Vegan lettuce wraps with quinoa, roasted vegetables, and peanut sauce.

Starting a Plant Based Diet for Beginners

Welcome to your journey! I’m so happy that you have decided to start a plant based diet! (Or maybe you’re thinking about trying a plant based diet. Either way, I’m glad you’re here!) Whether your reasons are health, environmental, ethical, or some combination of these, your life is about to change for the better. And I’m really excited for you! Here’s everything you need to know to be successful in starting a plant based diet.

Please note: depending on who you ask, there may or may not be differences between a vegan diet and a plant based diet. It can be rather confusing. (I’ve explained it here.) For the intent and purposes of this blog, I use the terms vegan diet and plant based diet interchangeably.

Variety of colorful fresh vegetables on a tray.

Deciding on a Plant Based Diet

First, there are some questions you need to ask yourself. Next, you’ll make some decisions about what will be best for you. And finally, you’ll get a plan together and start the journey!

  1. Decide why you’re starting a plant based diet
  2. Do more research!
    • The more information you have, the more likely you are to stick to it
  3. Educate yourself
  4. Decide on a rough timeline
    • What works best for you?
      • Start tomorrow? Or gradually over time?
      • Ditch meat first then dairy?
      • Progressively eliminate certain foods from diet?
  5. Discuss with your doctor and consult a registered dietician
    • Will you need to take supplements?
    • Address all health concerns and special needs or restrictions
    • Routine bloodwork to monitor health and nutrition
  6. Get organized
  7. Gather new recipes
    • Vegan cookbooks
    • Pinterest
    • Vegan blogs
  8. Experiment in the kitchen
    • Don’t be afraid to try new cooking techniques–vegan cooking is a lot of fun!
  9. Constantly try new foods
  10. Always have a few go-to meals that can be made quickly 
    • Pasta, curry, soups, salads, burrito bowls, etc.
  11. Find local vegan restaurants
  12. Join vegan communities and groups
    • social media
    • local organizations
  13. Always have a plan
  14. Develop additional healthy habits
Plant based Mediterranean bowl with quinoa, roasted chickpeas, variety of red, orange, yellow, green, and purple roasted vegetables, and avocado dill sauce.

Foods included in a plant based diet

There are, quite literally, thousands of options. Here are just some ideas to get you started:

  • Vegetables
    • Red: red pepper, beets, red onion
    • Orange: carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, orange pepper
    • Yellow: corn, yellow summer squash, yellow pepper
    • Green: broccoli, kale, lettuce, collard greens, swiss chard
    • Purple: cabbage, eggplant, purple potatoes 
    • White: cauliflower, garlic, onion, potato
    • Brown: mushroom, onion
  • Fruits
    • Red: apple, strawberry, tomato, raspberry, watermelon
    • Orange: orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe
    • Yellow: lemon, mango, pineapple, banana
    • Green: grapes, apples, kiwi
    • Blue: blueberries
    • Purple: grapes, plums, blackberries
  • Whole Grains
    • Barley
    • Brown rice
    • Millet
    • Oats
    • Quinoa
    • Whole grain bread
    • Whole wheat pasta
  • Healthy Fats
    • Avocado
    • Plant based oils (olive, sesame, flaxseed, coconut, etc.)
  • Nuts
    • Almonds
    • Cashews
    • Pecans
    • Pistachios 
    • Walnuts 
  • Seeds
    • Chia seeds
    • Flax seeds
    • Hemp seeds
    • Pumpkin seeds
    • Sesame seeds
    • Sunflower seeds
  • Legumes
    • Chickpeas
    • Lentils 
    • Peanuts (yes, peanuts are legumes!)
  • Beans (they are technically a legume, but I’m giving them their own category here)
    • Black beans
    • Edamame 
    • Kidney beans
    • Navy beans
    • Pinto beans
    • Soybeans 
  • Raw, natural nut butters
    • Peanut, almond, cashew, tahini, etc.
  • Plant-based Milks
    • Almond milk
    • Cashew milk
    • Coconut milk
    • Flax milk
    • Hemp milk
    • Macadamia nut milk
    • Oat milk
    • Soy milk
    • Rice milk
  • Fresh Herbs
    • Basil
    • Chives
    • Cilantro
    • Mint
    • Oregano
    • Parsley
    • Sage
    • Thyme
  • Spices and Seasonings
    • Basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme
    • Cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes
    • Chili powder
    • Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
    • Cumin
    • Curry powder
    • Garlic and ginger (ground or fresh)
    • Kala namak
    • Paprika
  • Condiments
    • Ketchup (organic)
    • Lemon juice, lime juice
    • Mustard
    • Nutritional Yeast (an absolute must-have!)
    • Soy sauce, tamarind, liquid aminos
    • Vinegars
  • Plant-Based Proteins
    • Seitan
    • Tempeh
    • Tofu
    • TVP (textured vegetable protein)
  • Beverages

Vegan Brands

Some exclusively plant based brands:

  • Beyond Meat
  • Chao Cheese (made by Field Roast)
  • Daiya
  • Earth Balance
  • Field Roast
  • Follow Your Heart
  • Gardein
  • Kite Hill
  • Lightlife
  • Miyoko’s Creamery
  • No Evil Foods
  • Silk
  • So Delicious
  • Tofurkey
  • Violife
Photo of a pig looking at the camera with a sweet face.

Foods not included in a plant based diet

  • Meat (beef, lamb, pork, bacon, sausage, lunch meat, all lean meats, etc.)
  • Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc.)
  • Fish and Seafood (all fish, shellfish, lobster, shrimp, etc.)
  • Eggs
  • Milk and Cream
  • Cheese
  • All other dairy (including sour cream, cream cheese, etc.)
  • Lard (fat from pigs)
  • Honey
  • Gelatin (it is derived from animal bones and connective tissue)
  • some Sugar
  • Foods with added sugar
  • Some Wine, Beer, and Liquor
  • Foods fortified with Vitamin D (vitamin D3 is made from lanolin–the oily substance from sheep’s wool)
  • Ghee (clarified butter)
  • Casein (protein from cow’s milk)
  • Whey (by-product of cheese production)
  • Glucose (usually derived from animal tissues and fluids)
  • Lactose (a sugar from the milk of mammals, usually cows)
  • Albumin (egg whites)
  • Isinglass (gelatin obtained from fish bladders)
  • Pepsin (enzyme from stomach of animals)
  • Worcestershire sauce (contains anchovies)
  • Glycerides (produced mainly from vegetable oil but animal fats are sometimes used)
  • Rennet (enzymes produced in stomachs of cows and sheep)
  • Tallow (fat from animals)
  • Carmine and Cochineal (artificial red coloring from insects; a.k.a. E120, Natural Red 4)
  • Stearic Acid / Stearate (fatty substance from stomach of pigs)
  • Shellac / Resinous glaze / Confectioners glaze (extracts from insects–especially in shiny candies)
Vegan potato yellow curry with brown rice and fresh cilantro.

Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB)

A whole-foods plant based (WFPB) diet is a stricter version of the vegan diet. Foods are eaten in their most natural state (or as close to their most natural state as possible), and they are minimally processed. If you’re following a whole foods plant based diet, you will also want to avoid these foods:

  • Refined grains (i.e. white rice, white pasta, white bread, tortillas)
  • Sugar
  • Processed oils (olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.)
  • Refined sweeteners (maple syrup, agave syrup, etc.)–instead, whole foods are used as natural sweeteners (i.e. dates and other dried fruits, date paste, mashed banana)
  • Processed sweets (vegan cookies, brownies, cakes, etc.)
  • Soda, processed fruit juices
  • Fast food
  • Junk food (chips, crackers, etc.)
  • Processed vegan-friendly foods (vegan butter, cheese, meats, etc.)
Vegan chili served with avocado and plant based cheddar cheese.

Plant Based Meal Ideas & Recipes

A plant based diet is so much more than salads!

Some of my personal favorite vegan recipes.

Breakfast

Vegan Breakfast

Healthy Breakfast

Pancakes

Cereal

Lunch

Vegan Lunch

Dinner

Plant Based Dinners

Vegan BBQ

Homemade vegan brownies with chocolate chips.

Dessert

Plant Based Desserts

Vegan Summer Desserts

Snacks

Plant Based Milk and Cheese

Vegan Appetizers and Snacks

Curbing Cravings

Holidays

4th of July BBQ

Labor Day Weekend Vegan Cookout

Thanksgiving

Christmas

Helpful Links

A year-long, gradual week-by-week guide to transitioning to a plant based diet and vegan lifestyle

Books about the plant based diet

Documentaries to watch on veganism and the plant based diet

YouTube videos and TED Talks on veganism

Stocking a vegan pantry

Stocking a vegan refrigerator

Grocery shopping: part 1 and part 2

Hidden animal ingredients in food

Going out to eat as a vegan

Socializing with friends while following a plant based diet

The dangers of eating seafood

Getting the nutrients you need on the plant based diet:

Vegan from a nurse’s perspective

Blood pressure and the plant based diet

40 lifestyle changes to help the environment

30 ways to cut back on plastic use

12 environmental benefits of a plant based diet

Self improvement (and being the best you you can be)

Plant based wrap and nachos from a local Kansas City restaurant: Kind Food.

How-to’s

Vegan Resources

Vegan websites and online resources

The China Study

Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease

Vegan falafel in a pita with red onion, tomatoes, cucumber, and hummus.

Hopefully now you feel equipped to start a plant based diet. This is truly one of the most important decisions of your life. Can I say again how excited I am for you?! 💃

What other questions do you have about a plant based diet? Are there article topics you want to see discussed in the future? Let me know in the comments below!

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Best of luck and stay positive! You’ve got this!! 🌱

Plant based meal of Asian noodles and vegetables in a curry broth.

2 thoughts on “Starting a Plant Based Diet for Beginners”

  1. Wow! So much to take in! Great read!
    Didn’t realize there was a difference in plant base and whole food plant base. Interesting and makes sense. The whole food was the experiment Dr Oz did with people who had health issues and turned them around. Astounding.
    Like anything we start, it takes time and resources. You should have had a vegan shower and register!!
    Thank you for the continued education.
    ❤️

    1. Whole food plant based is the healthiest diet choice and is being recommended by more and more doctors. 🙌
      And a vegan registry sounds amazing! I’m so disappointed I didn’t think of this 🤣

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