Getting Started

Want to eat more plants but don't know where to start? You're in the right place! This page highlights:

Why you'd want to eat more plant-based meals, with resources that educate and inspire 🤓,

What to stock in your Pantry 🫙,

and How to save Money so that this lifestyle is sustainable. 💲

Follow this up by visiting my Recipes section for Fast, Easy, and Affordable plant-based recipes.

Let me help you get more rooted in plants!

I. What is plant-based eating? 🌿

Plant-based eating simply means you get most of your diet from plants. This doesn't mean you have to 100% commit to never eat meat or animal products ever again (unless you choose to), but that you're primarily eating plant foods. We know that the more plants we eat, the healthier our bodies tend to be. Plant-based eating includes fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds, and oils (although we recommend limiting oils to reap the most health benefits).

II. Why eat plant-based? 🌿

I'll start with my personal "Why" - I'm a huge proponent of preventive medicine, making diet and lifestyle choices to reduce my risk for chronic conditions, especially since heart disease, diabetes and cancer has impacted our immediate family. I know I can't eliminate all risk, but I want to take responsibility for what I can control.

I'd like to provide several fantastic resources below that provide evidence-based research detailing the benefits of eating more plants, and the detrimental effects of SAD, the Standard American Diet. I highly recommend starting with watching Forks Over Knives, then reading Body on Fire, and then subscribing to the Plant Strong podcast.

Watch:

Forks Over Knives (2011)

The Game Changers (2018)

Plant Pure Nation (2015)

You are What You Eat (2024, series)

Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones (2023, series)

Read:

Body On Fire: How Inflammation Triggers Chronic Illness and the Tools We Have to Fight It (Aggarwal, Rao, 2020)

The Starch Solution (McDougall, 2012)

The China Study (Campbell, 2016) - *A standard in plant-based eating. I'm currently working my way through this sizable text. It discusses the benefits of a plant-based diet in detail. Heavy on research, this is an evidence-based jackpot for nutrition nerds like myself. There is also a smaller, spinoff book titled The China Study Solution (Campbell, 2016), which is next on my list to read!

Blood Pressure Down* (Brill, 2013) -*Not purely plant-based, but a great read on addressing/preventing hypertension after you've gotten down the basics.

The Blue Zones Solution: Eating and Living Like the World's Healthiest People (Buettner, 2017)

Listen (podcasts):

the PlantStrong podcast

Favorite Cookbooks:

Plant You (Bodrug, 2022)

Deliciously Ella (Woodward, 2015). *Uplifting cookbook that first sparked my plant-based eating interests.

Oh She Glows (Liddon, 2014) - My first cookbook after going dairy-free.

**FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY! - I check out cookbooks ALL the time for inspiration!!

III. Money-Saving Tips 🌿

One of the things people say most about plant-based eating is that it is too expensive, and they don't have time.

I read an article recently that the average family in the US (without kids) spends $270 per week on groceries, more in families with kids. As a couple, that feeds us for almost an ENTIRE MONTH.

-This includes most meals and snacks for about $75-85/week (excluding toiletries). And we spend another ~$50 a month to bulk-buy certain commonly used food items at Sam's.

We live in a suburban area in South Carolina and prepare most of our meals. We cook real food and limit processed items (that includes fake vegan meats and cheeses, which are expensive).

Most meals take 30 minutes or less to prepare. And they're healthy. And taste good.

Stock your pantry with the basics, buy in bulk on your most-used items, prep a little on weekends (less than an hour). And while you may live in a more expensive area, eating plant-based is still a lot cheaper than you think...You can do it!

USA Today article referenced above.

------------------------------------------------------

Click here for Money - Saving details. I've dedicated an entire Blog post to specific ways we reduced our grocery bill by about 25%.

IV. Stock Your Pantry, and helpful Kitchen Tools 🌿

PRINTABLE VERSION of pantry/equipment essentials: Click here for Checklist or scroll down

It doesn't take much to get your kitchen set up. Start small and build over time. Consider Dollar Tree and Goodwill if you're just getting started and are on a tight budget. I've seen potato mashers, citrus juicers, and graters at Dollar Tree; and mixing bowls, casserole dishes, and frying pans at Goodwill. Also, Sam's and Costco often have seasonal deals on cookware, especially during the holidays.

VegWithMandy - Printable Pantry ListStock Your Pantry, and helpful Kitchen Tools *I highly recommend you find a few recipes (on here or elsewhere) that you want to try or already enjoy eating regularly, and stock the ingredients required for those FIRST, before adding all the others pantry items. This will reduce overwhelm and up-front costs. And only buy enough produce for 5-7 days, to avoid spoilage. Spices, Oils, Vinegars, Flavor agents - Basics to get you started- salt, pepper, garlic (powder or pre-minced), cumin, paprika, parsley; soy sauce-low sodium, olive oil-extra virgin... ...then you can add these others later: basil (dried) black pepper cayenne pepper chili powder chipotle powder cilantro (dried) cinnamon chocolate chips (dark, vegan) cumin, dill (dried) garlic (granulated powder + fresh or refrigerated/minced) Italian seasoning blend onion powder oregano (dried) paprika, parsley (dried) table salt vanilla extract. // BBQ sauce Canola oil Hot Sauce (e.g. Frank's) Maple syrup Olive oil (extra virgin) Soy sauce (low sodium) Vinegar-Apple Cider Vinegar-Red Wine. Canned and Dry Goods - Basics to get you started: beans (kidney, cannellini, chickpea/garbanzos, black - 1 can each), olives-kalamata, pasta of your choice, peanut butter (smooth), Rotel (or generic equivalent), tortillas of your choice... ...then you can add these others later: Artichokes (handful of recipes) baking soda baking powder Beans-organic or low sodium (black, cannellini, chickpeas/garbanzo, kidney, lard-free/fat-free refried) broth-vegetable capers cocoa powder (unsweetened) corn meal egg-replacer (handful of recipes, or use ground flaxseed) flour (whole wheat and regular/bleached) oats (old-fashioned) oat flour (or make your own with oats if you have a Vitamix) olives-kalamata pasta (elbow/macaroni, orzo, linguine or angel hair) quinoa (white; handful of recipes) peanut butter (smooth, natural or low ingredient) rice (long-grain, par-boiled, cooks in 20 min) Rotel (or generic green chiles/tomatoes) sugar (white/granulated) sunflower seeds (raw) tomatoes (diced 15oz cans, paste, sauce) tortillas (whole wheat; we like Xtreme Wellness brand, 60 calories) Tortillas (corn, IF gluten-sensitive; confirm GF) walnuts (whole or chopped) Kitchen tools - baking sheet (~10x15) Glass mixing bowls (~2,4, 7 cups with lids, double as food storage) Lg mixing bowl (~2.5qt/L) Baking pan/casserole dish (8x8) Cast Iron pan 13 in (not required, but accentuates flavors) -or- 13 in frying pan/skillet citrus juicer (small plastic version available at Dollar Tree!) cutting board (avoid plastic) food processor (small, inexpensive, 3 cup size) food storage containers for packing lunches (2-3 cup size) knife for chopping veggies popsicle molds (only for popsicle recipes) pot (medium for rice, with lid) pot (large stock pot for soups, with lid) Commonly-used Produce, Refrigerator/Frozen foods (*only buy enough for recipes for 5-7 days at a time) - apples avocado basil (fresh) bell pepper (green, red or orange) blueberries (fresh or frozen) carrots (whole) celery cilantro (fresh) corn (frozen) cucumbers guacamole (I like single serving portions to reduce spoilage) green onion lemon lettuce-Romaine lime mandarin oranges (for popsicles, snacking) mustard (yellow) margarine (I like Earth Balance or Smart Balance) non-dairy milk (I like almond and soy) mixed veggies (frozen mix-carrots, peas, corn, green beans) onion (red/purple; yellow or sweet) salsa spinach tofu (firm) tomato (on-the-vine, cherry/grape varieties) vegan mayo (Vegenaise-usually near produce) zucchini.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse