If you鈥檝e been thinking about transitioning to more plant-based meals, now is the perfect time to give it a shot. COVID-19 has made the brutality of factory meat production impossible to ignore. Between companies forcing employees听to continue working in processing plants , and caused by coronavirus outbreaks in meatpacking plants, even the most devout bacon lovers may be rethinking their consumption habits.
Beyond the ethics, though, there are other reasons for eating more plants right now, including cost鈥攖he staples of the vegan diet, like legumes and whole grains, are very affordable. (Have you noticed the state of听the economy lately?) Most of us also have more time to听try听new recipes. And since we鈥檙e socially isolating, it鈥檚 not a big deal if eating more fiber makes you, well, unfit for company. 鈥淵ou may be a little gassy at first, but you鈥檒l eventually train your gut,鈥 says Julia Murray, a nutritionist and former Olympian who runs the blog . Murray is also the 鈥渃hief evangelist鈥 for the app, which helps newbies navigate a plant-based lifestyle.
Besides getting your gut used to all that fiber, here are a few other tips to听make the transition smoother for the vegetarian-curious.
For Every Subtraction, Make an Addition
鈥淭he biggest misconception people have is what we [vegetarians] eat,鈥澨齭ays Diane Vukovic, author of , a plant-based cookbook for backpackers who want to dehydrate their own meals. 鈥淭hey imagine what they normally eat, minus the meat, or minus the cheese, or milk, or eggs. In a typical American diet, there鈥檚 typically not much left.鈥 For Vukovic, following a听plant-based diet is all about finding substitutions, not making subtractions. Swap in legumes for meat, blend up nuts or seeds to replace cheese, and load that meal with as many different veggies as you can so it feels interesting and complete.
Start with What You Love
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like salads, don鈥檛 make salads,鈥 says Ken Rubin, chief culinary officer at the online cooking school听.听Murray agrees with this advice. She recommends that new plant-based cooks start with their favorite standby meals: tacos, pasta, whatever you make regularly and love.听
Master the Basics
Knife skills are essential when you鈥檙e going to be chopping a ton of veggies, says Rubin. He teaches his students the rolling technique,听in which听you leave the tip of your knife on the cutting board as you chop. The end product isn鈥檛 as uniform as slow, careful dicing, but you鈥檒l get through your prep with much less agony.听
Also crucial is mastering the veggie roast. 鈥淩oasting concentrates flavor. It鈥檚 like going from a grape to a raisin,鈥澨齊ubin explains. Veggies are the star of your meal, so boosting their flavor pays big dividends. Note that different vegetables听roast best at different temperatures, because they have varying hydration and sugar levels. Experiment by听turning the heat of your oven听up or down to see which results you like best.
Focus on听the Sauce听
Greens, grains, and legumes may be healthy, but they aren鈥檛 flavor superstars. This can be a benefit, because you can eat them a thousand different ways. However, it鈥檚 up to you to bring the acid, salt, and umami to the table. The best way to do that, says Murray, is to learn how to construct great vegan sauces. First, stock your cabinet with staples like tahini, miso paste, liquid amino acids, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce, plus an array of vinegars. Then听think about how you can make a sauce interesting. Ground nuts can add texture and richness. Sesame and walnut oil can add depth. Blended beans can add protein and heft, says Vukovic.
Embrace Meat Substitutes听
Some snobby听longtime vegans scoff at these products, but they can make the transition easier, says Murray. Yes, fake meat often has high levels of sodium,听and it鈥檚 usually processed. Still, some options are surprisingly tasty and can be swapped into your favorite meals without much recipe troubleshooting.
Watch Your Macronutrients鈥攂ut Not Too Much听
Vukovic tries to include a source of carbs, protein, and fat in every meal. But she doesn鈥檛 track her macros beyond that. According to Murray, in North America听it鈥檚 more common for people to eat too much protein than too little. 鈥淧rotein deficiency is not something we see,鈥 she says. Plants contain all the amino acids that make up protein, so as long as you鈥檙e eating a range of plants, legumes, and whole grains, you鈥檙e probably getting what you need.听
Add Texture
A lot of vegan staples are soft: tofu, beans, steamed greens. That can make for meals that, even while flavorful, feel like they鈥檙e lacking a certain something. Texture is the issue, says Vukovic. 鈥淟entils, for example, end up in a ton of veggie meals, but they absorb a ton of water,鈥 which makes them mushy, she says. Add lentils as a stand-in for meat in your spaghetti and you鈥檙e going to have a plate of squish on top of squish. You can, however, add texture by toasting cooked lentils in the oven. Or听save the lentils for a topping on a salad full of crisp, crunchy lettuce.听
Get to Know the Vegan Stand-Ins听
To make vegan cheese at home, soak cashews overnight, blend them in your food processor, then flavor them with nutritional yeast and maybe even a touch of liquid smoke, says Vukovic. Eggs are easy to replicate, too, she says鈥攖ofu scrambles filled with veggies can replace your breakfast omelet. In baked goods, ground flaxseeds mixed with water and a pinch of baking powder听can offer听the lift eggs normally provide. Jackfruit has a texture similar to pulled pork, and tempeh will fill the gap on any recipe that could be enhanced by听a chewy component. In other words, with a little bit of insider info, you really can get every taste, texture, and macronutrient you need听from plants. Just听get in the kitchen and start experimenting.听