One of the most common questions we get asked is “Do your husbands eat a whole food, plant-based diet?” and the follow up question is usually “How do you get them to do that?!”. Rather than us trying to explain their dietary choices and why they make those choices, we interviewed them. We asked basic questions and below are their responses. If you have a question for them that we didn’t ask, leave it in the comment section at the bottom of the page and we’ll ask them and add it to the post!
Kyle’s Interview
How did you make the switch to a plant-based diet? Natalie was already doing it and for health reasons I was willing to try it. She didn’t make me eat plant-based but she told me that she’d be making plant-based meals and if I want something different I can make it for myself. My transition started out as an experiment. I tried doing it to see if it would improve my cholesterol numbers. It made a huge difference and it really helped seeing those results so I continued.
What’s the hardest part of eating a plant-based diet? Eating out or being at a party or event where there’s unhealthy foods. I might eat meat when we’re out but I try to limit those occasions.
What makes it easy to continue to eat this way? Eating often throughout the day instead of just 3 meals and always having healthy food around (and not having unhealthy food). It’s also just the way Natalie cooks. It’s not that she makes me eat this way, but she doesn’t try to appease me by making separate meals. She also makes food on the weekend to eat during the week.
What are your favorite plant-based meals/food? My favorite is peanut sauce and we sometimes have it multiple times a week. We serve it over cooked grains and veggies and I add extra red pepper flakes. I also like black bean burgers which I bring to work with sprouted grain bread almost every day for lunch. Pizza is also a favorite. We add lots of veggies and pineapple and spice it up with jalapenos, banana peppers and red pepper flakes.
What is your biggest motivator to eat this way? My health is my main motivator. My cholesterol went down a TON (total cholesterol dropped from 288 to 173) after a few months of eating plant-based. With a history of heart disease in my family, it’s great knowing that I’ve significantly lowered my risk.
What is your advice for someone whose significant other is not on board? You can never make someone eat a certain way. If you want to help them eat more plant-based foods, make it convenient. Always have plant-based foods around and available to eat at a moments notice. When I’m hungry I need something ready to eat. If I’m overly hungry I’m going to eat whatever is there, so not having junk food around helps. Things that we often have ready to eat are pumpkin seeds, dried mangoes, leftovers, almond crackers, carrots and peanut butter, fresh fruit, breakfast cookies and quick breads. Also, find some healthy plant-based meals that they do enjoy and make those meals often. Then, even if they’re eating non-whole-food, plant-based during other meals, at least they’re eating some plant-based meals.
How do you handle eating out? We limit going out to eat and, when we do go, we have some go-to places. We have a favorite Thai restaurant where we know we can get a good plant-based meal. I always get Cashew Lovers with tofu.
Is there anything you miss from before? There’s nothing that I completely don’t eat. I might eat animal products a couple of times a month so I don’t feel like I’m missing out.
What keeps you accountable? I use Natalie for accountability. I’m a willing participant but I need the support to continue to participate. If you’re serious about eating differently you need someone to hold you accountable because it’s so easy to go back to your old ways. I have to be motivated and want to do it, but then she helps me stay on track. Something I use for accountability is our credit card. It all goes to one account so in the back of my mind I know that if I got fast food she would know!
What keeps you interested? Having an open mind and being willing to try things. Natalie has learned not to label food as something it’s not (vegan mac and cheese is NOT mac and cheese). This gives me a preconception in my mind of what it should taste like. Instead she calls it something else or makes up a name. Or we try it and come up with a name together.
How would you recommend getting started with plant-based eating? Go into it as an experiment and have your numbers checked before and after (for me it was cholesterol). You have to be honest with yourself though, did you really give it a full shot? You really have to give it your full effort to get results. Don’t half-ass it.
Jeff’s Interview
How did you make the switch to a plant-based diet? – We ate mostly plants before we switched, so it wasn’t a big transition. When Lexie stopped eating animal products she told me I could prepare my own meat if I wanted to add it to meals. I was too lazy to ever do that and after we started eating that way I didn’t mind not having the meat. The meals were all filling and *usually* tasted good. It think it helped that I wasn’t forced into it and I had the option to eat whatever I wanted. I still eat meat every now and then and I doubt I’ll ever completely give it up.
What’s the hardest part of eating a plant-based diet? – Gatherings. It’s tough when our friends have a fish fry or a holiday gathering with tons of unhealthy foods. We always bring our own dish to share, which helps. Originally the hardest part was craving meat. A steak used to sound good all the time. After we initially cut out animal products I thought I would still eat a steak once or twice a month, but that craving went away after a couple months. Now I don’t even think about it anymore.
What are your favorite plant-based meals/food? – Mexican & Asian Dishes, Portobello Mushroom Burgers, Howie Bars, anything with fat-free refried beans. I could eat rice, beans, veggies with hot sauce every meal of every day.
What is your biggest motivator to eat this way? – Learning more about the health benefits. You wouldn’t put diesel in your car after your mechanic says it uses premium (what a man quote). It’s the same thing with how we eat. The more I learn, the more I’m motivated to improve my diet. Years ago my weight used to fluctuate up to 15 pounds in a month. It felt unhealthy and I felt like I couldn’t control it. I don’t have that issue anymore and I feel good all around.
What is your advice for someone whose significant other is not on board? – There’s an acronym that I use to help others make changes at work – it’s K.I.A. Every change needs Knowledge, Importance, and Action. I think explaining to others the health benefits of a plant-based diet as well as the pitfalls of the Standard American Diet is a good way to spark an interest. Then explaining the importance their health has in your life I think gives them motivation. After that, it just comes down to walking the walk. Make plant-based meals but give them the option to prepare something different if they want to. That’s how it started in our house. I was just happy I wasn’t doing the cooking. I needed to eat and Lexie has always been willing to cook. Maybe ask them to sit down and watch a plant-based documentary together or if they like to read then buy them a book. (check out our resources section).
What makes it easy to continue to eat this way? – Talking about it and learning more about it. Convenience foods help like frozen steamable veggie bags, steamable rice, canned beans, larabars. I love fat-free refried beans — one of my favorite meals is steamable veggies and a can of refried beans. It doesn’t get much easier than that. Keeping the processed junk and animal products out of the house and always having the kitchen stocked with healthy food is a game changer. Lexie always keeps the fridge stocked with hummus and clean, cut veggies. The fruit bowl is always stocked. Lexie cooks a batch of grains on Sunday for the week. Just setting yourself up for success seems to be the easiest way to stay on track. Everyone experiences that feeling where you’ll just eat whatever is most convenient because you’re so hungry. So making sure the only options are healthy options removes the temptation. Failing to plan is planning to fail.
How do you handle eating out? – Planning ahead. If we’re going to a restaurant we’ve never been to we look up the menu online beforehand. We have a few favorite restaurants where we know have some good options and we go to those the majority of the time. Our favorites are Salata (a salad bar/wrap restaurant), Jason’s Deli (for the salad bar), a build-your-own pizza place, an authentic Mexican restaurant, and a Thai restaurant.
Is there anything you miss from before? – Not really. We still grill out, but instead of meat we grill corn on the cob, black bean burgers, veggies in a grill basket, pizza on the grill. We still have ice-cream but now we make Nice Cream without the dairy. We still eat out with friends. Etc.
What keeps you accountable? – My friends and family. Even though they don’t all eat a whole food, plant-based diet, they know I do. We talk about food and nutrition a lot and it would be hypocritical for me to talk-the-talk and not walk-the-walk.
What keeps you interested? – I was always interested in “bro science” when it came to athletics and working out. I took supplements a lot when I was younger. Now I like reading about and trying to manipulate my diet to get similar effects with food. Here recently I’ve been drinking beet juice before my bike rides to see if I can tell a difference in my performance. Beets are a natural vasodilator and allow for easier blood flow to muscles. I think doing self experiments like that is fun. It doesn’t even have to be about athletics or performance. You could do it with your cholesterol or your blood sugar or blood pressure or whatever it is you’re trying to improve.
Have questions for our hubbies? Leave them in the comment section and we’ll add them to the post!
