Nesbug NaturalsSticking to eating a healthy plant-based diet consistently everyday can be challenging. Especially when life gets busy. It can also be hard when temptations to eat unhealthy foods come our way. So how do we overcome this challenge? By creating a simple meal plan to follow each day. Let’s start with a few healthy plant-based breakfast ideas.
This article will be Part 1 of a three part series. This article will discuss healthy plant-based breakfast ideas. Then Part 2 will give some suggestions for healthy plant-based lunchtime meals. And finally Part 3 will highlight some simple healthy plant-based dinner options.
Creating A Simple Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan – Part 1 Breakfast
Breakfast Options on A Simple Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan
A Big Bowl of Fresh Whole Fruit –
It is best to choose a water rich fruit for this meal. Fruits like grapes, watermelon, and juicy pears are great. These types of fruit are great for rehydrating the body after a night of healing while sleeping. It is more filling as well. Also a big bowl of seasonal ripe oranges or mandarins are really satisfying as a mono fruit meal.
A mono meal of just one type of fruit really is the easiest type of meal for your body to digest. So it’s a great way to start the day after having fasted through the night while sleeping. Of course, creating a delicious bowl of mixed fruit is enjoyable to eat from time to time. However, I find digestion of a fruit meal is best when only one type of fruit is eaten at a meal. Melons especially should be eaten on their own. I have learned this has to do with the different ph-levels of digestive fluids needed depending on the food that is being eaten. But that’s a topic for another day.
Oats with Almond Milk, Blueberries, & LSA
Another healthy plant-based breakfast idea is a nice warm bowl of porridge. Many people enjoy this option on those cool winter mornings. And a good thing about oat meals is that some recipes can even be prepared the night before and left to soak. This way you could even take it to work with you, if you don’t have time to eat breakfast before leaving home. You can try adding other types of breakfast grains, plant-based milks or fruits to see which ones are most appealing to you. Or some days you might just want to switch it up. Switching things up can make sticking to eating a healthy plant-based diet more enjoyable. This is especially true if you are a person who craves variety.
If you have a gluten intolerence or sensitivity you may find eating oats does not agree with you. Personally I do not eat oats very often for this very reason. However there are other gluten free grain options you can try if you so desire.
From what I have experienced in my own health journey and seen in others, I personally do not think eating too many grains is beneficial. They do not have the moisture content we need to keep our body well hydrated. Staying well hydrated is a major key to having good health. Many plant-based health care practitioners recommend keeping the eating of grains to a minimum and focusing more on fresh fruit and vegetables for the best health outcomes. Some even recommend eliminating grains totally from the diet.
Here is my suggestion for enjoying the best health – try eating a whole-food plant-based diet with a ratio of 80% raw fruits and vegetables and have the other 20% as grains and other types of cooked whole plant foods. This is the diet the naturopath taught me. And if you are already dealing with health issues, why not try eating 100% raw fruits and vegetable for a time? Why not give it a go, take the challenge, and see how your body responds?
Green Smoothies
Many people love to include a daily green smoothie on their plant-based diet meal plan. Dr. Brooke Goldner, M.D. recommends a great rule of thumb when creating green smoothies. She says make sure the smoothie ingredients have a ratio of 75% greens to 25% fruit. Add a scoop of omega-3 rich seeds like chia, flax, or hemp to your smoothies. This will help you to get those healthy fats into the body. Why is this important? It will help the cells really absorb all the healthy nutrients from the smoothie. Check out the video below by Dr Brooke Goldner, M.D. for great tips on creating these types of smoothies.
My Simple Plant Based Breakfast
I really enjoy eating a big bowl of grapes for breakfast when they are in season. I find getting up and having a fresh glass of water infused with lemon water is a great way to get hydration started. Then I can do some activities before breakfast like exercising, getting dressed, or cleaning my home. By the time breakfast comes I am ready to enjoy the big bowl of juicy, delicious fruit. I feel well nourished, yet light in my digestion.
Some people think eating this type of breakfast would not be sufficient for a people doing jobs that require hard physical labour. I haven’t found this to be the case. The important thing for me is to make sure I eat a big bowl of fruit. Actually, it is a good idea when trying out this eating plan to have one dedicated bowl you use for all three daily meals, which will be discussed in this series of articles.
I think having the one bowl set aside for all your meals is another way to create a feeling of preparedness. It is a part of having a plan in place. Also sticking to mono fruit meals seems to ensure I will have the best energy levels for work days when I need to use more physical energy. When I eat this way, I have plenty of energy for my work, which is physically intensive. And I don’t even need any snacks before lunch.
Do you feel tired and always need a coffee to pick you up by morning tea time? Well I do encourage you to give this simple plant-based diet meal option a try for a week or two. Just take a chance and see if lunch comes around before you even remember to have that morning coffee.
