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Looking to cut meat from your diet entirely? Here are a few considerations to make when transitioning to a plant-based diet to ensure you remain healthy.
A plant-based diet aligns with the ideal lifestyle some people want to live, whether they have a desire to eat healthier or simply want to remove animal products from their daily lives. While plant-based diets such as vegetarian or vegan diets are renowned for being healthy, there are some steps to take to ensure you’re receiving a well-rounded meal plan.
Here are some considerations to make when transitioning to a plant-based diet.
Transition Gradually
Even if you know you’re committed to adhering to this new lifestyle, you don’t want to make too drastic of a shift too quickly. Making a change to your lifestyle isn’t easy, and you need time to help your body adjust. Furthermore, as you make this switch, you’ll quickly find yourself lacking essential food groups you may have taken for granted before.
Take your time and start by replacing one or two animal products at a time. This gives you a chance to think about how you’re going to substitute those products to maintain a well-rounded and enjoyable plant-based diet.
Prioritize Macronutrients
One of the primary considerations to make when transitioning to a plant-based diet is how you’ll achieve your essential macronutrients with a plant-based diet. Fats, protein, and carbohydrates are necessary to keep our bodies healthy and functional. Normally, meat is a primary source of macronutrients like protein, but you’ll need to replace it with a suitable substitute like soy and tofu.
RELATED: Helpful Tips for Sticking to Your New Diet
Substitute Animal Products
We’ve mentioned a few times the need to replace animal products with suitable substitutes, so it’d be remiss of us not to suggest a few alternatives. For instance, aspiring vegans will need to cut out dairy products from their diet, which is an entire food group that permeates traditional diets.
A good substitute is plant milk, such as oats, soy, or almond milk. When looking for a protein, you’ll want to consider turning to tofu and legumes, which are rich in protein and completely free of animal products. There are plenty of options out there to get the vitamins and nutrients you need for a healthy diet.
