Six Easy Plant-Based Swaps for This Year
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Many plant-based foods or meals are commonly lower in calories and higher in macronutrients. This is because these foods are made from fruits, vegetables, and other plants that are packed full of vitamins needed to live a long and healthy life. So swapping a few of your favorite meals for their plant-based alternatives at least weekly will improve your health, lowering your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
Here are six easy plant-based alternatives for your favorite meals to try this year for a healthier diet:
Tacos
Whether you want to use black beans as your base, lettuce as your shells, or get even fancier, using quinoa for taco meat, tacos are a wonderful option for your creativity. You can turn anything into a taco-inspired meal. As long as you have a shell, filling, and lots of veggies, you’ve got a taco. Try this quinoa taco meat option—which by the way, will taste amazing in all sorts of dishes.
Lasagna
Your options when it comes to preparing a healthy lasagna are really only limited by your imagination. Sub any veggie for the noodle, sub any bean for the protein, and go nuts with your sauces, and you’re sure to create something you will all love and that you’ll want to make again and again. Try this 8-ingredient keto-friendly option.
Burgers
What is a burger really? It’s just an excuse to eat something with your hands, right? You can make so many different types of healthy burgers that there is no excuse to make unhealthy versions. These healthy options will get you started.
Spaghetti
Get rid of the flour noodles and opt for rice-based noodles and then top with chunky salsa and a sprinkling of parmesan to add a flavor boost. Alternatively, keep your recipe as it is but bulk it up with added veggies like shredded zucchini, carrot, eggplant, or all three. Eating more veggies doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition. Just add in more veggies to crowd out the animal-based items.
Sandwiches
Instead of a sandwich, consider having a wrap or a stuffed veggie. Stuffing more veggies inside of another is always a good option when it comes to sandwiches and eating healthy. Try any of these 50+ veggie wrap ideas to get you started. Remember, recipes are just guidelines. Take out anything you don’t want to eat and add in the things you do want to eat.
Eggs
For most people, you can live without eggs. The only time the egg becomes a problem is when you’re using it as a binder in cookies and cakes. Thankfully, there are numerous substitutes that you can use, from flax eggs to store-bought egg substitutes. If you need a protein sub, try the various types of tofu that you can buy at your local stores. In addition, there are many effective egg substitutes that you can learn about here: Egg Substitutes.
Overall, plant-based meals can be just as rewarding as traditional foods. However, just because your meals are free of meat, dairy, or other animal products doesn’t mean they are not flavorful. In fact, you may even find that they taste better as you slowly incorporate more plant-based meals into your daily diet.
Loving Life — The Reboot!
Dominique
8 Comments
Roy A Ackerman, PhD, EA
Since traditional lasagna is unkosher, I’ve been using substitutes forever. Not really a taco eater, but the last real hamburger I ate must have been a decade ago, having switched to the two leading alternative veggie burgers.
Tamara
I like the Taco ideas. They’re really an invitation to get creative in the kitchen.
Lasagna, however? I have not been happy with eggplants or zucchini instead of pasta. Even “cauliflower pizza” is more acceptable than non-pasta lasagna in my book. To each their own. I’ll go happy with no meat for several days however.
Dominique
Veggie lasagna with max veggies and very few or no noodles are ok with me. I often feel like there are too many noodle in regular lasagna (doesn’t mean it didn’t eat it!). Cauliflower pizza is a no go in our house though. My kids sniffed it out immediately and decided that skipping dinner was a better option LOL
Martha
I have enjoyed all your food swaps, very interesting and helpful. For today’s list, I love making a sandwich on a bed of lettuce instead of bread.
Dominique
Let us know how it tastes!
Amanda
Some great examples of alternatives that you can try and are delicious too!
Kebba Buckley Button
Dominique, I love vegetarian switchouts! I really like to play with my food, formulating new variations all the time. Thanks for the fresh ideas!
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