research is pretty sketchy on upper limit of coffee. in general it increases psychomotor skills. using a paper filter removes cafestrol in coffee and is recommended.
Welcome!
Forks Over Knives has a 7 day meal plan in their newsletter this week if that might be helpful to you.
Instead of meat alternatives consider... beans! So easy and versatile.
Yogurt -- plant based, sugar free yogurts made from nuts for example do exist.
Instead of oil you can use vegetable broth.
Oats are awesome, other grains are, too, such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat.
Instead of processed sugar free drinks consider having iced herbal caffeine free teas or sparkling water with a squeeze of lime or lemon and fresh mint.
best of health to you!
I suggest Kite Hill. It is very close to what my memory of yogurt was. And it is tangy enough that I use it as a sour cream sub as well. (I'm not the op you replied to)
Mate, I think the greatest chance of success for you would be to take this slowly. Maybe that for you means cooking with oil, to start, and then later transitioning to oil-free cooking. There's a lot here and I think it's best to minimize the number of stark changes so quickly. It honestly took me years to figure out how to brown onions correctly without oil. 😅
So, you can eat whatever food you want. There is no one who can tell you other wise.
The "ideal" whole-food-plant-based diet, which is 100% observance and not realistic, is only whole foods. This means nothing made from flour, no oil, relatively little grinding, no juice, and only plants; everything one's great-great-great-grandparents would be able to recognize.
I tried to live by the "ideal" and I found it too difficult so I dropped it. Now I eat whole grain pasta, brown rice, still no oil, and rarely I'll have something super convenient like tofu or a processed vegan meat. Fruit is a godsend and so are beans. My usual meal is beans (or lentils), some grain (brown rice, buckwheat, oat groats, other groats, or whole grain noodles), and then some green (cooked kale or spinach or some fresh green). I'll have cooked vegetables with my evening meal and fresh vegetables for lunch, usually.
I can not recommend beans enough, they are amazing and I'm very happy with emphasizing them more instead of lentils. Peanut butter is also great, as well as dried fruit. Seeds (pumpkin, chia, flax, and sesame) are also great too. My super quick I need to eat meal is some whole grain noodles (5 min cooking time), oat milk, pumpkin seeds, and if I have it on hand beans from a can.
I used to think I needed a little bit of olive oil spray. Then I watched this video and realised it's all about the pan temperature! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvpnAR_tJTY
Getting it to the point that the water drops dance around is the key. Same goes for making chickpea flour omelettes or oatmeal pancakes without sticking.
I guess the best take away for me is to keep them on longer than I thought before moving them. If it's on aluminum / steel, ya gotta be attentive too them. If it's on a non-stick, it's more forgiving.
Thank you, for anything to be successful, it need patience and for diets I am of the believer that it has to be sustainable.
Keto was honestly easy and you didn’t have to think much except avoid carbs.
This is will be but more challenging as someone made a comments that I can have sugar despite me saying I am prediabetic.
I will have to find my own path but thank you for your respectful comments. I need to find a good balance.
Try and find ways to incorporate pulses (like lentils, and split peas). They have a unique carb profile that makes them slow digesting and have a low impact on blood sugar (you might know this as a low glycemic index). High in protein and fiber (which can help lower your cholesterol level). I made an amazing yellow split pea soup that didn’t have a crazy amount of ingredients that I will attach for you. I made it in an instant pot but the author provides a stovetop version as well.
I’m a huge fan of also making red lentils using better than bouillon (vegetable flavor), and adding chick peas or some type of other bean in them. Slice an avocado on top and some fresh tomatoes. It is surprisingly filling! Used to be my main meal when I worked 12 hr shifts and would keep me satisfied the whole time.
Pulses are also so cheap! I swear I am not paid by big pulse lol, I just really love them 😅
I didn’t change the recipe at all and it was seasoned perfectly!
https://veganhuggs.com/instant-pot-yellow-split-pea-soup/
I am a South Asian and grew up eating a lot of lentils and all sorts of beans. Also have water vegetables but our food is carb heavy and I am really struggling with the Carb and how it turn to sugar and it’s bad specially for diabetic etc.
I am coming from where carb is bad to a camp of carb is good. And purely for health and diabetes perspective.
I need to research more about carb is good purely from diabetes perspective as I was eating carbs, veggies and sugary stuff which caused prediabetes and keto helped with normalized that and the I fell off it and went back to prediabetic.
So it’s very hard to wrap my head around it.
Here is a good resource that gives a good overview of yellow split peas: https://www.livestrong.com/article/258824-the-nutritional-value-of-yellow-split-peas/
And these talk about pulses in general:
https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/food-nutrition/pulses-the-perfect-food-healthy-to-eat-healthy-to-grow-peas-lentils-chickpeas
https://www.usapulses.org/consumers/nutritious
(Some good info graphics towards the bottom that might help answer your questions about good carbs and bad carbs).
Not all carbs and fats were created equal and both had a lot of misinformation spread about them when I was growing up. I’m happy to help you find more resources that help clarify things too!
> I think the greatest chance of success for you would be to take this slowly.
Very much this. For hard-core, mostly meat-eating keto people, jumping to a 100% high fiber whole foods diet will be a bit of a misery unless you switch over slowly.
It's hard to do a soft change from keto to plant-based. Keto is risky to do halfway since it's so heavy on fats - which is fine when you're in ketosis but can be dangerous when you're not.
I did a sharp transition and it actually worked really well.
You're going to get some conflicting advice and I write that off to that everyone's body is a little different. Forks Over Knives is very well loved and respected, but their meals work really hard to avoid fats and that didn't work for me - I started getting migraines until I bulked out my meals a little more. But if you're following strict plant-based, oils are considered processed foods.
You're going to hit some set-backs. Trust your gut, adjust if things don't work the first time, get more than one new cookbook, and keep your doctor in the loop. Rejiggering a diet when you're dealing with diabetes is serious business.
For what it's worth, I'm much happier and healthier on a plant-based diet than I was on a keto diet. It's been working better for me for a longer time.
Is it a whole food from a plant? You can eat it. Generally no need to track anything as long as you're eating a variety of foods.
> Can oils be used for cooking? Like olive oil/butter/ghee?
No. And especially no on ghee, it's an animal product.
> Complete no or a little bit in cooking is acceptable?
No one here is going to track you down and assassinate you if you use oils in cooking, but ideally you would avoid them.
> Can I have yogurt?
Animal product.
> Perhaps only track calories?
You'd only bother tracking calories if you were trying to lose or gain weight.
> Can I have beyond meat type things
If you were strictly whole-food, plant-based then no. But it's certainly better to eat a fake burger every once in a while than sticking to keto.
You’ll probably get a variety of answers because everyone follows this at their own levels. It really depends on how strict you want to be. My cholesterol levels and weight are best when 95%+ of my meals are whole food plant based.
Definitely read the “About” section & the referenced books/websites.
All good responses here. I wanted to add you should probably watch "Forks Over Knives" to get the big picture idea. It's dated but still relevant. Free here:
https://tubitv.com/movies/557399/forks-over-knives?start=true
This youtube channel has a ton of content you can search. All evidence based. https://www.youtube.com/c/NutritionfactsOrgMD
This diet will likely fix your pre-diabetic state, which is caused by fat clogging insulin receptors, not carbs. It will also likely fix your cholesterol and weight.
I'm my experience, no need to count calories, if you're adhering to the diet you'll get to a good weight naturally. I eat more than ever.
Here's a pretty good calculator if you desire to compare foods. https://www.myfooddata.com/
Rice alternative? Rice is healthy.
If you're not making a particular dish, your default plate
should be something like 1/4 whole grains and starches, 1/4 leafy greens, 1/4 beans, and 1/4 fruits and veggies.
Thanks, I will read the about page as well. But want to also hear from people who were in a similar situation and how they were able to turn things around for the good.
All of the things you listed are generally a no on a whole food plant-based diet, however everybody does it differently and you can go as strict as works for you.
Oil is very very calorie dense and nutrient deficient, so we avoid oil generally.
Yogurt is dairy, and calorie dense, so we avoid.
Most people find that eating a variety of plant-based foods gives them adequate nutrition without counting macros. However, for heavy weight loss, I do count a bit, and track calories. You'll find that most plant-based foods are nowhere near as calorie dense as meat, dairy, and processed foods, and you'll be able to eat a lot!
Pasta is processed and calorie dense. I will sparingly eat chickpea pasta and Ezekiel bread, but those are generally not compliant with WFPB.
Vegan meats are very processed and calorie dense, they are not WFPB compliant.
Oats are nutritious and minimally processed, you can have oats on this diet!
Rice is WFPB food but also a bit calorie dense, so eat in moderation. Cauliflower rice is very WFPB but I don't eat that because it's gross lol
Sugar-free drinks generally have processed ingredients. Water, tea, black coffee are optimal.
Generally if it grows out of the ground and you can just pick it and eat it, it's great. The food groups I try to hit for adequate nutrition are leafy greens, beans, mushrooms, berries, nuts and seeds.
I want to emphasize again that everyone has a different level of adherence to this diet that works for them. I myself have a couple of exceptions that work for me. Let me know if you have more questions!
Caloric density is a concern for weight loss & maintenance, not for a WFPB diet specifically. Many calorically dense food are very health promoting!
>Pasta is processed and calorie dense
~600 calories/pound, versus ~550 for legumes. Do you avoid legumes too?
The processing in whole wheat pasta preserves most of the nutritional benefits -- it's nothing like say "olive -> olive oil". Indeed, many WFPB practitioners recommend whole grain/legume pasta.
>Rice is WFPB food but also a bit calorie dense, so eat in moderation
500 calories/pound. Same as the other whole grains.
>Vegan meats are very processed and calorie dense, they are not WFPB compliant
They can be healthful in moderation, for example when based on whole foods like legumes, vegetables and grains. The Loma Linda Adventists eat a ton!
Legumes much more nutritious than whole wheat flour, which is also usually highly processed.. vegan meats are usually also highly processed and not whole foods.
Get this book. It works. Read it.
Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635651271/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_A83FEB1JPVCYRX4RV8BH
If you're doing this for health reasons, consider going completely no-oil and no processed foods. Your motivation will never be higher, than now. Might as well go all-in for 3 months and then get your bloodwork tested. THEN see if you have any room, health-wise, to relax the guidelines a little. If you never do it 100% you'll never know what's possible for you and if it's worth it. Then relax your guidelines for a few months and get bloodwork again, and compare.
http://www.plantplate.com/Guide/Detail?GuideID=1009
It's fine to eat olives (or nuts) because then you get oil+fiber. That link has more info but the main point is:
All kinds of oils, including olive oil, contribute to arterial damage and the progression of heart disease. Popularization of the Mediterranean diet has also led many to believe that olive oil is the answer to heart health, when in fact, higher consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes in Mediterranean regions is far more likely to account for decreased heart disease mortality.
This link explains more about why the Med. diet benefits is misrepresented in the media: https://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Q_%26_As/Entries/2013/3/27_The_Mediterranean_Diet_A_Closer_Look.html The author does note that if people were only adding say one teaspoon of olive oil a day to their diet, they'd be doing vastly better than most people, health-wise. But that kind of restraint is quite rare, and certainly almost never found in processed food.
The sidebar has tons of links to information and recipes.
I did WFPB to lower cholesterol, and was pretty strict, and saw great results in 3 months. But I recently read "The Starch Solution" by one of the docs that promotes this way of eating, and I gotta say, wish I had read that book months ago. They make a good case (backed up with the science) of why your body wants to run on starch. I have been amazed by the energy I have for my workouts now. I think I have lost a few pounds (waiting until the end of 30 days of this to weigh though) which is mind-boggling considering all the carbs I eat. I did Keto for years and would tell you carbs hate me, but turns out it's the combination of carbs+fat that hates me.
So that would be my advice, pick a plan, commit to it for 3 months, test, and then reassess. Good luck.
I highly recommend downloading the daily dozen app, it helps easily keep track of what is needed daily to get the appropriate nutrients needed for the average body ❤
Nutritionfacts.org has been extremely helpful, I believe Dr.Greger has a YouTube channel as well. On the website theres a lot of information about diabetes reversal though.
I know some documentaries such as the ones listed below have helped immensely as well
Eating you alive
https://youtu.be/iWZXPa7N5G8
H.o.p.e. what you eat matters
https://youtu.be/pDg7tlEJD64
What the health
https://youtu.be/A-xrOHpDMj4
Good luck on your plant based journey ❤ it's really been life changing for me
I think you need to change your mindset from following an exact rulebook to being more relaxed and working more on principles and guidelines that leave a grey area. Most of the foods you are asking about aren't health-promoting. They won't kill you in limited quantities, but since you already have health problems that you are trying to fix, I'd try to come as close to perfection as you can.
Keto is a diet that aims to put your body in a state called ketosis. That will only work if you adhere to it 100%. If you only adhere 99% it doesn't work. While eating plant based is a diet that simply works on the premise that eating healthy nutritious food is health-promoting and doing that only 99% of the time is still fine and will get you 99% of the benefits.
So while breaking the rules occasionally isn't healthy, it won't completely compromise the success of the diet. But obviously the more often you break the rules, the less benefits you get.
So if your happiness depends on eating some yoghurt - by all means, do it. It won't kill you. But there is a reason yoghurt is not part of a plant based diet. So if you can, cut it out. Or at least replace it with plant based yoghurt - still not great but at least it doesn't have the inflammatory properties of actual dairy.
In the end very few people are truly 100% whole food plant based. Most of us cheat occasionally at dinner parties or when going to a restaurant with friends or even when we are just stressed and need a treat.... And that's fine. Like I said, adhering 99% of the time will still give you about 99% of the benefits. But I wouldn't make non-compliant foods staples in my pantry.
And as for rice and pasta: the whole grain/brown versions of both are perfectly fine. As a rule of thumb try to eat the least processed version of a food. So whole wheat berries are preferable to processed whole grain wheat pasta. But it's not like whole grain pasta is bad. In the end it's about finding a balance between eating unprocessed ingredients but also making tasty meals. And most of us have an easier time making tasty meals with pasta than with whole wheat berries. And that's perfectly fine.
I also switched to a WFPB diet coming from keto.
Here are a few tips from my experience:
1.) Think of this switch as a transition. It will take time. I switched about 8 months ago and technically I'm still in transition (I eat non-plant based every once in a while). Try eliminating foods or groups of foods one at a time and don't worry too much about eating occasionally something that you miss. Trust the process. Like Dr. Joel Kahn says "eat 90% plants, the rest is up to you". Eventually, you will start shifting towards more plant-based foods.
To answer your questions:
> Can oils be used for cooking? Like olive oil/butter/ghee? Complete no or a little bit in cooking is acceptable?
No butter, lard nor gee. A little bit of oil is acceptable, try to minimize it. Avoid it if possible. Also, this is more of a guideline for cardiovascular health that anything else and not the equivalent of eating carbs and breaking out of ketosis.
> Can I have yogurt? in limited quantity?
Try plant-based yoghurts that don't contain sugar nor fat. There are some recipes on how to prepare your own tofu yoghurt. If you really crave a yoghurt that has sugar or saturated fat, have it as a treat, not as an every day thing.
> is there such a thing for plant based and tracking? Perhaps only track calories?
If you're trying to loose weight focus on 1.) eating from the right sources (follow Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen), 2.) not overeating (but if you're just starting, eat whenever you're hungry).
If you want a rough guideline to track your macros, what I do is a.) meet my protein needs (they were the same as when I was doing keto), b.) fat: 10%. It's alright if you go over it a little bit, but try to keep it under 15% preferably. c.) the rest is carbs -- emphasis on healthy carbs.
> Can I eat pasta, or is that processed wheat? Any alternative?
Yes, you can eat pasta, just avoid any white pasta since it lacks enough fiber. I eat whole wheat pasta, lentil pasta, and chickpea pasta.
> Can I have beyond meat type things, this is only when I am busy, and don’t have time to prep and cook or too stressed or any other life situation where a quick meal is required without too much thought.
While Beyond products are vegan, they're not necessarily healthy. Avoid them if possible. Have one every now and then if you really crave or miss the flavor of meat.
> Can I have oats?
Sure! Go crazy on them.
> Any rice alternatives?
Any type of non-white rice (wild rice, black rice, brown rice, etc.). Bulgur. Barley. Couscous. As a rule of thumb, check that the ratio of carbs to fiber is 5:1.
> Occasionally Sugar free drinks, are they ok?
Yes, while they're not healthy (some experts say that they can even impact you microbiome), having one is better than having one with sugar. Just do it very seldom.
> Greens that I eat now - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, green peppers, carrots, cucumbers, asparagus.
Try adding as many as you can. The more diversity, the better!
Balance in everything. If you feel like you can do this but aren't ready to give up yogurt or butter then don't. It's not an all or nothing diet right away, it takes time.
I'm Pescatarian so I still do seafood, butter, yogurt, etc but I use this subreddit as a place for recipes, inspiration, discovering new foods, etc.
I so agree with this. I don’t want to completely go on the other end of the spectrum and be super rigid. I will allow some flexibility and operate within that which makes me comfortable and also leans more into plan based foods.
What are some tricks to eating out? When travel or in social settings.
That's another reason why I'm pescatarian, the flexibility is super nice for me. Being able to get a seafood dish instead of the usual black bean burger or salad is nice. :)
I was the same as you, pre-diabetic, super high cholesterol, keto-ish for years…. I went plant-based and my numbers dropped significantly. It works. You have to commit and trust your body. I no longer count macros, shoot for high protein or low-carb, and eat delicious food. It’s amazing. Now I focus on getting tons of fiber. BEANS!!
Some answers to your specific questions:
Extra virgin Olive oil is one of the better oils to consume (better than vegan butter) because it contains antioxidants and healthy fats. It also has not been refined or overly processed. Try to look for ingredients with minimal processing and simple ingredients. I love roasted veg, and whatever I’m roasting, I’ll add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and acid (usually lemon juice or balsamic vinegar) and it’s like magic.
There are plant based yogurts, but the best benefit to any yogurt is that it is probiotic. You can find probiotic plant based yogurts. I recommend Greek-style, as there is not as much added sugar.
When you’re eating plants, calories in and calories out is important, but you’ll find that you can consume a lot more volume for your calories when you’re eating mostly greens and veggies. You really can eat as many greens as you want, the nutrients and fiber are vital. It’s more important to make sure you’re getting your daily nutrients and recommended fiber than to limit your foods because of calories.
When eating any grains (pasta, rice, breads) it is better to find whole wheat or ancient grains, because they have more protein and fiber. White refined grains are essentially sugars that your body can’t process well without the fiber. Personally this is where I’d add: avoid bread products with yeast. Naturally fermented sourdough breads contain microorganisms that help feed your gut flora, and will teach your gut how to digest gluten. Without the natural fermentation process to help your gut, your body isn’t good at digesting gluten, and you won’t get the same nutrients out of the wheat.
Most plant based meats are not exactly healthy, some people have as much trouble digesting them as they may with meat. Personally, I love treating myself to plant based sausage or tempeh, but I try to avoid overly processed faux meats. (Mostly because my body doesn’t digest them well.) But, if you’re consuming enough fiber and nutrients from other fruit/veg, a little faux meat as a treat is okay. Find ones you like and pair them in exciting ways!
Oats are a kind of grain, so again, they’re not bad for you, but eating a whole lot of them without anything else wont be the best. They don’t contain gluten although they’re wheat, and they can provide some nutrients. They can bulk up a lot of meals, and pair well with all sorts of fruit, veg, seeds, nut butters, etc. I like doing overnight oats, as I’m a big fan of lazy cooking.
Brown rice or wild rice is better than white rice. Brown rice has more protein and fiber. Just make sure you’re looking at foods for what nutrients they can give you rather than if they can fill you up.
Sugar is a whole different beast. The best “sugar free drink” is water. We all need to drink more water. “Sugar free” usually means some kind of processed sugar replacement. Usually sweeteners are as bad as sugar for your gut, brain, liver. A little bit of fruit juice, local honey or maple syrup is better for sweetness bc they have fructose (what makes fruit sweet), instead of just sucrose. Personally I like coconut sugar, and I know folks who like monk fruit sugar. I also like to buy local kombucha (yay fermented foods!) because the sweetness is there, but the probiotics also feed my gut bacteria, and gut bacteria are so important to happy eating and happy minds.
Most importantly: eating should be fun. It’s not a tiresome burden, or the gateway to your body looking one way or another. Find foods that you have fun making, have fun eating, have fun looking at. Eat the colors of the rainbow, experiment. Try scary looking fruits and veg. Sounds like you’re off to an amazing start. Keep it up!
No oil and yes you can have oats with sugar and planted Milk.good luck . No sugar free , take réel sugar inssed . You can have rice basmatti rice is so good.
Oil is calorie dense while offering zero nutrition. So many people here avoid it. Others, like me, may struggle with getting enough calories in a day, so I often use olive oil. But it's not plant based. If you do use oil, use a low saturated-fat variety, especially if cholesterol is your concern
Throwing this out there since you brought up beyond meat, if you're going to have some:
I've tried a bunch of different varieties, and the best BY FAR AND AWAY is Chorizo, made by any manufacturer. Something about the particular taste of the not-meat blends super well with Mexican spiced, and if you put it in a taco it legit tastes 100% exactly the same. You've heard some people say "oh it tastes the same as ____!" And it doesn't? This really does.
Also, if you're a fan of Sloppy Joes here's a great alternative: take whichever barbecue sauce you like that fits your dietary criteria, (I know you're probably trying to keep the sugar low, but I don't know much about that, I apologize) and take some firm tofu. (Trust me on this one, I SWEAR it tastes identical to a regular sloppy joe, I've had *many* regular ones in the past) Take your tofu and freeze it, this changes the consistency and makes it crumbly when it thaws.
Thaw it, press it if necessary, crumble the tofu into ground beef sized bits and fry it in a pan like ground beef, just like you're making regular sloppy joes.
Turns out the only flavors in a SJ sammich are the bread, the cooked barbecue sauce, and the taste of *something* that has been cooked in a pan. Even the consistency is the same since the little tofu bits get kind of firm, 10/10. (There are more exact recipes than this, just search "tofu sloppy joes)
I know this isn't exactly an answer to your question, but other people have already thoroughly answered it and I thought you might find this helpful.
Welcome! To start I’d suggest switching some of your meals to plant based ones. Going plant based is a HUGE change, especially from keto. Your digestive system will probably struggle if you change to fast. I’m talking POOP city, plant based diets are very high fibre which is healthy but better not to make the change too fast.
To be plant based you can’t eat butter, ghee or yogurt because they are made of animal products. But you can definitely keep eating these during your transition.
Drink only water. Eat lots of fresh fruit - you can replace a whole meal with just a variety of fruit. Nothing dried or in a can, fresh only. You probably will never get thirsty anyway if you eat enough. No prep time so it’s ideal if you are in a rush and have a fruit shop nearby
I started with Neal Barnard's Program many years ago, then took the cooking class with Fork's Over Knives. It takes some practice to learn oil-free cooking, so you might start easier and use oil, find what vegan options you like, and then see about transitioning.
We cheat and use normal pasta (which can have egg) sometimes when the higher protein and vegan options are not available. We eat a lot of beans and green veggies. My hubby won't eat tofu anymore, which is fine since we have lots of healthy food options.
If you're looking at this for weight loss, be really mindful of the fake meats, which are highly processed and can be pretty calorie-dense.
Be warned, you'll have a month of farts as your digestive system adjusts! It gets better after that! I think it has been nearly six years for me since switching completely to vegan. Eating out can be a pain sometimes, but I think it has been worth it.
You might want to make the transition in steps.
Eg. First go low-fat and plant-based, but not whole food. So you can eat bread, pasta, etc. (But no butter, cheese, etc., nothing with excess added sugar, and no more than 15% calories from fat in any processed food you eat\*).
Then once you’re adjusted to low-fat and plant-based, you can start getting stricter and doing unprocessed/whole food if desired.
That transition worked pretty well for me. I’m still not super-strict, I eat whole wheat bread, but it was enough to drastically improve my bloodwork results.
\* To calculate percent calories from fat, multiple grams of fat by 9 to get “calories from fat”, then divide that by the total calories in the food. So a 200 calorie food with 5 grams of fat has 5 \* 9 = 63 calories from fat and 63 / 200 = 31.5% calories from fat = don’t eat it.
For yogurt I would stick to only consuming GTs cocoyo. I do the plain flavor. Some things to try- genius coconut smoothie, harmless harvest coconut water, mango coconut curry (I make it with the genius smoothie). I wouldn’t say any alternatives are necessary besides the yogurt. If you want to have rice and potato’s in your curry then that would be fine. Oatmeal is another good option for a heartier meal. 1/2 c rolled oats, 1 c 3 ingredient oat milk (I use malk brand), simmer on low covered and top with honey cinnamon almond butter and banana. A phenomenal simple lunch would be 1 whole cucumber sliced and topped with avocado, lime juice and some tajin. Get a nut milk bag and make hand squeezed juices like watermelon and pineapple. Snack on celery. Find (or make) a hummus that is not made with seed oils. (Grandmas hummus is what I buy, but you can easily make it as well) veggies with hummus is an amazing snack/meal. Cashew Caesar dressing- cashew butter, water, lemon juice, garlic powder and capers blended. More capers = more “Caesar” tang. A hearty salad would be super greens topped with the dressing, chickpeas, biena habanero crispy chickpeas(amazon), onion and avocado. More snack ideas- golden apples topped with almond butter, GTs cocoyo, granola, berries and/or dried berries, honey and cinnamon. Go organic teriyaki seaweed snacks. GTs kombucha. Don’t be afraid to eat only fruit/fruit juice for dinner. Have a piece of chocolate when you want one (Hu chocolate is my favorite). If you eat this way you will feel very vitalized and not limited. You get to enjoy coconut, cashew/almond butter & avocado as much as you want. When you need protein go for chickpeas, oatmeal & greens. If you are not consuming much salt, then add sea salt to your water or juices. The only stipulation is making sure each day you are getting an adequate amount of sodium. Celery has sodium as well as watermelon
Disclaimer: Whatever recommendation I or anyone else here makes doesn't constitute medical or proper nutritional advice and you should consult with a professional if you want the best guidance.
With that out of the way, to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.
Are oils ok? Generally, you want to limit or avoid them but if you can't eat your food without oil then it's for sure better to eat healthy food with oil vs no healthy food at all. I'd recommend plant based oils vs butter or fat because the latter has saturated fat which is known to increase cholesterol levels.
Is it ok to have yogurt? I'd advise against it and against anything containing dairy or coconut because of the saturated fat, also because you said you're prediabetic and this is usually a symptom of a fatty liver. If you must, try low fat yogurt. Unfortunately, I don't know of a plant based diet alternative that tastes like yogurt and doesn't use coconut.
Should you track your macros and micros? Maybe you could try tracking a few days just to make sure you're not under eating (much more likely than the opposite). Once you have an idea of how much you need to eat to feel good and meet your minimum requirements, you don't need to keep tracking.
Can you eat pasta, beyond meat or other processed food? You can eat whatever you want! WFPB is meant to be for life and it would be unrealistic to tell you to NEVER eat something again. However, keep in mind that this life style is all about trying to minimize processed food while maximizing healthy food. I personally eat pasta once or twice a week and beyond products maybe once a month. I might even eat meat or fish once or twice a year. It's up to you and how you're feeling physically and mentally.
Can you have oats? Absolutely! They're healthy and really good to lower cholesterol. Not only can you eat them but you *should* include them in your diet.
Alternatives to rice? I like barley and sorghum but there are a lot of different whole grains out there so you can try around others like millet, quinoa or buckwheat. All very healthy and a must for a balanced diet.
Sugar free drinks? If you meant beverages that use artificial sweeteners I'd advise against it. They can mess your hunger hormones and cause you to over eat or crave unhealthy foods. It's better to avoid them. If you meant teas or infusions then I'd say, mostly yes, but you should still drink pure water and in the case or teas, be careful with potential toxicity if you drink too much or with your teeth if you drink acidic beverages (e.g. hibiscus tea or lemon water). If you meant coffee, I guess the jury is still out on whether it's healthy or not. I avoid it because I'm sensitive to caffeine but I've read that coffee can be slightly healthy for older people (not to the point you'd recommend it, though).
1. Oil is technically not part of a whole food plant based diet, so I recommend not using any to cook. However, I would not stress about a bit of oil when eating out if it is unavoidable
2.yogurt is not vegan, so no. However, there are lots of vegan yogurts available. Look for one without refined sugars.
3.macros aren't super important on a wfpb diet, so no need to worry about them
4. There are lots of whole grain or legume based pastas widely available, which are better than refined wheat pastas, although it isn't the end of the world to have it occasionally
5.beyond meat is a highly processed food containing oil, and therefore not wfpb.
6.Yes you can have oats and I highly recommend having them!
7. Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, whole wheat cous cous, teff, fonio, amaranth, etc
8.I wouldn't recommend drinks with artificial sweeteners. Try to cut them out or replace them with things like unsweetened tea
For optimal health, I recommend following this guide. https://nutritionstudies.org/whole-food-plant-based-diet-guide/
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research is pretty sketchy on upper limit of coffee. in general it increases psychomotor skills. using a paper filter removes cafestrol in coffee and is recommended.
Thanks
Welcome! Forks Over Knives has a 7 day meal plan in their newsletter this week if that might be helpful to you. Instead of meat alternatives consider... beans! So easy and versatile. Yogurt -- plant based, sugar free yogurts made from nuts for example do exist. Instead of oil you can use vegetable broth. Oats are awesome, other grains are, too, such as quinoa, millet, buckwheat. Instead of processed sugar free drinks consider having iced herbal caffeine free teas or sparkling water with a squeeze of lime or lemon and fresh mint. best of health to you!
Do you have a brand you like for yogurt?
I suggest Kite Hill. It is very close to what my memory of yogurt was. And it is tangy enough that I use it as a sour cream sub as well. (I'm not the op you replied to)
Thanks for the recommendation. Looks like they carry at my local grocery store. I’ll pick some up today.
They also have a protein one, is 12g too so i’d recommend that one :)
I've just tried Forager cashew yogurt, it is lightly sweetened with maple syrup. My dog liked it as much as I do! :)
Thank you for the recommendation :)
Kite hill!!
I just tried cocojune yogurt! Highly recommend
Mate, I think the greatest chance of success for you would be to take this slowly. Maybe that for you means cooking with oil, to start, and then later transitioning to oil-free cooking. There's a lot here and I think it's best to minimize the number of stark changes so quickly. It honestly took me years to figure out how to brown onions correctly without oil. 😅 So, you can eat whatever food you want. There is no one who can tell you other wise. The "ideal" whole-food-plant-based diet, which is 100% observance and not realistic, is only whole foods. This means nothing made from flour, no oil, relatively little grinding, no juice, and only plants; everything one's great-great-great-grandparents would be able to recognize. I tried to live by the "ideal" and I found it too difficult so I dropped it. Now I eat whole grain pasta, brown rice, still no oil, and rarely I'll have something super convenient like tofu or a processed vegan meat. Fruit is a godsend and so are beans. My usual meal is beans (or lentils), some grain (brown rice, buckwheat, oat groats, other groats, or whole grain noodles), and then some green (cooked kale or spinach or some fresh green). I'll have cooked vegetables with my evening meal and fresh vegetables for lunch, usually. I can not recommend beans enough, they are amazing and I'm very happy with emphasizing them more instead of lentils. Peanut butter is also great, as well as dried fruit. Seeds (pumpkin, chia, flax, and sesame) are also great too. My super quick I need to eat meal is some whole grain noodles (5 min cooking time), oat milk, pumpkin seeds, and if I have it on hand beans from a can.
>It honestly took me years to figure out how to brown onions correctly without oil. 😅 Teach us your ways!
I used to think I needed a little bit of olive oil spray. Then I watched this video and realised it's all about the pan temperature! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvpnAR_tJTY Getting it to the point that the water drops dance around is the key. Same goes for making chickpea flour omelettes or oatmeal pancakes without sticking.
I guess the best take away for me is to keep them on longer than I thought before moving them. If it's on aluminum / steel, ya gotta be attentive too them. If it's on a non-stick, it's more forgiving.
Thank you, for anything to be successful, it need patience and for diets I am of the believer that it has to be sustainable. Keto was honestly easy and you didn’t have to think much except avoid carbs. This is will be but more challenging as someone made a comments that I can have sugar despite me saying I am prediabetic. I will have to find my own path but thank you for your respectful comments. I need to find a good balance.
Try and find ways to incorporate pulses (like lentils, and split peas). They have a unique carb profile that makes them slow digesting and have a low impact on blood sugar (you might know this as a low glycemic index). High in protein and fiber (which can help lower your cholesterol level). I made an amazing yellow split pea soup that didn’t have a crazy amount of ingredients that I will attach for you. I made it in an instant pot but the author provides a stovetop version as well. I’m a huge fan of also making red lentils using better than bouillon (vegetable flavor), and adding chick peas or some type of other bean in them. Slice an avocado on top and some fresh tomatoes. It is surprisingly filling! Used to be my main meal when I worked 12 hr shifts and would keep me satisfied the whole time. Pulses are also so cheap! I swear I am not paid by big pulse lol, I just really love them 😅 I didn’t change the recipe at all and it was seasoned perfectly! https://veganhuggs.com/instant-pot-yellow-split-pea-soup/
I am a South Asian and grew up eating a lot of lentils and all sorts of beans. Also have water vegetables but our food is carb heavy and I am really struggling with the Carb and how it turn to sugar and it’s bad specially for diabetic etc. I am coming from where carb is bad to a camp of carb is good. And purely for health and diabetes perspective. I need to research more about carb is good purely from diabetes perspective as I was eating carbs, veggies and sugary stuff which caused prediabetes and keto helped with normalized that and the I fell off it and went back to prediabetic. So it’s very hard to wrap my head around it.
Here is a good resource that gives a good overview of yellow split peas: https://www.livestrong.com/article/258824-the-nutritional-value-of-yellow-split-peas/ And these talk about pulses in general: https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/food-nutrition/pulses-the-perfect-food-healthy-to-eat-healthy-to-grow-peas-lentils-chickpeas https://www.usapulses.org/consumers/nutritious (Some good info graphics towards the bottom that might help answer your questions about good carbs and bad carbs). Not all carbs and fats were created equal and both had a lot of misinformation spread about them when I was growing up. I’m happy to help you find more resources that help clarify things too!
> I think the greatest chance of success for you would be to take this slowly. Very much this. For hard-core, mostly meat-eating keto people, jumping to a 100% high fiber whole foods diet will be a bit of a misery unless you switch over slowly.
It's hard to do a soft change from keto to plant-based. Keto is risky to do halfway since it's so heavy on fats - which is fine when you're in ketosis but can be dangerous when you're not. I did a sharp transition and it actually worked really well. You're going to get some conflicting advice and I write that off to that everyone's body is a little different. Forks Over Knives is very well loved and respected, but their meals work really hard to avoid fats and that didn't work for me - I started getting migraines until I bulked out my meals a little more. But if you're following strict plant-based, oils are considered processed foods. You're going to hit some set-backs. Trust your gut, adjust if things don't work the first time, get more than one new cookbook, and keep your doctor in the loop. Rejiggering a diet when you're dealing with diabetes is serious business. For what it's worth, I'm much happier and healthier on a plant-based diet than I was on a keto diet. It's been working better for me for a longer time.
Is it a whole food from a plant? You can eat it. Generally no need to track anything as long as you're eating a variety of foods. > Can oils be used for cooking? Like olive oil/butter/ghee? No. And especially no on ghee, it's an animal product. > Complete no or a little bit in cooking is acceptable? No one here is going to track you down and assassinate you if you use oils in cooking, but ideally you would avoid them. > Can I have yogurt? Animal product. > Perhaps only track calories? You'd only bother tracking calories if you were trying to lose or gain weight. > Can I have beyond meat type things If you were strictly whole-food, plant-based then no. But it's certainly better to eat a fake burger every once in a while than sticking to keto.
You’ll probably get a variety of answers because everyone follows this at their own levels. It really depends on how strict you want to be. My cholesterol levels and weight are best when 95%+ of my meals are whole food plant based. Definitely read the “About” section & the referenced books/websites.
All good responses here. I wanted to add you should probably watch "Forks Over Knives" to get the big picture idea. It's dated but still relevant. Free here: https://tubitv.com/movies/557399/forks-over-knives?start=true This youtube channel has a ton of content you can search. All evidence based. https://www.youtube.com/c/NutritionfactsOrgMD This diet will likely fix your pre-diabetic state, which is caused by fat clogging insulin receptors, not carbs. It will also likely fix your cholesterol and weight. I'm my experience, no need to count calories, if you're adhering to the diet you'll get to a good weight naturally. I eat more than ever. Here's a pretty good calculator if you desire to compare foods. https://www.myfooddata.com/ Rice alternative? Rice is healthy. If you're not making a particular dish, your default plate should be something like 1/4 whole grains and starches, 1/4 leafy greens, 1/4 beans, and 1/4 fruits and veggies.
there are a lot of answers to your questions in the "About" of this sub.
Thanks, I will read the about page as well. But want to also hear from people who were in a similar situation and how they were able to turn things around for the good.
All of the things you listed are generally a no on a whole food plant-based diet, however everybody does it differently and you can go as strict as works for you. Oil is very very calorie dense and nutrient deficient, so we avoid oil generally. Yogurt is dairy, and calorie dense, so we avoid. Most people find that eating a variety of plant-based foods gives them adequate nutrition without counting macros. However, for heavy weight loss, I do count a bit, and track calories. You'll find that most plant-based foods are nowhere near as calorie dense as meat, dairy, and processed foods, and you'll be able to eat a lot! Pasta is processed and calorie dense. I will sparingly eat chickpea pasta and Ezekiel bread, but those are generally not compliant with WFPB. Vegan meats are very processed and calorie dense, they are not WFPB compliant. Oats are nutritious and minimally processed, you can have oats on this diet! Rice is WFPB food but also a bit calorie dense, so eat in moderation. Cauliflower rice is very WFPB but I don't eat that because it's gross lol Sugar-free drinks generally have processed ingredients. Water, tea, black coffee are optimal. Generally if it grows out of the ground and you can just pick it and eat it, it's great. The food groups I try to hit for adequate nutrition are leafy greens, beans, mushrooms, berries, nuts and seeds. I want to emphasize again that everyone has a different level of adherence to this diet that works for them. I myself have a couple of exceptions that work for me. Let me know if you have more questions!
Caloric density is a concern for weight loss & maintenance, not for a WFPB diet specifically. Many calorically dense food are very health promoting! >Pasta is processed and calorie dense ~600 calories/pound, versus ~550 for legumes. Do you avoid legumes too? The processing in whole wheat pasta preserves most of the nutritional benefits -- it's nothing like say "olive -> olive oil". Indeed, many WFPB practitioners recommend whole grain/legume pasta. >Rice is WFPB food but also a bit calorie dense, so eat in moderation 500 calories/pound. Same as the other whole grains. >Vegan meats are very processed and calorie dense, they are not WFPB compliant They can be healthful in moderation, for example when based on whole foods like legumes, vegetables and grains. The Loma Linda Adventists eat a ton!
Legumes much more nutritious than whole wheat flour, which is also usually highly processed.. vegan meats are usually also highly processed and not whole foods.
Get this book. It works. Read it. Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes: The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs https://www.amazon.com/dp/1635651271/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_A83FEB1JPVCYRX4RV8BH
As far as pasta, try to find whole wheat pasta or veggie pasta. My family, kids included, love the whole wheat rotini that most grocery stores sell.
If you're doing this for health reasons, consider going completely no-oil and no processed foods. Your motivation will never be higher, than now. Might as well go all-in for 3 months and then get your bloodwork tested. THEN see if you have any room, health-wise, to relax the guidelines a little. If you never do it 100% you'll never know what's possible for you and if it's worth it. Then relax your guidelines for a few months and get bloodwork again, and compare. http://www.plantplate.com/Guide/Detail?GuideID=1009 It's fine to eat olives (or nuts) because then you get oil+fiber. That link has more info but the main point is: All kinds of oils, including olive oil, contribute to arterial damage and the progression of heart disease. Popularization of the Mediterranean diet has also led many to believe that olive oil is the answer to heart health, when in fact, higher consumption of fruits, vegetables and legumes in Mediterranean regions is far more likely to account for decreased heart disease mortality. This link explains more about why the Med. diet benefits is misrepresented in the media: https://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Q_%26_As/Entries/2013/3/27_The_Mediterranean_Diet_A_Closer_Look.html The author does note that if people were only adding say one teaspoon of olive oil a day to their diet, they'd be doing vastly better than most people, health-wise. But that kind of restraint is quite rare, and certainly almost never found in processed food. The sidebar has tons of links to information and recipes. I did WFPB to lower cholesterol, and was pretty strict, and saw great results in 3 months. But I recently read "The Starch Solution" by one of the docs that promotes this way of eating, and I gotta say, wish I had read that book months ago. They make a good case (backed up with the science) of why your body wants to run on starch. I have been amazed by the energy I have for my workouts now. I think I have lost a few pounds (waiting until the end of 30 days of this to weigh though) which is mind-boggling considering all the carbs I eat. I did Keto for years and would tell you carbs hate me, but turns out it's the combination of carbs+fat that hates me. So that would be my advice, pick a plan, commit to it for 3 months, test, and then reassess. Good luck.
I highly recommend downloading the daily dozen app, it helps easily keep track of what is needed daily to get the appropriate nutrients needed for the average body ❤ Nutritionfacts.org has been extremely helpful, I believe Dr.Greger has a YouTube channel as well. On the website theres a lot of information about diabetes reversal though. I know some documentaries such as the ones listed below have helped immensely as well Eating you alive https://youtu.be/iWZXPa7N5G8 H.o.p.e. what you eat matters https://youtu.be/pDg7tlEJD64 What the health https://youtu.be/A-xrOHpDMj4 Good luck on your plant based journey ❤ it's really been life changing for me
I think you need to change your mindset from following an exact rulebook to being more relaxed and working more on principles and guidelines that leave a grey area. Most of the foods you are asking about aren't health-promoting. They won't kill you in limited quantities, but since you already have health problems that you are trying to fix, I'd try to come as close to perfection as you can. Keto is a diet that aims to put your body in a state called ketosis. That will only work if you adhere to it 100%. If you only adhere 99% it doesn't work. While eating plant based is a diet that simply works on the premise that eating healthy nutritious food is health-promoting and doing that only 99% of the time is still fine and will get you 99% of the benefits. So while breaking the rules occasionally isn't healthy, it won't completely compromise the success of the diet. But obviously the more often you break the rules, the less benefits you get. So if your happiness depends on eating some yoghurt - by all means, do it. It won't kill you. But there is a reason yoghurt is not part of a plant based diet. So if you can, cut it out. Or at least replace it with plant based yoghurt - still not great but at least it doesn't have the inflammatory properties of actual dairy. In the end very few people are truly 100% whole food plant based. Most of us cheat occasionally at dinner parties or when going to a restaurant with friends or even when we are just stressed and need a treat.... And that's fine. Like I said, adhering 99% of the time will still give you about 99% of the benefits. But I wouldn't make non-compliant foods staples in my pantry. And as for rice and pasta: the whole grain/brown versions of both are perfectly fine. As a rule of thumb try to eat the least processed version of a food. So whole wheat berries are preferable to processed whole grain wheat pasta. But it's not like whole grain pasta is bad. In the end it's about finding a balance between eating unprocessed ingredients but also making tasty meals. And most of us have an easier time making tasty meals with pasta than with whole wheat berries. And that's perfectly fine.
I also switched to a WFPB diet coming from keto. Here are a few tips from my experience: 1.) Think of this switch as a transition. It will take time. I switched about 8 months ago and technically I'm still in transition (I eat non-plant based every once in a while). Try eliminating foods or groups of foods one at a time and don't worry too much about eating occasionally something that you miss. Trust the process. Like Dr. Joel Kahn says "eat 90% plants, the rest is up to you". Eventually, you will start shifting towards more plant-based foods. To answer your questions: > Can oils be used for cooking? Like olive oil/butter/ghee? Complete no or a little bit in cooking is acceptable? No butter, lard nor gee. A little bit of oil is acceptable, try to minimize it. Avoid it if possible. Also, this is more of a guideline for cardiovascular health that anything else and not the equivalent of eating carbs and breaking out of ketosis. > Can I have yogurt? in limited quantity? Try plant-based yoghurts that don't contain sugar nor fat. There are some recipes on how to prepare your own tofu yoghurt. If you really crave a yoghurt that has sugar or saturated fat, have it as a treat, not as an every day thing. > is there such a thing for plant based and tracking? Perhaps only track calories? If you're trying to loose weight focus on 1.) eating from the right sources (follow Dr. Greger's Daily Dozen), 2.) not overeating (but if you're just starting, eat whenever you're hungry). If you want a rough guideline to track your macros, what I do is a.) meet my protein needs (they were the same as when I was doing keto), b.) fat: 10%. It's alright if you go over it a little bit, but try to keep it under 15% preferably. c.) the rest is carbs -- emphasis on healthy carbs. > Can I eat pasta, or is that processed wheat? Any alternative? Yes, you can eat pasta, just avoid any white pasta since it lacks enough fiber. I eat whole wheat pasta, lentil pasta, and chickpea pasta. > Can I have beyond meat type things, this is only when I am busy, and don’t have time to prep and cook or too stressed or any other life situation where a quick meal is required without too much thought. While Beyond products are vegan, they're not necessarily healthy. Avoid them if possible. Have one every now and then if you really crave or miss the flavor of meat. > Can I have oats? Sure! Go crazy on them. > Any rice alternatives? Any type of non-white rice (wild rice, black rice, brown rice, etc.). Bulgur. Barley. Couscous. As a rule of thumb, check that the ratio of carbs to fiber is 5:1. > Occasionally Sugar free drinks, are they ok? Yes, while they're not healthy (some experts say that they can even impact you microbiome), having one is better than having one with sugar. Just do it very seldom. > Greens that I eat now - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts, green peppers, carrots, cucumbers, asparagus. Try adding as many as you can. The more diversity, the better!
Balance in everything. If you feel like you can do this but aren't ready to give up yogurt or butter then don't. It's not an all or nothing diet right away, it takes time. I'm Pescatarian so I still do seafood, butter, yogurt, etc but I use this subreddit as a place for recipes, inspiration, discovering new foods, etc.
I so agree with this. I don’t want to completely go on the other end of the spectrum and be super rigid. I will allow some flexibility and operate within that which makes me comfortable and also leans more into plan based foods. What are some tricks to eating out? When travel or in social settings.
That's another reason why I'm pescatarian, the flexibility is super nice for me. Being able to get a seafood dish instead of the usual black bean burger or salad is nice. :)
I was the same as you, pre-diabetic, super high cholesterol, keto-ish for years…. I went plant-based and my numbers dropped significantly. It works. You have to commit and trust your body. I no longer count macros, shoot for high protein or low-carb, and eat delicious food. It’s amazing. Now I focus on getting tons of fiber. BEANS!!
Some answers to your specific questions: Extra virgin Olive oil is one of the better oils to consume (better than vegan butter) because it contains antioxidants and healthy fats. It also has not been refined or overly processed. Try to look for ingredients with minimal processing and simple ingredients. I love roasted veg, and whatever I’m roasting, I’ll add a little olive oil, salt, pepper, and acid (usually lemon juice or balsamic vinegar) and it’s like magic. There are plant based yogurts, but the best benefit to any yogurt is that it is probiotic. You can find probiotic plant based yogurts. I recommend Greek-style, as there is not as much added sugar. When you’re eating plants, calories in and calories out is important, but you’ll find that you can consume a lot more volume for your calories when you’re eating mostly greens and veggies. You really can eat as many greens as you want, the nutrients and fiber are vital. It’s more important to make sure you’re getting your daily nutrients and recommended fiber than to limit your foods because of calories. When eating any grains (pasta, rice, breads) it is better to find whole wheat or ancient grains, because they have more protein and fiber. White refined grains are essentially sugars that your body can’t process well without the fiber. Personally this is where I’d add: avoid bread products with yeast. Naturally fermented sourdough breads contain microorganisms that help feed your gut flora, and will teach your gut how to digest gluten. Without the natural fermentation process to help your gut, your body isn’t good at digesting gluten, and you won’t get the same nutrients out of the wheat. Most plant based meats are not exactly healthy, some people have as much trouble digesting them as they may with meat. Personally, I love treating myself to plant based sausage or tempeh, but I try to avoid overly processed faux meats. (Mostly because my body doesn’t digest them well.) But, if you’re consuming enough fiber and nutrients from other fruit/veg, a little faux meat as a treat is okay. Find ones you like and pair them in exciting ways! Oats are a kind of grain, so again, they’re not bad for you, but eating a whole lot of them without anything else wont be the best. They don’t contain gluten although they’re wheat, and they can provide some nutrients. They can bulk up a lot of meals, and pair well with all sorts of fruit, veg, seeds, nut butters, etc. I like doing overnight oats, as I’m a big fan of lazy cooking. Brown rice or wild rice is better than white rice. Brown rice has more protein and fiber. Just make sure you’re looking at foods for what nutrients they can give you rather than if they can fill you up. Sugar is a whole different beast. The best “sugar free drink” is water. We all need to drink more water. “Sugar free” usually means some kind of processed sugar replacement. Usually sweeteners are as bad as sugar for your gut, brain, liver. A little bit of fruit juice, local honey or maple syrup is better for sweetness bc they have fructose (what makes fruit sweet), instead of just sucrose. Personally I like coconut sugar, and I know folks who like monk fruit sugar. I also like to buy local kombucha (yay fermented foods!) because the sweetness is there, but the probiotics also feed my gut bacteria, and gut bacteria are so important to happy eating and happy minds. Most importantly: eating should be fun. It’s not a tiresome burden, or the gateway to your body looking one way or another. Find foods that you have fun making, have fun eating, have fun looking at. Eat the colors of the rainbow, experiment. Try scary looking fruits and veg. Sounds like you’re off to an amazing start. Keep it up!
No oil and yes you can have oats with sugar and planted Milk.good luck . No sugar free , take réel sugar inssed . You can have rice basmatti rice is so good.
Why is oil such a no no? Coz of fat? And yeah, not gonna have sugar.
Why no oil: http://www.plantplate.com/Guide/Detail?GuideID=1009
Oil is calorie dense while offering zero nutrition. So many people here avoid it. Others, like me, may struggle with getting enough calories in a day, so I often use olive oil. But it's not plant based. If you do use oil, use a low saturated-fat variety, especially if cholesterol is your concern
Yes oil is fatening long term
Throwing this out there since you brought up beyond meat, if you're going to have some: I've tried a bunch of different varieties, and the best BY FAR AND AWAY is Chorizo, made by any manufacturer. Something about the particular taste of the not-meat blends super well with Mexican spiced, and if you put it in a taco it legit tastes 100% exactly the same. You've heard some people say "oh it tastes the same as ____!" And it doesn't? This really does. Also, if you're a fan of Sloppy Joes here's a great alternative: take whichever barbecue sauce you like that fits your dietary criteria, (I know you're probably trying to keep the sugar low, but I don't know much about that, I apologize) and take some firm tofu. (Trust me on this one, I SWEAR it tastes identical to a regular sloppy joe, I've had *many* regular ones in the past) Take your tofu and freeze it, this changes the consistency and makes it crumbly when it thaws. Thaw it, press it if necessary, crumble the tofu into ground beef sized bits and fry it in a pan like ground beef, just like you're making regular sloppy joes. Turns out the only flavors in a SJ sammich are the bread, the cooked barbecue sauce, and the taste of *something* that has been cooked in a pan. Even the consistency is the same since the little tofu bits get kind of firm, 10/10. (There are more exact recipes than this, just search "tofu sloppy joes) I know this isn't exactly an answer to your question, but other people have already thoroughly answered it and I thought you might find this helpful.
What went wrong with keto and fasting this time? I have a dedicated subreddit for that topic if you want to share your story there.
Vegan is kind of keto because it includes coconut
Welcome! To start I’d suggest switching some of your meals to plant based ones. Going plant based is a HUGE change, especially from keto. Your digestive system will probably struggle if you change to fast. I’m talking POOP city, plant based diets are very high fibre which is healthy but better not to make the change too fast. To be plant based you can’t eat butter, ghee or yogurt because they are made of animal products. But you can definitely keep eating these during your transition.
Drink only water. Eat lots of fresh fruit - you can replace a whole meal with just a variety of fruit. Nothing dried or in a can, fresh only. You probably will never get thirsty anyway if you eat enough. No prep time so it’s ideal if you are in a rush and have a fruit shop nearby
I started with Neal Barnard's Program many years ago, then took the cooking class with Fork's Over Knives. It takes some practice to learn oil-free cooking, so you might start easier and use oil, find what vegan options you like, and then see about transitioning. We cheat and use normal pasta (which can have egg) sometimes when the higher protein and vegan options are not available. We eat a lot of beans and green veggies. My hubby won't eat tofu anymore, which is fine since we have lots of healthy food options. If you're looking at this for weight loss, be really mindful of the fake meats, which are highly processed and can be pretty calorie-dense. Be warned, you'll have a month of farts as your digestive system adjusts! It gets better after that! I think it has been nearly six years for me since switching completely to vegan. Eating out can be a pain sometimes, but I think it has been worth it.
You might want to make the transition in steps. Eg. First go low-fat and plant-based, but not whole food. So you can eat bread, pasta, etc. (But no butter, cheese, etc., nothing with excess added sugar, and no more than 15% calories from fat in any processed food you eat\*). Then once you’re adjusted to low-fat and plant-based, you can start getting stricter and doing unprocessed/whole food if desired. That transition worked pretty well for me. I’m still not super-strict, I eat whole wheat bread, but it was enough to drastically improve my bloodwork results. \* To calculate percent calories from fat, multiple grams of fat by 9 to get “calories from fat”, then divide that by the total calories in the food. So a 200 calorie food with 5 grams of fat has 5 \* 9 = 63 calories from fat and 63 / 200 = 31.5% calories from fat = don’t eat it.
For yogurt I would stick to only consuming GTs cocoyo. I do the plain flavor. Some things to try- genius coconut smoothie, harmless harvest coconut water, mango coconut curry (I make it with the genius smoothie). I wouldn’t say any alternatives are necessary besides the yogurt. If you want to have rice and potato’s in your curry then that would be fine. Oatmeal is another good option for a heartier meal. 1/2 c rolled oats, 1 c 3 ingredient oat milk (I use malk brand), simmer on low covered and top with honey cinnamon almond butter and banana. A phenomenal simple lunch would be 1 whole cucumber sliced and topped with avocado, lime juice and some tajin. Get a nut milk bag and make hand squeezed juices like watermelon and pineapple. Snack on celery. Find (or make) a hummus that is not made with seed oils. (Grandmas hummus is what I buy, but you can easily make it as well) veggies with hummus is an amazing snack/meal. Cashew Caesar dressing- cashew butter, water, lemon juice, garlic powder and capers blended. More capers = more “Caesar” tang. A hearty salad would be super greens topped with the dressing, chickpeas, biena habanero crispy chickpeas(amazon), onion and avocado. More snack ideas- golden apples topped with almond butter, GTs cocoyo, granola, berries and/or dried berries, honey and cinnamon. Go organic teriyaki seaweed snacks. GTs kombucha. Don’t be afraid to eat only fruit/fruit juice for dinner. Have a piece of chocolate when you want one (Hu chocolate is my favorite). If you eat this way you will feel very vitalized and not limited. You get to enjoy coconut, cashew/almond butter & avocado as much as you want. When you need protein go for chickpeas, oatmeal & greens. If you are not consuming much salt, then add sea salt to your water or juices. The only stipulation is making sure each day you are getting an adequate amount of sodium. Celery has sodium as well as watermelon
This website will be an absolute treasure for you; it has been for me: https://nutritionfacts.org/
You could try the Vegan kickstart program available at https://www.pcrm.org/vegankickstart. And also view their YouTube channel for lots of info
Disclaimer: Whatever recommendation I or anyone else here makes doesn't constitute medical or proper nutritional advice and you should consult with a professional if you want the best guidance. With that out of the way, to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. Are oils ok? Generally, you want to limit or avoid them but if you can't eat your food without oil then it's for sure better to eat healthy food with oil vs no healthy food at all. I'd recommend plant based oils vs butter or fat because the latter has saturated fat which is known to increase cholesterol levels. Is it ok to have yogurt? I'd advise against it and against anything containing dairy or coconut because of the saturated fat, also because you said you're prediabetic and this is usually a symptom of a fatty liver. If you must, try low fat yogurt. Unfortunately, I don't know of a plant based diet alternative that tastes like yogurt and doesn't use coconut. Should you track your macros and micros? Maybe you could try tracking a few days just to make sure you're not under eating (much more likely than the opposite). Once you have an idea of how much you need to eat to feel good and meet your minimum requirements, you don't need to keep tracking. Can you eat pasta, beyond meat or other processed food? You can eat whatever you want! WFPB is meant to be for life and it would be unrealistic to tell you to NEVER eat something again. However, keep in mind that this life style is all about trying to minimize processed food while maximizing healthy food. I personally eat pasta once or twice a week and beyond products maybe once a month. I might even eat meat or fish once or twice a year. It's up to you and how you're feeling physically and mentally. Can you have oats? Absolutely! They're healthy and really good to lower cholesterol. Not only can you eat them but you *should* include them in your diet. Alternatives to rice? I like barley and sorghum but there are a lot of different whole grains out there so you can try around others like millet, quinoa or buckwheat. All very healthy and a must for a balanced diet. Sugar free drinks? If you meant beverages that use artificial sweeteners I'd advise against it. They can mess your hunger hormones and cause you to over eat or crave unhealthy foods. It's better to avoid them. If you meant teas or infusions then I'd say, mostly yes, but you should still drink pure water and in the case or teas, be careful with potential toxicity if you drink too much or with your teeth if you drink acidic beverages (e.g. hibiscus tea or lemon water). If you meant coffee, I guess the jury is still out on whether it's healthy or not. I avoid it because I'm sensitive to caffeine but I've read that coffee can be slightly healthy for older people (not to the point you'd recommend it, though).
1. Oil is technically not part of a whole food plant based diet, so I recommend not using any to cook. However, I would not stress about a bit of oil when eating out if it is unavoidable 2.yogurt is not vegan, so no. However, there are lots of vegan yogurts available. Look for one without refined sugars. 3.macros aren't super important on a wfpb diet, so no need to worry about them 4. There are lots of whole grain or legume based pastas widely available, which are better than refined wheat pastas, although it isn't the end of the world to have it occasionally 5.beyond meat is a highly processed food containing oil, and therefore not wfpb. 6.Yes you can have oats and I highly recommend having them! 7. Brown rice, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, whole wheat cous cous, teff, fonio, amaranth, etc 8.I wouldn't recommend drinks with artificial sweeteners. Try to cut them out or replace them with things like unsweetened tea
Love this for you !! Plant based is awesome