20 Ways to Eat More Plants in 2020

It’s that time of year again – we’re all ready for a fresh start and new habits! These often involve improving our health. And what better way to health-ify your 2020 than adding more great-for-you whole, unprocessed foods from plants?

Here’s some tricks to give you some plant-power in the New Year.

1. Keep raw nuts and dried fruit in your car, purse, briefcase, etc.
2. Start by adding rather than taking away. Add a salad, cooked whole grains or roasted veggies to your typical meals before removing the animal products or highly processed foods.
3. Eat often. It’s much easier to make good choices when we’re not starved. Those apple slices with nut butter in the mid-afternoon makes it much easier to go for a healthy evening meal.
4. Replace some or all (?) of the meat in burgers with beans or lentils. They offer a meaty texture and a few spices adds tons of flavor!
5. Use sauces to keep your roasted, steamed and sauteed veggies fun and flavorful. Some of our favorite veggie toppers are Easy Tahini Sauce, Thai Peanut Sauce and Sunflower Butter Dressing. Hot sauce, salsa and flavored vinegar prove handy in a pinch.
6. Keep dips on-hand to pair with fresh veggies (ie – Beet Hummus, Chives & Garlic Cashew Dip, Edamame Basil Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus).
7. Use egg substitutes such as chia or flax seeds when baking.
8. Buy plants at the grocery???????! This seems obvious, but the best predictor of what we put in our mouths is what’s in our shopping carts.
9. Wash fruits and veggies before putting them away so they’re ready when you need them.
10. For convenience, consider frozen fruits, veggies and cooked whole grains.
11. Enjoy Nice Cream for dessert ?. The flavor options are endless: chocolate, blueberry cinnamon, mango, mint matcha, mocha, cookie dough.
12. Throw a few handfuls of chopped leafy greens into your favorite sauce, such as pasta sauce.
13. Make a big batch of whole grains for the week. Turn them into a quick meal with steamed veggies, beans and your favorite sauce.
14. Swap dairy milk for plant based milk. There’s ton of options (almond, oat, rice, soy, macadamia, cashew), each with a slightly different flavor and texture.
15. Make great tofu! If you’ve only had slimy flavorless tofu, you’re probably not excited to get your tofu on. Learn to make Perfect Crispy Baked Tofu and you’ll be ready to fill tacos ?, top stir fries and toss it into salads ?.
16. Load up your pizza with veggies. This is one of our favorite meals and can be a great vehicle for veggies. Simply add your favorite veggies (onions, peppers, leafy greens, artichoke, tomatoes) and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar or Better than Cheese Queso.
17. Fill up on beans, lentils and whole grains. When eating more plants, many people choose only veggies and fruit and end up hungry ?. Eating lots of whole grains (brown rice, quinoa, barley, farro), beans and lentils provide lasting energy and satisfaction.
18. Plant (pun intended) them into your environment. For example – keep a bowl of pistachios on your desk, a fruit bowl on the counter and a bowl of raw nuts and dried fruit on the coffee table.
19. Try something new! If eating plants sounds boring, you may not have discovered the HUGE world of options. Maybe try mangoes rather than your standard bananas and apples. Or reach for colorful bell peppers in place of the typical baby carrots. Mix up your whole grain game with farro, red quinoa, barley or couscous.
20. Get inspired. A great way to make eating plants a priority is learning about the endless benefits. Check out our resources tab or one of our favorite books: Eat to Live, How Not to Die, The China Study, Fast Food Genocide and The Cheese Trap.