There are many health benefits to eating a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet. They are a cost effective way of supporting weight loss and minimising the impact of big killers like heart disease and cancer. They may also be a good option for a healthy diet if high quality animals products are prohibitively expensive where you live. Personally, whole food plant based diet. I prefer to eat top quality animal products to support my physique and my training regime. However, I can still recognise the benefits of a WFPB diet for those who cannot eat animal products for economic, religious or ethical reasons.
A whole food plant based diet is exactly what you might expect it to be based on the name: a diet primarily consisting of vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains and few unprocessed animal products. A whole food plant based diet can mean different things to different people, with some interpreting it as synonymous with a vegan diet and others understanding it as interchangeable with a semi-vegetarian diets where eggs, poultry, meat and dairy are eaten with regularity. Neither interpretation of whole food plant based diet is wrong per se. The term is frequently used to refer to a range of diets where the majority of nutrition comes from plants and plant products, so really a whole food plant based diet has no strict definition.
I think it’s easier to define a whole food plant based diet by describing what it does not contain. By explaining the whole food plant based diet in this way the reasons for the health benefits of the diet become obvious. By a process of elimination, a WFPB diet is any diet that does not include large amounts of refined carbs and sugar, processed vegetable oils, processed and packaged foods or large amounts of animals products (regardless of quality). The absence of refined carbs and sugar mean that the diet minimizes weight gain and associated metabolic conditions like diabetes. The exclusion of industrial vegetable oils reduces the potential for systemic inflammation on the diets combatting a range of diseases from heart disease to arthritis. Removing these sources of disease from a standard western diet can only have a positive impact on health.
So now you know what a whole food plant based diet is and why it’s good for you here are a few recipes to show that the diet can be enjoyable as well as healthy.
Mediterranean Herb Potato Bake
Many people think they need animal protein to feel full and satisfied. While meat does maintain a feeling of satiety, potatoes are also very filling and nutritious. This meal will keep you feeling satiated and full of energy for hours. Rosemary also has a powerfully decongestant effect and can relieve allergy symptoms through the anti-inflammatory effects of rosmarinic acid.
Ingredients:
- 16 White potatoes (Roosters, Yukon Gold or similar variety)
- 1 red onion
- 1 green and 1 red bell pepper
- 8 vine tomatoes
- Fresh rosemary, chopped
- Fresh bay leaves, chopped
- Water
- 1 Tbsp. tamari
Firstly, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Then use a sharp knife to puncture each potato in several spots so that they cook faster. Next arrange them on a baking tray so that each potato isn’t touching any of the others. Roughly chop the peppers and onion and arrange the pieces, along with the herbs and tomatoes in the remaining space on the baking tray.
Next mix the tamari with a small cup of water and sprinkle over the potatoes ensuring they are evenly covered with the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes taking care to check them occasionally. If the potatoes begin to dry out, then sprinkle on more of the water-tamari mix. Serve garnished with more fresh rosemary.
Sweet Potato Chili
This delicious chili is also a great way to keep your appetite at bay while getting plenty of great nutrition. The sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene to give you vitamin A as well as being a great source of slow release carbohydrates. The kidney beans are a source of protein which can be in short supply on a whole food plant based diet.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups kidney beans
- 4 ½ cups water
- 1 reduced sodium stock cube dissolved in 1 cup warm water
- 1 regular can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsps of tomato paste
- 1 white onion, diced
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp hot chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
Soak the beans overnight. Keep them covered with water and discard the water after soaking. Add the drained beans to a saucepan with 4 ½ cups of water and stock base. Cover the pan and bring the beans to a boil. reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes. When the beans are starting to become tender add all the other ingredients.
Cover the pot and cook on a medium heat for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know the chili is ready when the sweet potato chunks are tender but still slightly firm and the beans are soft enough to eat. You can add more water or stock to replace the water lost through evaporation while cooking, but the sauce should have a rich, thick consistency.
Like many whole food plant based recipes, this can also be cooked in a slow cooker. These appliances are great because they take the need for attention out of cooking and preserve nutrients by cooking at a lower heat. To prepare this recipe in a slow cooker simply add the soaked beans, along with all the other ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Quinoa with Kale and Roasted Squash
Butternut squash is rich in potassium, Vitamin A and Vitamin C as well as being delicious. Combined with nutrient dense quinoa and kale it makes this a really powerful plant based recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 small butternut squash
- 3 cups stemmed and finely chopped kale
- 1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup millet
- ½ cup quinoa
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup raisins
Preheat your oven to 370°F (180°C). Halve the squash, remove the seeds and place cut-side down on a baking sheet. Roast for 1 hour until tender. After the squash has cooled peel it and cut the remaining flesh into small cubes.
While the squash is roasting combine the parsley, kale, garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice In a large bowl. Leave the mix to stand for 30 minutes. Bring 2 cups of water to the boil in a small saucepan and add the quinoa and millet bringing the pan back to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. When the remaining water has been absorbed by the grain uncover the pot and allow to cool.
While the grains are simmering, toast the almonds over a medium heat in a dry skillet. Take care they don’t burn. Transfer them to a cold plate to cool. Add the squash cubes, quinoa and millet, almonds and raisins to the kale mixture. Stir gently to that all the elements are evenly distributed. Serve warm topped with more toasted almonds.
While there are lots of great recipes that can make a whole food plant based diet very enjoyable, there are a few reasons I don’t think this diet is everyone’s best choice for optimal health. Firstly, diets that include only plant based foods can leave people deficient in certain essential nutrients. Naturally speaking, humans evolved as opportunistic omnivores. We are designed to eat everything, so if one type food is missing from a person’s diet their health will suffer from a nutrient deficiency.
For example, 92% of vegans are deficient in Vitamin B12 which is used in every cell in the body as well as being critical to blood and brain health. Animal protein (which provides the perfect ratio of amino acids for human health), creatine, carnitine and the omega 3 fatty acid DHA can all only be acquired through animal based foods.
In addition, getting enough good quality protein can be extremely challenging without eating animal products. All humans, but athletes in particular, need protein to grow and maintain muscle so not getting enough can be counter productive. Similarly, a lack of protein can harm body composition making it easier to store fat and more difficult to lose unwanted weight.
For these reasons I feel that a whole food plant based diet with some high quality meats and eggs will always be superior to the same diet without the animal products. Besides, who can say that any of the recipes above wouldn’t be improved by the addition of a fried free range egg or free range bacon, or even a grass-fed striploin or rib eye steak!
If you have tried a whole food plant based diet, please comment and let me know how it worked for you. Feel free to share these recipes with anyone currently thinking about starting a whole food plant based diet.
