In observance of National Nutrition Month, individuals are urged to adopt healthier eating habits and engage in physical activity. The current year’s theme, “Fuel for the Future,” emphasizes the importance of consuming nutritious foods that nourish the body and promote environmental sustainability. To kickstart the journey towards a healthier future, you can go plant-based!  Let’s explore this further.

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet consists of foods that mainly come from plants including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. There are many types of plant-based diets including vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, or any other dietary pattern that focuses on foods that come from plants. With some plant-based diets you may have small amounts of beef, poultry, eggs, fish and dairy, however, most of your nutrition comes from plant sources.

How can I include more plants in my diet?

Start by building your meals and snacks around plants instead of meat. Include a variety of colorful fruits vegetables, whole grains, beans, peas, legumes, nuts and seeds with all meals and snacks. Try the following ideas.

• Add fresh fruits to your breakfast, such as sliced bananas, berries, or melon.
• Snack on raw vegetables with a healthy dip.
• Make a colorful salad with a variety of greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, grapes, ect.
• Make smoothies with fruits and vegetables, like spinach, berries, and bananas then add peanut butter for more protein.
• Add dried fruit, nuts, and seeds to your meals, like sprinkling almonds and raisins on your oatmeal or adding pumpkin seeds and cranberries to your salad.
• Experiment with plant-based recipes like vegetable spaghetti with yellow squash and zucchini, or vegan chili.

How can a plant-based diet improve my health?

Incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet can offer significant health benefits. Plant-based diets are rich in vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that support cell health. They have been shown to lower body mass index, blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, and the risk for heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancers.

How can a plant-based diet help the environment?

A plant-based diet can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, reduce land use, reduce water use, and reduce waste and pollution. A plant-based diet in general can help reduce our impact on the environment and promote sustainability.

0