Any one gone plant based?

[Chiyo666]

Thinking of doing this, but don’t know if slowly transitioning or jumping in is the best way!
Not really bothered about meat but will probably still eat a small amount of fish and eggs. I do t eat dairy anyway. Anyone want to share how they feel now on it and any recipes that aren’t boring salads would be amazing!

Hi Chiyo,

I did this about 4 years ago now. Gave up meat/fish overnight and didnt consume milk or eggs in their unprocessed form but struggled to give up cake and chocolate for about a year after that and did slip up occasionally.

Think its completely up to you. Some people find cold turkey works, others prefer a reductionist approach.

I dont feel huge health benefits like some people claim but I do genuinely enjoy it and no longer miss anything, not even cheese!

I used a lot of replacement products in my initial year or so but have gradually cut those down and tend to go for more whole foods now with the occasional treat. Definitely feel better when I stick to WFPB.

Thankyou!

I was reading this today www.google.com/amp/s/www.plantbasednews.org/.amp/lifestyle/diseases-could-prevented-plant-based-diets-crippling-nhs

I’ve been toying with going plant based for a while but that article I think has given me a kick!

Yep theres a lot of research into the health benefits/limitations of plant based eating so it's definitely best to do your own reading and come to your own conclusions on it.

You do need to be mindful of getting the right vitamins as some like B12 are present in meat because the animals consume supplements themselves. This is done easily enough along with any one of the multitude of multivitamins available or careful meal planning.

I suggest having a browse of the Veganuary website as it has loads of information, recipes and recommendations for plant based alternatives. No need to use the V label if it doesn't suit you, but it is a good website full of useful stuff.

I did. I'd been vegetarian for 5 years and went plant based at the start of the year. It was much easier than I thought it would be. Favourite easy meals are falafel with pitta and salad, sweet potato and Chick pea curry and tofu scramble with roast Mediterranean vegetables. Also love a plant based burger. I've recently made an amazing shepherds pie. Filling was a tin of 5 bean salad, slightly crushed and cooked slowly with tinned tomatoes, onion, garlic and paprika. Also make a lovely pasta sauce. Saute 2-3 cloves of garlic in a very unhealthy amount of dairy free spread. Add 3 large chopped tomatoes and seasoning and stir in cooked pasta to coat. Simple but amazing.

As far as I’m aware, Plano based is not always vegan, it’s more a flexitarian thing that’s mostly plant based. You seem to pop up in every single thread like this though purple to have a go and it’s so unnecessary.

Thankyou for the recipes diemme, I’ll definitely give a try. I’ve prepared a spinach and ricotta lasagne tonight with aubergine instead of pasta and I’m looking forward to cooking it tomorrow!

Plant based means basing your diet mostly around plants but not necessarily cutting out all animal products. Cutting out animal products makes you a vegan.

Please don’t call yourself “plant based” if you’re eating eggs and fish though.

Why? It’s still a diet based on plants, it’s just not vegan.

Definitely give it a go OP, there’s such a massive range of plant-based alternatives now 👍

Having looked at the British dietetic society definition of plant based, I’m wrong and I’ll get my previous posts withdrawn.

Chiyo, I disagree. Plant based it's in the name, it is a diet based on plants.

Veganism is about the ethics around exploitation of animals in all aspects of human living, not just diet.

Plant based developed as a term to give people who followed a vegan diet (for health or for the environment) a way to describe their eating habits without committing to the same motivation or lifestyle as vegans.

If you eat eggs, that's vegetarian. Fish, pescetarian. Reduced meat, flexitarian.

It may seem unimportant to you but as Purple said, it starts getting tricky when you go to places that offer a plant based menu if they then pop eggs/fish/milk into dishes.

@PurpleDaisies

Genuinely surprised at that! I've obviously had the same misapprehension! I just dont see the point of using the term plant based for people that are veggie or pesce. Learn something new every day!

I didn’t mean to start a plant war

I’ve just done a lot of reading about it today and am now a daddy pig level expert.
My diet will mostly be vegan, but if I want poached eggs on toast I’ll have it with no guilt etc.

I quit dairy years ago because it just didn't agree with me, and I quit meat cold turkey a good while back now.

I eat 85% plant based or whole food and occasionally (once a week or so), eat vegan processed food like beyond burger or vegan magnums.

I quit meat for my health, my family have a long history of colorectal/stomach cancers so I wanted to reduce the risk.

I'll eat goat cheese on occasion, and if I'm in a group setting I'll just go with the vegetarian option but I'm not bothered if I'm eating a meal full of cheese, white pasta and cream. Life is too short to worry when amongst friends.

I have found since quitting meat though, that my asthma is almost non-existent and disappeared practically overnight.

I love eating this way, I enjoy making new recipes, I'm far more adventurous at cooking now that's when I was in paleo/keto. I feel lighter in myself and my running speed increased by a minute mile quicker within a week.

I supplement with B12 but nothing else, and I don't worry about protein. The only thing I have to ensure is that I eat enough calories if I'm working out as often can eat 3 meals a day and still fail to hit 1000 cals which isn't great when working out a lot.

PS. I was a massive meat eater, ate steak at least twice a week. I was adamant that I could never give up meat because I loved it too much. Here I am and I don't miss it at all which is what I found so strange!

Steak is probably the only thing I will miss! And maybe when kfc opens again I’ll be tempted

I love cooking though and my kids don’t really eat meat so just seems like a waste of money me buying it and it going to waste as I’ve gone off it.

I'm in the process of going plant based. I've been vegetarian for several years and recently I've been noticing I'm getting tummy aches when I eat dairy. I've switched to oat milk and plant based yogurt and I'm gradually cutting down on cheese and generally trying to buy plant based as much as possible. I do feel better for it, no more bloating or stomach pains.