes sense. Habits, long-held beliefs, and social pressures all push back against change. Familiarity seems “normal” or “good,” even when not in our best interests. In fact, US culture embraces several erroneous beliefs about food that hold us back.
“Meat and dairy are required for health.” Decades of promotional campaigns by the US Department of Agriculture on behalf of the meat and dairy lobbies (money, not science) was behind convincing Americans to eat plenty of steak, chops, cheeses, eggs, and milk. Actually, such foods are unsustainable and unhealthy.
“A vegetarian diet results in protein deficiencies.” plant sources have different quantities of the 20 amino acids that build proteins. A varied vegetarian or even vegan diet provides enough of all the amino acids, including all nine essential ones, that we need for good health.
Be Optimistic
Regardless of any false dietary notions, compelling information can change our beliefs and behavior. A desired change in behavior is most likely to succeed when it is consistent with our values. This is why we should review our “why” list as needed.
Taking Action
Start with a realistic plan for change, and patience. Choose the easiest food changes first and make only one or two at a time. These are the most likely to be successful and encourage further progress. Repeated practice adds helpful neuronal networks to the brain. Rewarding yourself is vital to reinforce desirable changes, so that your new approach to eating becomes comfortable and also possible to maintain. For encouragement, track your progress by noting flexitarian meals in your calendar. Eat foods that taste good—they are rewarding! If you already have some favorite flexitarian dishes, plan to eat them regularly.
Frequent Eaters of Beef.
Perhaps you’ll decide to adopt only a “no beef” or “rarely beef” orientation—a sensible one since beef, as compared with chicken, fish, and even pork, has by far the worst climate and health impacts. You may decide to start by having chicken or ground turkey (e.g., burgers, or in a turkey chili or pasta sauce) for one or two of the beef meals each week. If you like to grill food, switch gradually to chicken, turkey burgers, fish, or shrimp. Alternatively, reduce the amount of beef in favorite dishes, such as stew, and increase the vegetables, adding any kind of canned beans or lentils for greater protein content. As your comfort grows, you may also find meat substitutes appealing (e.g., tofu, Beyond Burger, or others). Importantly, any reduction in beef consumption makes a positive difference in greenhouse gases and your health.
As social creatures, we are influenced by what others around us do. Thus, it’s good to realize that most of the world’s people have been eating predominantly plant-based diets for millennia. This is the diet that is normal for our species.
Resources
Mediterranean diet: t.ly/N44xb
Fish & sustainability: t.ly/GrdOr
So-called healthy foods: t.ly/QMfWo
Vegetarian food is enough:
True cost of beef: t.ly/QMfWo