4 Changes towards a Plant-based Diet
I didn’t become “vegan” because of a nutrition class I took, ironically. I changed how I made decisions around the food I eat because someone very near and dear to me wanted to take care of his health by optimizing factors that we can control. Fast forward, and I had to start identifying as fully “vegan” because “whole-food plant-based” and “macrobiotic” are too obscure for some people.
I’m not asking you to go on a new diet. I want you to change your attitude towards what it means to nourish yourself—not just in the short-term but also in the long-term. The main concept is to center each meal around the gulay and to explore a variety of wholesome foods. By doing so, you will almost naturally find a healthy balance without worrying much about calories and essential nutrients. When you focus on the quality, you almost never need to worry about the quantity—one reason is that high fiber leads to early satiety.
There are great online resources for guides to changing how you eat. Even if you don’t want to go full herbivore, one I recommend looking at is Nutriciously, which provides cheat sheets for transitions to veganism at almost any stage. Rather than reinventing the wheel, I want to outline a few specific steps somewhat tailored to Pilipinx-Americans (i.e., my parents). It’s up to you how quickly you adapt these recommendations, but I hope they lay a foundation for how you approach each meal.
1. Choose whole grains
I say this first because it’s the easiest change to make. Rice is the staple of Asian cuisines, including Zen macrobiotics (which emphasizes brown rice). Instead of white rice, choose brown, black pearl/forbidden, pink, or jade pearl rice. Likewise, choose whole wheat for pasta and bread. The easiest change is to request brown rice at restaurants, and it’s worth the extra $1-2. Some other whole grains include quinoa, oats, corn, and buckwheat. Requesting corn tortillas in place of flour tortillas doesn’t cost extra. This step may require adapting your taste buds.
This is a great way to change your daily breakfast. Instead of silog (meat, egg, and white rice), try dishes with whole grains like oatmeal, or arroz caldo or champorrado using brown rice. That might mean making it from scratch rather than buying it pre-made at Seafood City.
2. Choose whole foods
Michael Pollan’s Food Rule #1: Eat food. This is the most important but the hardest change because it encompasses many topics. At this stage, your goal might be to avoid processed and sugary “foods” as much as you can. Avoid candy, sugar-sweetened beverages, cheap conventional yogurt, chips, and other empty-calorie foods that are high in sugar and/or fat but low in other nutrients. This means being able to resist desserts, for example, by keeping distance from Goldilocks, Red Ribbon, and other bakeshops that use refined flour and white sugar. Treat yourself once in a while, but let it be special (key words: quality and natural ingredients). In the meantime, choose natural, nutrient-dense snacks such as fruits, nuts, corn tortilla chips, and seaweed. Michael Pollan’s Food Rule #13 is to shop the peripheries at the supermarket and stay away from the middle, where processed foods like Skyflakes and shrimp crackers are.
3. Choose organic
To some, organic = hipster nonsense. Compare conventional to organic berries, and you’ll notice the difference in quality. When possible, shop in the organic section or at a local farmer’s market. I know these products tend to be on the pricier side, but it’s an investment in the quality of the ingredients and of your health. Your food will taste so much better. Considering where your food is coming from and how it’s treated is also a big part of mindful eating.
Of course, the priority is to eat more fruits and vegetables. If finances don’t support a 100% organic pantry, it’s okay to buy some conventional produce—just don’t forget to wash. Organic is particularly important for bare fruit (berries, grapes, apples), all veggies, and meat products.
4. Choose balance
It’s necessary for your health and well-being to internalize what a healthy balance means. Define your own balance that’s as close to Canada’s dietary guidelines as possible:
1/2 plate = fruits + vegetables
1/4 plate = protein (which does not necessarily mean meat!)
1/4 plate = whole grain
Eating more vegetables could mean eating more bok choy and pechay and also learning to love more dark green leafies like spinach, kale, arugula, and collard greens. Discover for yourself other vegetables that you like.
Cutting down protein to 1/4 of a plate may be a big jump. This can mean drastically changing your portions and/or trying plant-based protein sources like beans and tofu. While I don’t like the idea of viewing your diet in terms of restrictions, it’s almost inevitable to have to reduce meat, the unhealthiest source of cholesterol. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs.
You can cut out/down as many animal products as you want, in any order you want. What worked for me was to first stop buying processed and red meats (beef, pork, and their deli versions), then dairy (milk, cheese, and butter). This meant no more bistek, lechon, or pork adobo; not that I had regular access to Filipino food anyway. Next went the chicken, then the egg. The last to go was fish. Whatever stage you’re in, avoid cheap fast food. There’s no balance in eating at Jollibee. Cook to explore flavors of whole-food, plant-based substitutes like nut/soy milks/cheeses and vegetable oils. Choose healthy options if you have to eat out: salads, grain bowls, veg-centric tacos. If you’re still eating meat, at least pick quality options: organic, wild-caught, cage-free, grass-fed… And opt for grilled, roasted, baked, or broiled instead of deep-fried. More importantly, though, would be to aim to make veggies the center of each meal, with at most a small portion of meat for extra flavor. Think of ramen, curry, sinigang and ginataang.
I hope this is helpful for anyone who wants to eat healthier but doesn’t know where to start. If you’ve already implemented these changes, you’re making great progress.