Time and time again, the question resurfaces: “Am I being healthy enough and am I providing my family with all the nutrients they need to thrive?”
Between conversations about different dietary plans at school pick-up and workplace debates about wellness trends, it can feel overwhelming to sift through health advice that might help your family take care, protect their health and savour feeling wealthy with wellness.
Yet, beyond the noise, one thing remains tried and true: a varied diet, with an abundance of diverse vegetables, grains, legumes and fruits — and limited processed foods — will see your family through to a better tomorrow.
There is also ever mounting evidence that plant-forward eating can lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Greener meal plans can also support your gut health as plant-based meals often contain higher levels of fibre, complex carbohydrates and water — keeping those you love regular, feeling full and fuelled, and ready to take on the world.
Of course, introducing the whole family to more plant-based meals can be challenging. The good news is there are a couple of ways to make the transition easier:
Slow beginnings are still beginnings
Often, we approach change with an all-or-nothing mindset. This can create greater pressure, which rarely supports lasting change.
Instead, starting by swapping one ingredient or altering just one common lunchbox snack can help get your family used to the idea — particularly if they love the new additions.
Simple snack ideas to add to lunchboxes:
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Apple slices with almond butter
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Date and nut energy balls
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Roasted and seasoned chickpeas
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Mylk chocolate-covered strawberries
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Hummus, carrots and cucumbers
Gains are still made in the kitchen
A common concern about making the switch to a more plant-focused eating plan is protein. Reassuringly, sufficient protein, which supports growth, sustained energy and muscle maintenance, can be found in plant-based meals, especially meals that include ingredients such as lentils, chickpeas, beans, tofu, tempeh and paneer.
Comfort food, with a twist
Instead of starting from scratch by compiling a set of new plant-based recipes from the get-go, pull out your family’s favourite recipes and make small green adaptations to transform them.
Mac and cheese is a perfect example, as it can be made plant-based with direct substitutions of nut-based cheese, nutritional yeast, cashew milk and vegan butter. You can also blend silken tofu into the sauce to relish in greater creaminess and protein content.
Potato bakes are another great option — satiating, easy to upgrade with additional vegetables and not originally meat-focused — or perhaps a shepherd’s pie recipe that uses a black bean mix instead of the traditional meat filling is more suitable for your family.
A pack-your-own-plate dinner
Who doesn’t love a charcuterie board? Quick to whip up and easy to make vegan. Simply arrange various foods of diverse texture, taste and flavour artfully on a cutting board and watch as your family gleefully packs their plates with new foods, plant-based alternatives and nutrient-dense snacks.
Not sure where to start? Consider the following:
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Dips: hummus, pesto or jams
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Fresh fruit and vegetables: grapes, cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes, dates, cherries or snap peas
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Crackers and breads: sourdough, wholegrain crackers, seed crackers (maybe even covered in mylk chocolate for a treat) or kale chips
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Cheeses: Simple Truth Coconut Oil Vegan Cream Cheese, PlantLove Dairy Free Macadamia Nut Based Cheddar Flavoured Cheese or Fairview Parmesan Flavoured Dairy Free Cheese
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Crunch: roasted chickpeas, mixed seeds, Montague mix, almonds, or pecans
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Pickles: olives, gherkins, brined sweet piquanté peppers, kimchi or sauerkraut
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Meat alternatives: falafels, lentil patties, Beyond Links Plant-Based Links, pan-fried portobello mushroom steaks or Earthshine Vegan Droëwors
This is a great option for fussy eaters, as by simply including one of their “safe” foods on the board and allowing them to choose to try as many different foods as they like, even if they have an aversion to one of them, there are still lots of other options for them to choose from and no urgency for you to spend more time in the kitchen.
Undercover agents
Dessert can also be an opportunity to introduce plant-based meals in a positive way. Sweet potato brownies, coconut cream ice cream and peanut butter fudge are popular for a reason and could be the perfect treat to bring a smile to your loved ones’ faces and help them see plant-based foods in a new light.
For those who are less baking inclined and short on time, quality pre-mixes like Outcast Foods’ Flapjacks Premix, Macro Mixes’ Birthday Cake Premix or Wellness’ Chocolate Gluten Free Cake Mix can really save the day when you don’t know where to start with plant-bakes and the sweet cravings hit.
Ultimately, moving towards more plant-based meals is not about rigid rules or dramatic transformations. It is about making gradual shifts that suit your family and their health.
