Put Some Respect on Your Veggie's Name!
Going Vegan for a Month?
Hi Byte Wellness Fam!
As we slide into the last part of summer and schedules pick up again, we need to keep prioritizing our health.
Piling our plates high with whole food plants might be the simplest way to improve our health.
But how do we get there?
There are so many ways to eat more plants. Maybe we’re simply working to eat more veggies, or becoming a full-fledged vegetarian, or even going vegan for a month.
Either way, eating more veggies is hard if we don’t know the tips and tricks. Here’s a big one: reposition veggies and meat in the hierarchy of our meals.
We talked all about it in this week’s #PhyteWellWednesday Workshop. You can watch the recording here and get invites to more weekly workshops.
Take Meat Off the Pedestal
When it comes to prepping meals, the Standard American Diet puts meat on a pedestal. Be honest!! We’re taught that we can’t have a meal without meat as the centerpiece.
So, when we make our plates, we grab lots of meat, some starch (think baked potatoes or french fries). Then, (if we’re lucky) we plop a little bit of a vegetable in whatever space is left.
When we examine the reasons for centering meat in meals, they don't hold up to scrutiny. We can get all the protein we need from plants. And, we can get the flavors we want from veggies, too.
We need to take meat off the pedestal…and put veggies on.
What does that look like?
The next time we make a plate, let’s be conscious of the order we follow. Do we choose meat first or veggies first? Is our plate at least half filled with fruits and non-starchy veggies before we add meat? Do we eat most of our non-starchy veggies before we touch the meat or starch?
If you pay attention to how you make your plates this coming week, you might just surprise yourself.
Psssst, don’t forget to review the discussion question below. Part of respecting the value of fruits and veggies is appreciating how they taste.
Discussion Question
What are your favorite fruits and veggies? What do you like about them?
Give your fruits and veg some real credit here. What flavors or textures get you super excited? Do you enjoy those flavors as much as you enjoy meat and animal products? Can we really love broccoli as much as we love a chicken wing?
Happy Healthy Living,
Dr. Wuse