Tips & Tricks for Adding More Plants to Your Diet

As an Afrikaans girl, I grew up with animal protein three times a day. We always had loads of fresh free-range red meat (from our small farm) & my mom was a very big believer in eggs. Her philosophy was all about starting the day with protein. And then we probably had some more protein for lunch & also for dinner.

I still love eating meat & eggs, but for the past year I’ve felt like we should really eat more plants. Not because we are eating so much protein, but simply because our veg intake is not what it should be. And now that times have changed so much (you know, Corona & all), I realise more than ever that we need to grow & eat more plants – for our health, our wallets & for our planet.

The only thing is that my brain sort of short-circuits at the idea of vegetable only meals. I actually feel like a bit of a banana admitting this but it is the truth.

The first time I decided to buy ingredients for a number of plant-based meals, I found myself walking around the grocery store like a zombie. On the few occasions that I’ve served vegetable dishes exclusively when we entertained, I felt embarrassed! Even after spending hours preparing a really tasty vegetarian meal, I felt like I didn’t really feed the guests. Basically, I had to rewire my ideas & plans around this whole topic. I sound a bit like a nut job. Can anyone relate?

So, here are my tried & tested tips & tricks for adding more plants to your diet:

Find plant-based recipes. Get yourself a really great vegetarian cookbook or pin & download simple plant-based dishes online. And go through your current cookbooks & find the vegetarian or plant-based recipes. I can totally recommend the ‘Inside the Women’s Health booklet’ available on Magzter.
Substitute other ingredients in your meals with vegetables. For instance: make or buy a veg pasta instead of your usual wheat pasta. Make cauli rice instead of regular rice. Swop your steak or fish fillet for a giant grilled brown mushroom or make a cauliflower steak.
Bulk up your usual recipes with veg. I don’t know about you, but I like hearty portions. The feeling of deprivation drives me bonkers! So, when you make beef mince, add loads of frozen or fresh veg. Tinned or fresh tomato, some spinach, leeks, onion, celery or mushrooms can be sneaked into so many dishes too.
Snack on vegetables. Serial snackers (like me) should really consider prepping some veggie snack bags once a week. Simply rinse & divide tiny tomatoes, baby corn, mange tout / snap peas, fresh cauliflower & green beans into small containers or bags. Pack them into your lunch box or keep them in a prominent spot in your fridge so that you remember to eat them when they’re still crunchy & fresh.
Plan your meals & menu’s in advance. I’m so bad at this. Mostly because I just love to cook & eat what I’m in the mood for so much. What can I say, I’m an Enneagram 7. My default will always be a quick pasta when I’m tired or a meaty dish when we have guests over. So, planning & prepping in advance just makes sense.
Get someone else to make those plant-based meals. If you run out of ideas, try to buy some frozen or ready-made meals from your local grocer or vegetarian food spot. You can also order really delicious veggie-packed meals when you next go to a restaurant.
Sip your fruit & veg. Making your own fruit & veg smoothies & juices can be really fun & yummy, but it should obviously not be your first option because you could consume too much sugar & not enough fibre. Check out my Quick Guide to Juicing if you consider squeezing your fruit or veg at all.
Grow your own food. It really just makes sense to grow food, right? And if you grow it, chances are that you will want to harvest & eat it too. It doesn’t get more organic & yummy than that, right?