Follow a plant-based diet when eating out and convert these healthy plant-based habits into your lifestyle.
Ideas On What You Can Order At Fast-Food Places & Restaurants
There are various vegan options at your local fast-food spots and restaurants. For example, Subway has a variety of bread that you can choose like the 9-grain wheat or Italian that can be stuffed with multiple veggies and condiments. Depending on the location, they may have vegan soup options, for instance, the Black Bean soup or Mediterranean Veggie soup. Chipotle has options suitable for a plant-based diet as well. Sofritas is seasoned tofu that can be served along with different veggies and salsas to spice up your meal. (1)
Ordering plant-based options at your favorite restaurants are possible with these helpful tips. You may opt for the thin crust at a pizzeria because it tends to be lower in calories and fat than regular pan crust. You can add marinara sauce and load it with veggies or herbs to be satisfactory for a plant-based lifestyle. Chinese, Thai & Vietnamese restaurants generally have tofu choices available. To build healthy meals at these food locations, you can request your tofu to be steamed rather than fried and ask for brown rice instead of white rice. Eating out on a plant-based diet will get easier over time because you can experiment and develop more ideas on what to order.
“Veganize” Recipes at Home
“Veganizing” recipes is an easy task with the right ingredients. There are charts available on websites like the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to show how easily you can substitute items like eggs and milk. For example, one egg can be equivalent to ½ a mashed banana, ¼ cup applesauce, ¼ cup cooked oats, and so much more. Dairy alternatives include oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk. These helpful guides for substitutes and alternatives can be found on the https://www.pcrm.org/ site, along with other helpful tips on how to start or maintain your plant-based journey.
Motivate Yourself With These Simple Steps
When beginning or maintaining a plant-based diet, it’s important always to enjoy what you are eating. If there are meals you didn’t enjoy in the past, try them over and experiment with different spices. Spices should be experimented with in different combinations until you find something that works for you. Also, take the time to upgrade your favorite personal meals into something that will motivate you to maintain this healthy lifestyle.
Motivation from documentaries, books, or websites and support from family and friends are all factors that can make this experience more rewarding for you. (2) The goal is to find your motivation and gain support throughout the process in whatever journey you decide to take.
Final Thoughts
If you are thinking of giving up, it can be extremely valuable to remind yourself that you are working for progress, not perfection. Do not give up even if there are factors that are making this a challenge for you, and instead focus on how things will get easier over time.
References
- Class 7 Empowered by Food. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. https://pcrm.widencollective.com/portals/yfgoupfc/fightcovid19?ceid=2062442&emci=8006260f-a1c7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=5ec89ff1-cac7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7.
- Class 8 Empowered by Food. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. https://pcrm.widencollective.com/portals/yfgoupfc/fightcovid19?ceid=2062442&emci=8006260f-a1c7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=5ec89ff1-cac7-eb11-a7ad-501ac57b8fa7.