Want to Eat Plant-Based? Here Are the Foods You Love, That Make It Easy!

|Updated Nov 3, 2021
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Avocado Toast! Hummus! Guacamole. Pasta Pomodoro. Rice & beans, Stir fry veggies with soba noodles, oatmeal or chia pudding for breakfast. Smoothies for snacks. And for dessert: Dairy-free ice cream in all your favorite flavors. Do we have your attention yet? These are all on your "Yes, please!" list of foods you can eat on a plant-based diet. Sure there are foods to avoid, like meat, dairy and poultry, and fish. But why not start with the "Yes" List? Because it's important to focus on the positive here, since maintaining a positive mindset is key to successfully transitioning to a plant-based diet.

Filling your plate with veggies, grains, legumes, and other plant-based proteins will make you feel so much better if you make them the staple of your diet for the next three weeks. Some of your favorite foods are already plant-based, you just may not realize it. To break down in the simplest terms, when you switch to a plant-based diet, you give up animal products like meat, poultry, dairy, fish or egg and for some people, who are doing it for ethical reasons, honey, because it is the product of bees. For the "Why" of this approach to eating, read the stories on Health & Wellbeing part of The Beet, including the 20 Health Studies that Show How a Plant-Based Diet can benefit your health.

The list of foods you can eat is so abundant we decided to list them. You can have everything that grows, including:

  • Vegetables
  • Fruits
  • Legumes
  • Mushrooms
  • Seaweed
  • Nuts
  • Seeds like hemp, chia and flax
  • Soy-based products like Miso paste
  • Grains such as rice, quinoa and farro
  • Meat alternatives (Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan)
  • Dairy-free milks
  • Nut-based butters
  • Nut-based cheeses
  • Nut or soy-based ice creams
  • Healthy fats like avocado or olive oil

Breakfast:

If you like milk in your coffee, use plant-based milks like almond, oat or soy milk.

If you like cream in your coffee or tea, try out dairy-free creamers.

If you like honey in your tea, add a tablespoon of agave or maple syrup.

If you need to start your morning with eggs, make JUST eggs instead.

If you like to eat yogurt for breakfast, eat dairy-free yogurts like Lavva or So Delicious.

If you like honey in your oatmeal or yogurt, drizzle maple syrup on top.

Lunch:

If you like grilled cheese, use a dairy-free cheese like Chao or Parmela.

If you like meat or poultry in your salad, add tofu, tempeh or seitan.

If you like sandwiches, make a veggie-packed sandwich with avocado, lettuce, hummus, peppers, and tomatoes, mushrooms and lentils or chickpeas.

Dinner:

If you add ground beef to your bowl, add ground alternatives like Gardein beefless ground crumbles.

If you crave a good burger, switch out the meat patty for a veggie or bean burger.

If you like meat in your stir fry, add pan-fried tofu with tons of veggies and sticky rice.

If you like pesto in your pasta, use vegan pesto, Gotham Greens makes a great one.

If you crave parmesan on your pasta, try Follow Your Heart alternative.

For the full list of vegan and plant-based products and ratings for taste and health check out The Beet Meter under our Product Reviews section.