Swap Eggs for a plant-based alternative, when baking.
You can buy egg replacers in powdered or liquid form, but there’s an even healthier way to cut the eggs out of all your baking adventures! Substitute eggs with bananas, applesauce or avocados. These make great replacements when preparing cakes, muffins, and other baked goods. The absolutely best (and healthiest) replacement for eggs is a “flax-egg” or “chia-egg”. Mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed or chia seeds with three tablespoons of warm water and let it sit till it becomes a gel. Add this mixture to your recipe (just like you would add eggs).
Should you go with flax or chia seeds? You can use either one! It’s a matter of preference. Flax seeds have an earthy, nutty taste while chia seeds have very little flavor. (You might choose flax-eggs for heartier baked goods and reserve chia-eggs for recipes with more delicate flavors. And of course, swap any dairy used in baking with one of the plethoras of plant-based milks available on the market.
Swap meat for these healthy veggies.
The easiest way to eliminate meat from your meal, is to replace it with plant-based meat. While that may be the right thing to do at times (perhaps not more than one meal a day), we’re here to show you that you can amp things up to an even healthier level if you ditched the meat in favor of some meaty vegetables.
A meaty what, I hear you ask? At the top of the list is mushrooms. They have the umami flavor and a meaty texture. Portobello and cremini mushrooms are definitely at the top of the meaty-mushroom list, but there are so many more you can experiment with.
Jackfruit is another option that you may have not heard of. Yes, we know….it’s a fruit, not a vegetable, but when you see what jackfruit can do in place of meat in your savory dishes (like barbeque sandwiches, Philly cheesesteaks, and pulled pork dishes) you won’t care what it is.
If you thought eggplant parm was all eggplants were good for, think again. Eggplant has a rich, meaty taste and it’s very versatile, making it great for burgers, meatballs and pizza toppings!
Lastly, legume it up! Lentils, beans, and peas have been a long-standing dependable replacement for meat. Lentils are a great replacement for ground beef in literally any recipe that calls for it. Legumes are healthy, hearty and pack a nutrition punch and can replace ground beef easily.
Swap processed cereals and granola from your breakfast.
Unfortunately, most of the cereals or granola on the market, are packed with added sugars, oils and additives that don’t make them healthy breakfast foods. You are better off choosing a whole grain you cook at home (like oats, quinoa, or brown rice), or even making quick granola with oats, almonds, chia, and hemp seeds instead. Try going grain-free and mix up some nuts and seeds with coconut, pour a little non-dairy milk over the top, add some fruit and enjoy grain-free granola. The less processed your cereals and granola options, the better. Plus, choosing whole sources of fat, such as nuts and seeds, instead of consuming processed oils is also much healthier for your heart.
If you remember only one thing for today: You can hack your way into eating 80/20 Plants without having to learn new recipes and do extensive meal prep. Three simple swaps include replacing eggs in your baking, swapping out meat in dishes for healthy veggies, and swapping out processed cereals and granola from your breakfast in favor of whole grains like oats, quinoa, or brown rice, or even making a quick granola with oats, almonds, chia, and hemp seeds instead.
