Don’t overdo it when switching to a plant-based diet, says dietitian
Posted Sep 1, 2019 10:02 am.
Last Updated Sep 1, 2019 1:58 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – One of the biggest pitfalls of switching to a plant-based diet is not substituting the meat you’re no longer eating. That advice comes from registered dietitian Desiree Nielsen.
In Eat More Plants: Over 100 Anti-Inflammatory, Plant-Based Recipes For Vibrant Living, Nielsen says one of the biggest traps new vegetarians fall into is forgetting about the nutrients they used to get from eating meat.
“Like Vitamin B12. It’s the only vitamin that is only found in animal foods. You have to supplement that,” she explains. “You need tofu, you need tempeh, you need nuts and seeds to actually replace those nutrients that you would be getting from meat, because if you don’t do that, you are constantly hungry, constantly craving sugar – and some people will start gaining weight.”
LISTEN: Desiree Nielsen talks about her book Eat More Plants
The book includes a sample 21-day meal plan to keep you on track.
“I have recipes like the chickpea gnocchi. It’s gnocchi, everyone knows it’s normally like flour and potatoes, not super filling. I make it with chickpeas and chickpea flour, which is high in protein, high in fibre,” Nielsen says. “And then there’s healthy fats involved, and it’s that combination: protein, fibre, and healthy fats that keeps you full and satisfied for hours.”
Eat More Plants: Over 100 Anti-Inflammatory, Plant-Based Recipes For Vibrant Living is available from Penguin Random House Canada.
