Looking for something fun to up your health game in 2021? Look no more, plant-based eating is here, and it’s delicious.
It goes without saying that we’ve all probably heard ‘eat your vegetables’ at some point in our lives. Little did we know then that plant-based eating would be at the forefront of health and wellness research.
Eating plants has many recorded and researched benefits but one of the biggest selling points is that eating plants supports your immune system. Plants have essential nutrients that you cannot get from other foods. The vitamins and minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants in plants help keep your cells healthy and your body in balance so that your immune system can function at its best.
Plants are also very high in fiber. Fiber is present in all unprocessed plant foods. It is what makes up the structure of the plant, and if you eat more of it you access a whole host of benefits, specifically a healthier gut biome. Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it’s great for good bowel management. Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut by making you better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation.
With that said, not all plant-based food is healthy. If you’re in a pinch, a plant-based snack can tide you over, but watch out for added sugars and overly processed foods. A plant-based protein shake like Vedge + non-dairy milk is a great meal replacement or on-the-go fuel to get you through back-to-back Zoom calls. Right now, you can try Vedge protein powder by purchasing a Snack-from-Home snack box.
One of my favorite styles of plant-based meals is what’s known as a Buddha bowl. Start with a bowl, add a whole grain like quinoa or brown rice, a cooked vegetable like broccoli or kale, a raw vegetable like chopped carrot or onion, a starch like sweet potato or yucca, and finish it off with a protein source like chickpeas, or black beans and you have yourself a delicious, nutritious, plant-based smorgasboard. Here’s a great site to learn more about crafting and planning meals using the Buddha bowl philosophy.
Written by garten’s Brendan Terranova