Taste the Rainbow: Your Guide Eating to a More Plant-Based Diet

Gracia Madre

The term plant-based means foods and beverages that consist of absolutely no animal products and are derived from plants, which includes vegetables, grains, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds. Think: pea protein shakes, cashew milk and beet burgers.

Plant-based is in itself more approachable than “vegan,” implying that you’re not cutting too much out, but rather adding a lot in. Plant-based provides numerous positive health benefits, includes tasty meat substitutions and supplies important environmental impacts to reduce the immense carbon output that industrial farming contributes to.

For these reasons, it becomes clear why the benefits of eating a plant-based diet grew by 20 percent in one year from 2018 to 2019 and reached $3.3 billion according to this study. And with chef-made meals that can now be delivered to your doorstep, opting for plant-forward foods that take less time to prep is becoming a favored option for many who are too busy to cook themselves. These innovative plant-based recipes have even taken the road down gourmet, with celebrity chefs like Matthew Kenney building their own vegan empire’s in the fine-dining space.

Gracia Madre

Taking an intentional approach to the benefits of eating a plant-based diet is the idea behind eating more fruits and veggies that resemble the rays of the rainbow. So, whether you are integrating more sustainably-sourced animal products into your life, like this Italian curemaster’s ethically-made prosciutto, sipping on organically-sourced grapes for a healthier glass of wine or adding a fresh-pressed juice into your everyday routine, there is always space for more mindful consumption.

Here, we chat with a few experts about the health benefits of a plant-based diet and how you can build better habits in the kitchen for a more colorful—and nutrient-rich—lifestyle.

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CONSIDER EATING PLANT-BASED
To get a deeper understanding of what it means to enjoy the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, we spoke with Doctor Susan Wilder, a certified functional medicine practitioner who focuses on full-spectrum family medicine.

Known as the “Medicinal Maverick,” she is also the CEO of the Scottsdale, Arizona family practice LifeScape Premier and considered to be one of the top 21 doctors in concierge medicine. LifeScape offers dynamic services, such as nutritional testing to conduct functional medicine assessments and personal nutritional counseling through concierge services designed for patients of all ages.

When it comes to making any dramatic dietary changes or food group eliminations, Dr. Wilder believes you should pursue medical guidance with close monitoring for nutrient deficiencies. LifeScape’s functional nutritionist, for example, monitors a patient’s response after introducing a change in diet, while also helping them understand how they can replace key nutrients with alternatives to achieve an optimal dietary balance long-term.

After attending Harvard’s Culinary Medicine Course in Napa Valley in 2019, Dr. Wilder further understood the benefits of eating a plant-based diet of helping patients shift towards a plant-based Mediterranean diet. Since then, she has seen many health transformations in her patients, including one who reversed Lupus after switching to veganism.

He examines the complexities of food choice, preference and behaviors, which help him develop tools for Rouxbe’s audience to support their journey to more balanced nutrition. The brand works with a wellness advisory board and American College of Lifestyle Medicine to understand the efficacy around the benefits of eating a plant-based diet.

As there are thousands of foodie websites and health information out there, Rouxbe wanted to go beyond just being a place to broadcast content; he wanted to create rich, meaningful content that helps you track your health goals, gain more discipline around nutrition and obtain data to help you move the needle on your progress. Really, Rouxbe wants everyone to feel like they can get in the kitchen, enjoy the health benefits of a plant-based diet and cook for themselves, it may be messy and unpredictable and consistently imperfect, but that’s not the point, because it surely will be messy.

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Their clients have experienced weight loss, management of disease and overall vitality after learning to cook more plant-based. “Eating more foods made from plants and fewer foods from animals has significant environmental advantages as well,” Rubin said.

The BBC has reported that plant-based diets can help fight climate change by limiting our dependency on livestock for food that contributes to global warming through the methane gasses that animals produce as well as deforestation due to expanding pastures. So, consider opting for cashew or oat milk next time you order a latte and skip the cow patty on burger night, making chickpea and veggie patties instead. With Rouxbe, there is a sense of dynamism brought to the dining experience so that you can confidently make these decisions and help you make changes at home—and in the world.

Although their nutritional specialties are different, Dr. Wilder and Rubin’s messages are both clear: not one diet is right for everyone, and there are benefits of eating a plant-based diet. At LifeScape, dietary guidance is a collaborative effort between doctors, nutritionists and patients, which is based on the whole constellation of concerns, risk factors and intolerances.

For Dr. Wilder, a more plant-based lifestyle or plant-based diet plan was the direction best suited for her, so she consumes organic fresh produce, eliminates gluten grains, soda and juice and reduces her alcohol intake. Since adopting these lifestyle changes, she has looked closely at her telomeres, a marker of aging at the genetic level, and found positive results. You can find Dr. Wilder at the Scottsdale Farmer’s Market or the Singh organic farm sourcing her own farm-to-table goodies that are keeping her young.

For Rubin, tuning into the resources around you for inspiration to create your own wellness at-home is the key to building empowerment behind a shift in diet. Consider taking a local cooking class, preparing food with a friend who is a veggie-addict or heading online to find recipes made from plants of every color.

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EAT THE RAINBOW
Ripe strawberries, fresh pineapple and crisp carrots are some of our favorite colorful veggies and fruits that adorn our plates on the daily. Not only does a more vibrant platter look more appealing, but the numerous benefits of eating a diverse array of plant-based foods of goods from the garden means more wellness in general.

“Phytonutrients are the nutrients we naturally get from fruits and vegetables that are essential to our microbiome, which is made up of trillions of microorganisms that live in our digestive tract,” Dr. Wilder shared. “Plant-based foods provide the optimal combination of phytonutrients and supportive fiber, to support a healthy microbiome.”

This means the improved health of our immune responses, hormone balance, toxin clearance and brain chemistry are more in balance from eating a more plant-based diet with many benefits.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) noted that consuming a phytonutrient-rich diet seems to be an “effective strategy” for reducing cancer and heart disease risks. Supplements that are intended to help with antioxidants and phytonutrients simply cannot match the benefits of eating the rainbow, Dr. Wilder remarked.

Rubin amplifies the importance of finding foods that work for and with you by saying, “There is not one way of eating that works for all, but it is fair to say that we can all benefit from eating a plant-based diet and less processed foods and adding in more veggies, grains and fruits. There exists an incredible diversity and bounty that can be uncovered in these foods if you just explore a bit or show some curiosity about the uniqueness of food. Be open to the unexpected and delightful flavors, colors and textures that foods can hold.”

His enthusiasm for the plant-based diet food trend and benefits stems from a place of witnessing change firsthand in his clients. People have made dramatic changes to their health after learning to cook more plant-based meals, so, not only becoming more independent and confident in the kitchen but providing you with improved energy and in some cases helping with managing a disease.

Gracias Madre

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BUILD BETTER EATING HABITS
“According to the Harvard School of Public Health, and our observations, Americans are consuming twice as much protein as we need to and that excess protein is converted to sugar and stored as fat. They are also eating half as much fiber and, frequently, much more alcohol than is wise,” Dr. Wilder said.

All of us can benefit from avoiding sweetened beverages/sodas/juices, minimizing alcohol and processed foods and incorporating eating 5-6 servings daily of fruits and vegetables while keeping portions of animal proteins small.
At Rouxbe, Rubin explained that, in order to attract and encourage more conscientious eating and enjoy the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, they provide students with a purpose and a path around food—something to look forward to, something that gives them the recognition of moving forward, even the smallest things.

He noted that any lifestyle shift will typically begin small, so, start with a few achievable things you can do each week to make them routine. “It might be adding an amazing veggie chili to the menu for the family each week or a breakfast bowl with grains and seeds or a post-workout fruit smoothie. Think about the foods you crave and look for a dish that satisfies that need with natural ingredients added in,” Rubin said.

Rouxbe provided a free digital download of their plant-based eating guide, including five tips to get started on integrating more plants into your diet, nutrient info to ensure your body is getting what it needs daily and ideas for simple snacking. Other excellent and engaging places for content is nonother than Instagram.

Elsa's Wholesome Life

There is a wave of plant-based chefs using their social media platforms to make veggie trends look better than your mom’s cookbook. Gaz Oakley, a young chef, author and Youtuber from Whales, creates meat-alternative recipes, including this Vietnamese vegan burger, which can all be replicated at home from his cookbook or by watching him prep the dishes firsthand on his Instagram TV. His recipes and cookbooks are filled with pages of the benefits of eating a plant-based and vegan dishes that look familiar to typically meat-made items, are decadently adorned and splashed with color.

Ellie Bullen is another vegan and plant-based blogger bringing visually-stunning homemade smoothies, desserts and entrees to the table. Her integration of global flavors reminds her audience that eating more vegetables can be a chance to travel without leaving the table. And her how-to videos of food prep and kitchen practices show you how to make masterful meals on your own

Whether it’s veggies and fruits from the field, the farm, your garden or your local grocer’s—adding in more plant-based foods to your diet is one of the healthiest choices to commit to. Happy tasting!

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FULL-SPECTRUM FOODS OF EVERY COLOR
RED: Radishes, strawberries, beets, goji berries, tomatoes, cranberries, red bell peppers, apples, passionfruit

ORANGE: Pumpkin, yams, carrots, oranges, mangoes, apricots, persimmon, peaches, butternut squash, cantaloupe

YELLOW: Sweet corn, bananas, lemons, pineapple, yellow bell peppers, yellow onion, star fruit, squash blossom

GREEN: Cucumbers, spinach, arugula, green bell peppers, green beans, basil, thyme, cilantro, oregano, broccoli, green apples, avocado

BLUE/PURPLE: Blueberries, grapes, acai berries, elderberries, blue carrots, spirulina powder, blue corn, eggplant, plums, dragon fruit