Plant-Based Diet Cookbook For Dummies

Jenn Sebestyen is the mastermind behind the popular blog veggieinspired.com. She is author of The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook and coauthor of The Meat-Free Kitchen. Jenn’s work has been featured in media outlets like Better Homes & Gardens and the Washington Post. She is a mom of three and lives with her family in Illinois.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in This Book 3

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 4

Part 1: Getting Started with A Plant-Based Diet 5

Chapter 1: What Is a Plant-Based Diet? 7

What Does Plant-Based Mean? 7

Getting to the Root of a Plant-Based Diet 9

What’s included 9

What’s off limits 12

Common Questions and Answers about a Plant-Based Diet 13

Can I get full eating only plants? 13

How will I get protein? 14

What about calcium? 14

How do I get iron? Won’t I become anemic? 14

Does eating a plant-based diet help people lose weight? 15

A Quick Guide to Making a Plant-Based Diet Part of Your Everyday Life 15

Chapter 2: Seeing the Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet 17

Eating According to a Plant-Based Food Guide 17

Feeling Good with Food 19

Managing your weight 20

Having energy and vitality 20

Getting better sleep 20

Becoming a Wellness Warrior 21

Cancer 21

Diabetes 22

Gastrointestinal illnesses 23

Heart disease and high blood pressure 24

Osteoporosis 27

Other conditions that benefit from a plant-based diet 28

Chapter 3: The Macro and Micro Essentials of a Plant-Based Diet 31

Making the Most of Macronutrients 31

Pondering protein in the plant-based world 32

Considering carbo-riffic plants 34

Eating fatty plants: Gotta love ’em, gotta have ’em 42

Meeting the Micronutrients 47

Vitamins and the plants you can find them in 47

Minerals and the plants you can find them in 48

Chapter 4: Packing an Extra Punch with Power Foods 53

Enriching Your Diet with Super Nutrients 54

Celebrating Superfoods 54

What they are and what they do 55

Raw foods: The ultimate superfoods 57

Considering Sea Vegetables 58

What they are and what they do 58

How to use them 60

Favoring Phytonutrients 62

What they do 62

Where to find them 63

Biting into Bioflavonoids 63

What they are and what they do 63

Where to find them 64

Acknowledging Antioxidants 64

What they are and what they do 65

Where to find them 65

Part 2: Converting Your Kitchen 67

Chapter 5: Taking the Plunge into a Plant-Based Diet 69

Transitioning to a Plant-Based Diet 69

Going cold turkey 70

Going plant-based gradually 72

You Can’t Do It Alone: Leaning on Others for Support 75

Surrounding yourself with others who support your lifestyle 75

Enlisting the help of a nutritionist, naturopath, or medical doctor 76

Overcoming Common Pitfalls 77

Having little or no experience in the kitchen 77

Feeling intimidated by new foods 78

Feeling like the odd man out 78

Fighting food fatigue and boredom 79

Chapter 6: Looking at What’s on Your Plate 81

Thinking about Your New Plate 81

Keeping it whole 82

Choosing organic over nonorganic 82

Dishing it up in the right proportions 82

Consuming calories that count 83

Maintaining proper hydration 85

Getting Organized 86

Meal planning 86

Making your plant-based grocery list 87

Exploring sample meal plans 88

Modifying Your Favorite Recipes to Be Plant-Based 92

Chapter 7: Overhauling Your Kitchen Contents 95

Cleaning Out Your Kitchen 95

Stocking Your Plant-Based Kitchen 97

Fresh produce 97

Refrigerated items 98

Frozen foods 98

Pantry staples 99

Finding Alternatives to Common Ingredients 100

Milk 100

Eggs 101

Meat 101

Cheese 101

Thickeners 102

Getting the Must-Have Equipment 102

Handy utensils 103

Helpful appliances 105

Chapter 8: Being a Savvy Shopper 107

Conquering the Grocery Store 107

Picking up produce 108

Dipping into the interior aisles 110

Seeing what’s lurking in the freezer 110

Shopping Off the Beaten Path 111

Farmers markets 111

CSA programs 112

Health-food stores 112

Organic and GMO: Figuring Out What It All Means to a Plant-Based Diet 113

Knowing what organic means 114

Getting clear on GMOs 115

Part 3: Plant-Based Recipes for Success 117

Chapter 9: Brilliant Breakfasts 119

Wakey, Wakey, No Eggs and Bakey 119

Easy to Make and Easy on the Go 120

Chapter 10: Soups and Salads 141

Making a Meal of Salads and Soups 141

Making your fridge a salad bar 142

Falling in love with soup as a meal 144

Chapter 11: Lovable Lunches 175

Rethinking Handheld Lunches 176

Discovering the Joy of One-Pot Dishes 187

Chapter 12: Super Suppers 191

Rethinking What Your Dinner Plate Should Look Like 192

Chapter 13: Simple Sides 215

Adding Variety with Sumptuous Sides 215

Chapter 14: Appetizers and Snacks 231

Boosting Your Metabolism with Healthy Snacking 232

Choosing Sweet or Savory Snacking 233

Chapter 15: Sauces and Dressings 255

Seeing the Benefits of Whipping Up Your Own Sauces and Dressings 255

Fixing Unbalanced Flavors in Sauces 257

Chapter 16: Dreamy Desserts 267

Getting to Know Alternative Sweeteners 267

No Eggs, No Dairy, No Problem! 269

Part 4: Plant Based for All Stages of Life 293

Chapter 17: Navigating Restaurants and Special-Occasion Dining 295

The Ins and Outs of Dining Out: Being a Proactive Plant-Based Eater 296

Finding plant-friendly establishments 296

Navigating menus 297

Asking for what you want 299

Eating Delivery and Takeout, Veggie Style 300

Chinese 301

Japanese 301

Italian 302

Mediterranean 302

Mexican 303

Thai 303

Celebrating Holidays and Special Occasions 304

Being a gracious guest 304

Being a host with the most 305

Showing People Just How Fun Veggie Dining Can Be 306

Chapter 18: Raising Children on a Plant-Based Diet 309

Nurturing a Plant-Based Baby 310

Understanding why breastfeeding is essential for your baby 311

Loading breast milk with nutrients 312

Understanding the ins and outs of formula 313

Starting on solids 313

Whipping up your own baby food 315

Navigating the Toddler Years 316

Introducing a variety of foods 317

Choosing nutrient-dense foods 317

Raising Healthy Kids and Teens 319

Overcoming resistance 319

Providing balanced meals and snacks 321

Handling occasions outside of your control 322

Chapter 19: Getting Older, Getting Wiser about Your Plant-Based Diet 325

Knowing How Plants Contribute to a Longer Life 326

Pondering how plants protect your cells 326

Slowing down diseases 327

Ensuring That You’re Getting the Right Nutrients 329

Getting enough of special nutrients 329

Figuring out nutrition shakes 330

Training caregivers on the plant-based approach 331

Preparing plant-based foods for easier consumption 331

Working with Prescriptions and Diet 332

Taking fewer pills, getting more health 333

Recognizing dangerous interactions between medicines and foods 334

Part 5: The Part of Tens 337

Chapter 20: Ten Foods That Are Surprisingly Not Plant Based 339

Bread 339

Veggie Burgers or Sausages 340

Worcestershire Sauce 340

Alcoholic Beverages 340

Noodles and Pasta 341

Dairy-Free Cheese 341

Granola 341

Boxed Cereal and Cereal Bars 342

Orange Juice 342

Veggie Soups and Curries 342

Chapter 21: Ten Plant-Based Foods That Boost Your Immunity 343

Garlic 343

Onions 344

Ginger 344

Cayenne 345

Squash 345

Almonds 345

Citrus Fruits 346

Green Tea 346

Miso Soup 346

Mushrooms 347

Chapter 22: Ten Bad Things about Eating Meat 349

Meat Production Wastes Natural Resources 349

Meat Isn’t as Rich in Nutrients as Plants 351

Animals Are Fed Poor-Quality Feed 351

Meat Is Acidic 352

Meat Is Loaded with Toxins 352

Meat Is High in Saturated Fat 353

Eating Meat Can Increase Your Risk for Cancer and Osteoporosis 353

Eating Meat Impacts Climate Change 354

Eating Meat Is Cruel 354

The Meat Industry Is Getting Worse 355

Appendix A: Metric Conversion Guide 357

Index 361