You want to eat healthier, but life can make it tough. Maybe you’re traveling, have family members with different habits, feel too tired to cook, or are just too busy.
You know which foods are good for you, but you need easy ways to make good choices when it’s tough.
7 Tips for Plant-Based Diet Challenges
If you’re just starting a plant-based diet, or just want to eat this way more often, here are seven common challenges and some practical tips to help.
-
Losing Motivation
It’s normal to start off strong and then lose motivation. To get back on track, think about why you wanted to make this change. Ask yourself what motivates you.
To do this, clarify why you made the change.
- Are you motivated to improve your health or lose weight?
- Do you want more energy or to stay healthy as you age?
- Are environmental or animal welfare concerns important to you?
- Have you decided to eat more whole plant foods?
Your reason doesn’t have to be dramatic, but it should matter to you. This makes it easier to get back on track when your motivation drops.
Take Action: Write down your motivation on a small card and keep it nearby. When you feel less motivated, read your notes to remind yourself of your “why.”
-
Not Getting Support
If you’re the only one in your family or group of friends eating plant-based, others might not always understand or support your new habit.
A follower asked me about this exact problem. She said, “What about when you live with two standard American diet eaters, and we’re not only never able to purge everything, but these items are still brought into the house on a regular basis?”
I answered her question in my post, What About Living with Non-Plant-Based Eaters?, which includes tips for creating a plant-based zone, reducing temptation, staying prepared, and making meals work when everyone in the household doesn’t eat the same way.
If your family or friends aren’t supportive, try finding a community that is, even if it’s online.
Connecting with others lets you share your ups and downs, trade recipes, learn new kitchen tricks, and get helpful tips. Support from people with similar goals can help you stay motivated.
Facebook has many groups for people eating a whole-food, plant-based diet. You could also invite friends or family to try a plant-based meal with you. Sometimes a good meal convinces people more than talking about it does.
-
Worried About Cost
A plant-based diet can seem pricey, especially if you buy a lot of specialty vegan foods. But it doesn’t have to be. Check out my article, How to Save Money on a Plant-Based Diet.
You don’t need to buy everything organic or shop only at specialty stores or farmers’ markets.
Many of the healthiest plant-based staples are also some of the cheapest. Beans, lentils, potatoes, oats, brown rice, whole-grain pasta, frozen vegetables, canned tomatoes, and seasonal produce can all make affordable meals.
Convenience foods can help, too. Frozen vegetables and fruit, plus no-salt-added or low-sodium canned beans and tomatoes, can save you time and money without relying on highly processed foods.
See my article 49 Plant-Based Recipes Using Canned & Packaged Foods.
-
Missing Familiar Foods
If you usually plan meals around meat, it can be hard to know what to use instead. Don’t just look for something that tastes like meat; try plant foods that make your meals filling and satisfying.
Try adding beans, lentils, mushrooms (especially portobello), tempeh, or tofu to your favorite recipes.
For example, lentils work well in shepherd’s pie, beans can replace meat in tacos and chili, and mushrooms can add a hearty texture to stews and sandwiches.
Store-bought vegan meat substitutes can help you transition. Some are high in sodium and saturated fat or are highly processed, so it’s best to eat them only occasionally. Whole foods are usually better for everyday meals.
Here are a couple of examples: try this recipe, Beefless Stew, or this one for Lentil Shepherd’s Pie.
-
Giving Up Traditional Foods
Food is tied to our memories and identity. We celebrate special moments, practice our faith, and show our culture through what we eat.
Sometimes, switching to a plant-based diet can make you feel like you’re leaving your culture behind. That can be an uncomfortable feeling.
You don’t have to give up traditional or cultural foods. You can adapt them to fit your new way of eating.
If you search for vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based versions of foods that matter to you, you’ll find plenty of recipes based on traditional dishes.
Often, you can use the same seasonings, vegetables, grains, sauces, and cooking styles you already enjoy and swap out the animal products, so you keep your favorite foods and learn a new way to prepare them.
-
Not Having Enough Time
Cooking more of your own meals can take some getting used to, especially if you rely on processed or instant foods. But eating more whole foods doesn’t mean spending hours in the kitchen. A few time-saving tricks help.
A few convenient kitchen tools can help too. A food processor, slow cooker, pressure cooker, or air fryer can speed things up, but you don’t need a lot of gadgets to eat well. For more ideas, check out my article 12 Must-Have Kitchen Tools for Plant-Based Cooking.
Another time-saving tip is to prepare ahead. That doesn’t mean you have to make every meal for the whole week.
Cook a pot of beans or grains, wash and chop vegetables, make a dressing or sauce, or prepare a dish you can eat more than once.
It also helps to have two or three easy meals you can make quickly and to keep backup foods in your pantry or freezer for busy days.
A little planning can make healthy eating much easier when life gets busy.
For more time-saving tips, read How to Stick with a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet When Life Gets Hectic.
-
Getting Bored with Your Meals
If you only know a few plant-based recipes, you might get bored quickly. Not having enough variety can make it harder to stay excited about your meals.
Don’t let a small menu discourage you. Use it as a chance to get creative in the kitchen.
You may need to try new foods and flavors, but plenty of plant-based recipes are worth exploring.
Try a new bean, grain, vegetable, spice, or cooking style. You can also get inspired by cuisines like Asian, Indian, Mediterranean, Mexican, and Central American, which often use lots of vegetables, legumes, grains, herbs, and spices.
Keep Moving Forward
Changing your eating habits takes time. Some weeks will be busy, some meals won’t go as planned, and some days you’ll feel more motivated than others.
The goal is to have a few simple strategies that help you keep going when things get tough, not to avoid every challenge.
The more comfortable you get with plant-based eating, the easier it becomes to make meals, handle surprises, and get back on track when life gets busy.
Keep going, and you’ll find plenty of new recipes and flavors to try.
Want more of Plant-Based Cooking?
Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.
Leave a Reply