What We’ll Cover:

• Why you should consider some plant based swaps
• Easy ways to add more plants to meals
• Simple plant-based swaps
• Plant-based meal ideas for busy days

Why eat more plants?

Plant foods provide fibre, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that support overall health. They can also help add variety, colour and flavour to meals. Many plant foods are naturally high in fibre, which can help support gut health and keep you feeling fuller for longer. 

Plant foods include:

• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Nuts and seeds
• Wholegrains - oats, wholewheat bread, brown rice, quinoa
• Legumes - lentils, chickpeas, beans
• Herbs and spices

Eating more plants does not mean you need to give up meat, fish, eggs or dairy. Small changes can still make a difference.

Easy ways to add more plants to meals

Instead of trying to completely change the way you eat, it can be easier to focus on what you can add rather than what you need to remove. 

Examples:

• Add beans to chilli
• Add lentils and mushrooms to Bolognese
• Add spinach to curries and pasta dishes
• Add fresh, frozen or dried fruit to breakfast
• Add seeds to yoghurt and porridge
• Add frozen vegetables to soups and stews
• Add chickpeas to salads

Simple plant based swaps

Easy plant based meal ideas

Breakfast

• Porridge berries and seeds
• Overnight oats with fruit and soya yoghurt
• Wholegrain toast with peanut butter and banana
• Tofu scramble on wholegrain toast

Lunch

• Lentil soup with wholegrain bread
• Hummus and salad wrap 
• Mixed bean salad with wholegrain crackers

Dinner

• Bean chilli with brown rice
• Chickpea curry with vegetables
• Vegetable and tofu stir-fry
• Lentil Bolognese with wholewheat pasta 

Snacks

• Fruit and nuts
• Roasted chickpeas
• Vegetable sticks with hummus
• Strawberries and some dark chocolate

Summary

Plant-based eating does not need to be expensive or complicated. Tinned beans, lentils, chickpeas and frozen vegetables can be affordable ways to add more plant foods to your meals. Keeping a few of these foods at home can make it easier to include plants on busy days. 

You do not need to follow a vegan or vegetarian diet to eat more plant foods. Even one plant-based meal each week can be a positive step. Adding an extra portion of beans, vegetables or fruit is another simple way to increase your plant intake.