Nesbug NaturalsEating a healthy plant-based diet everyday can be challenging. This is especially true 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.
Creating A Simple Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan – Part 1 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.
Breakfast Ideas for a Simple Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan
1. A Big Bowl of Fresh Whole Fruit –
It is best to choose a water rich fruit for this meal. Options for this meal could include fruits like grapes, watermelon, and juicy pears. 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.
A delicious bowl of a variety 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.
2. 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 oatmeal 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 also 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 eating a healthy plant-based diet more enjoyable. This is especially true if you are a person who craves variety.
3. Breakfast ideas for those with oat and gluten sensitivity
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. If you suffer from a similar issue you could replace the oats from the second breakfast suggestion with raw shredded apple. I actually enjoy this type of bowl even more than one with oats. However there are other gluten free grain options you can try as well 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. They recommend 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 a balanced nutrition plan that can be enjoyable to live by and promotes great health – try eating a whole food plant-based diet with a ratio of at least 80% raw foods/ 20% cooked foods. This is the diet the naturopath taught me. 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?
4. Green Smoothies
Green smoothies are a great breakfast idea. Up until now my favorite breakfast has been a big mono fruit bowl. But I am going to start incorporating more green smoothies into my breakfast plan. Next week I’m beginning a weight training program. I think the extra nutrition from the green smoothies will support my body in this endeavour.
My Simple Plant Based Breakfast
Sometimes I enjoy having a fresh glass of water infused with lemon juice first thing of a morning. It 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 breakfast time 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 person 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 have sufficient; that I eat a big bowl of fruit.
It is a good idea to have one dedicated bowl you can use for all three of your daily meals. 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.
Do you feel tired and always need a coffee to pick you up by morning tea time? Then why not give one of these breakfast ideas a try? Try doing it for a week or two. Just take a chance and see if lunch comes around before you even remember to have that morning coffee.
