7 Tips for Sticking with a Plant-Based Diet

Want to make plant-based eating easier? The truth is that staying on track isn't about having perfect willpower. Having a few simple strategies will help you navigate cravings, social situations, busy days, and those moments when motivation starts to fade.

No matter where you are on your plant-based journey – whether you’ve been eating plant-based vegan for years or you’re just making the switch – there can be challenges and temptations to avoid.

I know, because I’ve been there. To help you, I reflected on what little “tricks” have helped me and developed this handy list you can reference whenever you feel your resolve to eat healthy wavering. I hope you find these tips for sticking with a plant-based diet as helpful as I have.

When you have a moment, please be sure to check out my more in-depth articles, “Staying Motivated on a Plant-Based Diet” and “Five Tips for Successful New Year’s Resolutions.”

1. Know Thyself:
According to Gretchen Rubin, author of “The Four Tendencies,” some people can do moderation and some people can’t. Figure out which camp you fall into and make that work to your advantage. If a tiny piece of dark chocolate is going to send you on a week-long binge, “just say no.” The point is to know your weaknesses

2. Know Your Addictions:
Similarly, some foods, particularly processed snack foods, have just the right amounts of sugar, salt, or fat to get you hooked.

Make no mistake about it—this is entirely intentional on the part of the food industry. They actually study this stuff! So don’t blame yourself for these perceived weaknesses. You’re only human, and these companies are manipulating your biology.

(Check out this National Public Radio piece, “How the Food Industry Manipulates Taste Buds with ‘Salt Sugar Fat,’” if you want to know more about these devious tactics.) Maybe for you, a tiny square of dark chocolate is fine, but when it comes to potato chips, you’ll be eating the whole bag if you just have one.

3. Don’t Try This at Home:
You might find that you’re OK sampling just a small amount of some “no-nos” when eating out or attending a party, and perhaps this will prevent a feeling of deprivation that could, in turn, send you off on a binge.

However, keeping the same food items in larger quantities at home, sitting around for you to see every time you open the freezer or cabinet, is not a good practice. Just don’t do it! Do not purchase food items in the grocery store that you don’t want to eat, whether that’s animal products, pre-packaged snack foods, ice cream, or candy.

4. Purge Your Kitchen:
It’s worth taking the time to scour your kitchen looking for items that don’t support your health. Especially if your kitchen is a bit cluttered, take everything out of the fridge and see what’s buried in the back, then do the same for your pantry and drawers.

Give away or toss out anything that doesn't support your diet (or past the expiration date!) It may be difficult to purge some of your once-favorite foods, but this will support your at-home diet in the long run

5. Plan Your Meals:
Planning your meals in advance removes the temptation to eat poorly. The decision has already been made, and the ingredients have been purchased and are on hand. Check out my article, “Beginner’s Guide to Easy Plant-Based Meal Planning,” for easy-to-follow instructions on how to do this in a way that works for you.

Or join my email list and receive a FREE Meal Planner to plan your meals.