7 Walls We Help You Knock Down that are Keeping You From Going Plant-Based

I'm so thrilled you're here today . Let's get started . Welcome to the show Plant-Centered listeners .

I don't know if that makes sense , but if you're wearing a turtleneck right now , give it a try . That's actually pretty cool . Thanks , TikTok . We are so excited for today's topic . It's seven walls we help you knock down when going plant-based . I just picture this wall maybe not real bricks , but paper bricks and you're just going up and kicking it down .

Yes , we're going to get rid of all of the excuses . We're going to let you know that there are ways around them , so there is nothing stopping you If you're in that phase where you're thinking about going plant-based . This episode is brought to you by our plant-based starter kit , which is a great guide if you're just looking to kick off your plant-based journey .

There's a lot of great things in there , for recipes , meal plans to guidance on how to find your why , to really help you get over that hump and start going plant-based today , yes , I'm going to talk about all the humps that we face that may prevent us from doing it , and so that starter kit is really going to help jumpstart that journey .

Yes , okay , you know we have to talk about the first one being I'm so worried that I'm not going to get enough protein on a plant-based diet . So , number one , we can let go of that . You're how many years going strong ? 12 years , over 12 years ? Yeah , and it's February , so I just had my meat-free anniversary 14 years .

I'm very happy with you guys , but I don't know about you , but I've never met anybody any vegans that have died from protein deficiency . Nope , it's actually very , very rare . It's actually very hard to do . You'd have to work pretty hard , especially in the US , let's put it that way .

So , yes , it's not something you have to worry about and it's something that can be really easily obtained , especially if you're one getting enough calories . Two , getting in variety . We know that variety is really important . I wouldn't tell you to eat 10 cups of kale a day , because we know kale is good for you .

But the reason I wouldn't recommend that is because then that's going to crowd out you getting in other leafy greens or vegetables or whatever that may be . So that's number two is getting in that variety . And also three , leaning into those protein dense foods . So things like tofu , tempeh , seitan , nuts , legumes , dark leafy greens , all those great things .

All plants have protein . All plants have protein . And in the starter kit it actually gives you a bit more tips and tricks on how to make sure that you are getting enough protein . So it gives you some guidance there as well .

And of course not of course , I guess we haven't started this yet , but we are , katie and I are in the process of creating a high protein plant based snack kit . We've been getting a few kind of questions about that . So we figured why not put it into a kit that you can take and use in your home ? Yes , so it won't be an excuse anymore .

We're going to let you have a really nice digestible list of some easy go tos for getting your protein in . And if anyone asks you where to get your protein , I mean really one of the best responses is Plants have all of the protein you need . There really is no need to worry about it .

So what we kind of say is let the critics , the plant-based protein critics , worry about where you get your protein , because you don't have to worry about it . And if you want to do a deeper dive , we have I'll link up our previous episode that we kind of dive into protein and all that good stuff .

So I'll make sure that in the show notes that you guys can dive into that previous episode .

Is it because , when I feel better , you want to have more energy ? Is the animals , environment ? It doesn't really matter if everybody else understands your why . It matters that you understand your why . Whatever draws you to it is gonna help you Hold and your convictions and really help in those difficult conversations of family and friends challenge you .

Yes , yeah , and the thing is now I feel like it's becoming a bit more normalized . I mean , people still get made fun of and that you know , maybe given a hard time for being plant-based vegan , whatever it may be , katie , I met someone so I judged a vegan mac and cheese contest , oh yeah .

And I met someone who had been vegan for 30 years and she said you wouldn't believe the things people label me as because I was vegan also , too , if they love you the people in your circle , because , honestly , that's who matters most friends of family , if they truly love you , they're going to want what's best for you and it's really important that you do with

us for you to along the way . We have a couple of episodes where we talk about difficult conversations and some scripts to use . But I always tell people is have a little script going and then practice it in the mirror so you can practice saying it .

You know , sometimes with talking about plant-based , there's some kind of science E data stuff that you might want to to use as kind of evidence , and sometimes that might take some Some getting used to kind of rolling off the tongue . So it may sound silly , but I'm always one for being prepared .

So yeah , saying in the mirror , making you feel more confident about it , I think it's a really great idea . And then , one thing that we always recommend is when anyone is asking you questions or maybe even challenging you , which you can challenge someone in a kind way .

But it's really important to recognize whether or not they're coming at you from a place of genuine curiosity .

Do they really want to know why you're plant-based or why you're doing what you're doing , or they come into a place of judgment so you can kind of Navigate where that person is coming from and decide for yourself whether or not you want to proceed the conversation . It's coming from judge and be like see ya , and it's so funny .

Actually I were talking about this how in high school it wasn't really cool to stand out , and I think now it's much cooler , so it's okay to be , you know , the only one at the table that eats . A certain way , I kind of wear it as a badge of pride , yeah . I like my free flag .

The third thing we wanted to mention is that I feel like I'm going to do it wrong and I don't have enough time to research and we know Gray rat right now , because everyone is so busy , we don't have time to be spending time on Dr Google trying to figure out how to perfectly eat a plant-based diet .

When you're going plant-based , it can be very beneficial to get out of that planning phase and just start . It could be you starting with one meal , like starting with breakfast , starting with a snack , starting with dinner once a week , whatever that may look like for you . Just get out of being in that wishy-washy planning phase . Just start taking those steps .

You are going to be so glad that you did it and guess what you will learn along the way .

That's pretty much how we did it , but I struggled with this a lot in the beginning because I am I call myself a recovering perfectionist and sometimes that analysis proposes it prevents any progress from happening and that's , you know , the opposite of what we're trying to do .

So those little steps and that goes for anything in your life If you want to clean your house , if you want to start working out you know you don't immediately go to the gym and start lifting 200 pounds . You got to take baby steps to work up to it , so just start , just do something . I think that's the secret sauce .

Yes , yeah , and I think it's really important , especially when veganism and plant-based has a little bit of kind of like this movement , this kind of cultural movement behind it . When we're talking about ethical and environmental implications , a lot of times you have this pressure to be all or nothing .

If I'm not 100% vegan , then they're not gonna let me in the club , and that's just not true . It's so much better for you to take those little steps as opposed to trying to do everything all at once overnight . That's just really setting us up for failure . I could not agree more .

The fourth one is saying I'm worried I won't get the nutrition I need , and I completely .

I mean this is such a valid thought process because when you're transitioning from the standard American diet which most of us were raised on , it can be concerning scary to go plant-based and be like wait a sec , I thought protein came from meat or I thought I needed gosh . I don't even know anymore . What are you saying ?

I'm a product store Cow's milk for calcium , like that type of thing . There are some valid questions that maybe you need to figure out for yourself , but the great thing about a plant-based diet is it can provide everything that you need , which , of course , we do talk about vitamin B12 . We're cutting out the middleman .

We're just going straight to the supplements , because now animals are supplemented with vitamin B12 , so we don't need them anymore .

The great thing is , we live in this modern day and age where we have access to all different sorts of plant-based foods and supplements that can help supplement our diet Absolutely , and I think this is where , if you do take the time to do some research , I think this is the place to start , and our starter kit is a great place to start because we'll touch

on kind of the basics and sometimes you go down that rabbit hole and it can be overwhelming . So , if you really want to understand , just start with the basics . You know you can start slow with this process . You don't have to jump in and go plant-based overnight , and so I think that's important too .

Going slow is going to also allow you to figure out things as you go , to learn from other people , whether you're following people on social media , talking to a dietician or a doctor who promotes a plant-based diet , or maybe you know a friend or a cousin who has gone plant-based . You can kind of just get a little bit of information from them .

We don't want you . The thing with the planning is we don't want that to prevent you from moving forward . Sometimes that's just a start and then figure out things as you go . The thing is you're not going to get a nutrient deficiency overnight . So that's good news , absolutely .

And if you think about it , especially like how I ate as a child , my diet was anything about balance , eating the standard American diet . It was chicken nuggets , it was pizza , it was mac and cheese and that was pretty much it . So if you follow that adage , eat more plants , that's it . We're not even talking about eliminating anything .

If you just start there , I think that's a great rule of thumb Just incorporate more plants into your diet . You know

APPC . Have you seen Katie using different like reels or memes where someone presents a dish to somebody and like , hey , try my delicious pie . And then , like , after they eat it , like , oh wow , that's so good . And like , oh well , let's begin . What I knew there was something off of this dish . I know it tasted funny .

So that's number five is Munching up , thinking a vegan food is gross , when in fact we know that it can be , can be very delicious , just like any other way of eating . Oh my gosh , ashley and I just chow down on , shout out to dairy cheese . Oh my gosh , it is the best vegan cheese ever , so good . I think they're out of Asheville .

Yeah , right , in North Carolina with cacoledickey yeah , it was so good , so I was part of our lunch today . But With vegan food , especially with plant-based food , just kind of start with some easy swaps again . It doesn't have to be this big change that you make overnight . We're just like starting to swap out things periodically .

Like if you drink cow's milk right now , maybe try Soy milk or almond milk or P milk . Like just try a few and see what you like .

Or if you tend to do a lot of burgers , like try switching it out for a veggie burger , black bean burger , even like a beyond or impossible burger , and see what you think and that can help get you acclimated to plant-based foods . We are lucky enough to be in the internet age . Recipe Anything dreams could imagine . It is out there and is veganized for you .

So we have a couple bloggers that we really like that are usually simple , few ingredients . So minimalist Baker if you want to join our newsletter , we post recipes every week and she is usually among them . Plant you Carly is a great Instagram page and then Tony with plant-based on a budget .

So if you are a budget shopper , like I am really delicious recipes but super , super simple and very cost effective . And the plant-based foods include things like fruits , red most people love red , red and vegan apples are vegan Veggies . You know it . Just , it doesn't have to be this like bland pizza , tofu that you're eating .

It can be a lot of really cool thing . My goodness , instagram these days . You type in like plant-based recipes , plant-based foods , and you're just in a date of like all these gorgeous meals , so delicious . And this is I think this is one of the biggest myths , I think is that going plant-based or going vegan it's too expensive .

So that's gonna prevent me from making that goal , and I think that's a big myth because a lot of the what we call kind of transition foods the plant-based Alternative , plant-based meat alternatives can be really expensive .

And if you stick to kind of simple foods potatoes , grains , rice , bananas , banana , all of that stuff you know this peasant food is vegan and it's very cost-effective , so you know you're not really required to eat these kind of plant alternatives . Those are really just serves as to kind of get you over the hump if you want to .

But those are kind of special occasion foods at my house . Yeah , I would say so too . I typically eat those like on the weekends and they are expensive . And I add that if you buy a lot of those convenient plant-based foods it can get pretty pricey , but , like Katie was saying , I mean a lot of whole plant-based foods are really affordable .

We didn't mention beans gosh beans are gonna be on there . I'm sorry . Actually I think it was . Pcrm did a study that showed you can save around 16% on your grocery bill 16% by switching from a standard American diet to a plant-based diet . I've seen studies show that you can save like $500 a year , $750 a year .

I'll give some anecdotal evidence those of you who know that Ashley and I used to work together this is where I think planning can be beneficial . She taught me how to meal plan on a plant-based diet and my budget was cut in half , half , 50% . It was amazing , and so I'm a . She turned me into a believer for sure .

Again , I'm walking proof that it doesn't have to be expensive , that you can actually save money . Yes , big time , and especially with the rising prices with eat dairy eggs like my beef is the way to go , in my opinion . I'm feeling that it's not going to get any better .

Yes , also , we talk a lot about you know if you want to go to your local farmers market , sometimes that can be beneficial in saving you some money . Buying in season can be helpful , not just in saving money , but the food typically tastes better .

Buying in bulk , whether it's from a place like Costco , sam's , even Amazon , can help you save some money on those ingredients that you use frequently . I have Mewch as a subscription in bulk because we go through it so often . Shout out to Nudes which is nutritionally east .

So I have an Amazon subscription for that , because the stuff at the grocery store comes in a small container and I'm like oh , oh , oh you can't do that , go through like cups a day or not a day a week Busted , but I think it's a good reminder that any effort is better than no effort .

So , 80% , if you're 80% plant-based during the week and then you want to eat whatever you want on the weekends , that's better than 0% . So , again , let go of that kind of perfectionist mindset and start slow and just see what works for you . Yeah , I could not agree more .

The last one that we wanted to mention and this is something that we see in the many , many clients that we've worked with and just people that we talk with on social media is that it's too hard or it is challenging , and there are aspects of plant-based that can be challenging because , again , you're doing something completely different or , for the most part ,

pretty different than what you've done growing up or how you were raised or what you've been doing for the past few years . The thing is , katie had mentioned meal planning . That can be your saving grace to making this transition easier .

We cannot recommend meal planning enough and , I'll be honest , I was so resistant to meal planning at one point in my life even meal prepping , and now I can't imagine a life without it because it saves me so much time and energy . I go to the grocery store , I know exactly what I'm getting for the week .

I don't overbuy , I don't underbuy usually , so it can be just really beneficial in helping you make that transition .

So if you feel like going plant-based , just this big brick , actual brick wall that you have to knock down meal planning can be really , really beneficial , just setting aside even just like 30 minutes of your week to plan out your meals for the week and really be helpful . I'm I'll preach about me a plan to the day .

I die because I don't know about you guys , but it just caused so much stress for me during the week and this makes it the Elimination of that stress is just worth it tenfold . I think of how many times you're going to the grocery if you don't . Oh , I know I haven't been to the grocery store and I can't . I order . I can't . Yeah , I can't .

Or , for me personally , I was making lots of convenience choices , so it just makes going plant-based so much easier when you have that kind of guideline to help steer you , yes , where you want to go . Yeah , one thing that can make the meal planning process fun , and even going plant-based fun , is having themed nights .

So you've heard of taco Tuesday , so imagine doing that for the other days of the week , just to make your life a little bit easier , so that each week you know , oh , I don't have to come up with this brand new recipe or idea for dinner . I'm following sort of a guideline that I set up for myself .

So you could do like a Mediterranean Monday at taco Tuesday . Am I gonna do ? You can make tacos . So many different ways , so many lentils you can buy , you know , free made vegan ground beef if you wanted to . My favorite is oh . It's just like it , guys . I'm not even joking . It is so good cauliflower tacos like .

There's just so many different things that you can do . A Few other ideas to see . Wednesday could be like instant pot Wednesday . Pizza night Friday can't forget that we had pizza nights every night when I was growing up , from Domino's , right , yeah , but now it's like what ? How many different iterations of pizza can we make ? Plant-based ? Yeah ?

so many , so many . I think my sister does like a curry Thursday . So there's just a lot of different ways . Especially if you're cooking for Several people in your family can be nice to have that theme and that waiver could be like oh , we're having tacos tonight , like this is kind of what I want you know for the week , or whatever it is .

Oh , my god , we forgot your favorite game breakfast for dinner .

Beautiful cookbook , oh my god . Yeah , if you love sourdough , that's definitely cookbooks you get . So I think cookbooks give you some inspiration , especially if you're the type of person that loves to be in the kitchen . You want to be inspired , you want to try stuff and experiment .

Yeah , I think cookbooks are a great way to kind of make it feel more fun , more easy . Definitely , yeah , and we talked about earlier with transitioning to plant-based . If it does seem like a big hurdle , starting with one meal Whether it's one meal a week , one meal a day can help make the transition of it easier too .

It just gets you formated to what shopping for a plant-based meal looks like , what even looking for a plant-based recipe Looks like and cooking one . So it gives you sort of a nice little intro to what this lifestyle is . Amazing lifestyle . I think it's about setting yourself up for success . Like you know , look around . What can make life easier for you .

So is it what ? An insta pot ? Would that make Cooking beans be easier for you ? Or , like we said , buying a cookbook with that ? Give you a Direction to go to if you really like Italian food guess what ? There's Chloe , what's her name ? From post-pump kitchen .

Yeah , yeah , no matter how you're knocking down these walls , what we do know is that Baby steps , small changes , add up over time . They add up to big results over time .

And so , even if you're just knocking down one brick at a time , over and over again , you're eventually gonna break through that wall and you're gonna be on the other side and you're gonna be like , oh , we did it and and think about that future self .

That's kind of the goal , that's what you're gonna get , get , get towards , and it feels like you're like looking up at Mount Everest . But just think about it . It's not that it's hard , it's just different . Yes , right .

I know that there were probably some walls that you had to knock down on your own end to get to where you're at today . So we're on the other side of this mic cheering you on through your headphones .

If you're looking for a bit more guidance , that starter kit is really a great place to start to kind of help get you over some of these humps , these hurdles , these little brick walls , and Highly recommend that you can click below in the show notes to access that starter kit really easily .

It's amazing and and we really developed it with that in mind that To try to take away some of the struggles that we faced when we first started . So we know we've been there , so we did the work for you Well , thank you so much for tuning in today . We appreciate you . We can't thank you enough for being here .

We hope you have a lovely rest of your day . Thanks , we'll catch you on the next episode . I know we're ready . It's good . It's gonna be a good February . Yep , yeah .