A Whole Food, Plant Based Diet
‘Tis the season for eating, and we hope you enjoy all of the delicious food and special moments! Not all of the food we love is good for us, but we can still savour it in moderation, and enjoy the food that’s good for us too! Here’s why you should enjoy food without guilt;
With a few exceptions, no whole food is just ‘bad for you’. This is something we have been told through years of diet culture and deceptive advertising. So, when you have a look at your table and see whole foods, loads of plants, and good quality protein, even a little dessert isn’t going to be terrible.
A whole food, plant based diet is one of the best to promote healthy weight, reduce the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline. ‘Whole foods’ are the foods that are minimally processed and do not contain additives. When we fill our diet with whole, plant foods we are nourishing our microbiome and our whole body. Lucky for us, some of our most enjoyed meals are made from whole foods!
While this diet is one of the most popular ones recommended by nutritionists and dietitians, one of the hardest parts is reducing refined foods. Even though they are made from whole foods, breads, noodles, pasta, and similar items have a negative impact on the microbiome and blood sugar levels. The lack of refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and added sugars, is one of the most effective parts of this diet.
It’s easy to add whole foods to your diet, unprocessed fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, legumes, and pulses, are all whole foods that we either already eat or that can be incorporated in to our current diet to improve its quality. This leads then into a ‘plant based’ diet too. This is not a vegan or vegetarian diet but it does include more plants and less animal products than the average diet.
Some of our favourite foods that are delicious and beneficial are delicious roast veggies, fancy salads with collard greens, beans, and nuts, or Buddha bowls.
See the next page for our WFPB shopping guide!
Foods to Buy
Berries, citrus fruits, pears, peaches, apricots, pineapple, bananas, apple, melon, prunes, dates, kiwi
Kale, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, peppers, rocket, salad greens, herbs, avocado
Sweet potatoes, kumara, butternut squash, pumpkin, parsnip, carrot
Brown rice, steel cut oats, quinoa, barley, bulgur wheat
Peas, chickpeas, lentils, black beans
Almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, natural nut butter, tahini
Olive oil, coconut oil
Tofu, nut milks, dairy free yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, nutritional yeast
Foods to Enjoy in Moderation
Oily fish, grass fed beef, free range chicken, dairy yogurt, cheese, eggs
Foods to Avoid
Fast food, fries, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, added sugar, soda, juice, pastries, cookies, candy, sweet tea, breakfast cereals, pasta, white bread, bagels, chips, crackers, cereal bars, frozen dinners, plant-based meats like Tofurkey, faux cheeses, vegan butters, artificial sweeteners, bacon, lunch meats, sausage
This is not a finite guide, everyone should tailor it to their own needs. There are so many foods not mentioned on each list, use your imagination and your common sense when planning a whole food plant based menu.
Meal ideas
Breakfast; oat porridge with fresh fruit, coconut yoghurt, and nut butter
Lunch; roast kumara salad with baby spinach, avocado, peppers, and chickpea hummus
Supper; sautéed tofu, spinach, and tomato with roast broccoli, cauliflower and kimchi
