foods. Plant-based or not, these are foods I wouldn’t even think of eating because they are so
nutrient-poor.
I would rather see you eat small amounts of animal foods than have significant amounts of junk
foods in your diet. If you do eat processed foods, better choices are foods like hummus and
smoothies. You’ll learn about these and other options shortly.
- Get cooking!
Don't be afraid to get creative in the kitchen. When I began, I was afraid to cook and held beliefs
like, “I don’t know how to prepare meals,” or “my mom or wife will do it for me.” You can do it!
Choose one night a week to experiment with something new. When I began doing that, everything
changed. It’s highly empowering to realize you can fill your own plate with the colorful, flavorful
bounty of plant foods. Start in the simplest ways possible, many of which you will learn about at the
end of this book and even more in our Step 3 book, Simple, Quick & Easy™ Nutrient Rich® Recipes.
Plant-based, nutrient-rich meals don't have to be complicated. They can be as easy and simple as a
salad with beans drizzled in a whole-food dressing and a fruit dessert; black bean burritos with rice
and veggies; or a vegetable-bean (or legume, like lentil) soup. You’ll soon discover that the options
are countless, unlimited, and can be incredibly creative and bursting with flavor.
Try ethnic restaurants.
As I mentioned above in #3, some cultures naturally do plant-based nutrient rich right! Visiting
ethnic restaurants, such as Indian, Thai, Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese ones are great ways to
start eating more nutrient rich foods. While you are there, take some time to observe how those
dishes are prepared and take home a few culinary tricks that will work for you and your family. In
fact, simple nori seaweed wrapped around vegetables with a few slices of avocado can keep you
busy eating for a few days on end—this meal is just that good!
Convert your favorite dishes.
Trim the meat and load up the veggies in your favorite dishes. Every beloved meat-rich dish can be
transformed with alternatives and substitutes. Barbecues, stir-fries, lasagnas, casseroles, pastas,
sandwiches—whatever your tastes, you’ll soon learn that none of your recipes will need to be
tossed, just tweaked!
Love pizza? Top it with broccoli, cashews, red onions, basil, mushrooms, eggplant and garlic. Try
using less cheese, or even a vegetarian cheese or nut cheese (see The Nutrient Rich® Recipe
Database, Simple Quick & Easy Recipe Guide and video based recipes in the Member Support
Center, and Google for products and additional recipes). Also consider that you don’t need cheese at
all to get an amazing pizza! It’s the sauce that really makes the pizza. Try a whole-wheat crust with
a flavorful pesto sauce, spicy vegetarian sausage for the protein, and the right mix of vegetables.
Also check out some raw recipe books. They will help you see “cheese pizzas” in ways you can’t
even imagine being so delicious and rich in nutrients; you get all of the taste, and none of the
negative effects.