It has been almost a year since I went plant based and it has been an interesting journey. I’m still learning what to eat, and in this process I am learning more about my body than what I knew before. Prior to going vegan, I was only eating chicken, seafood, very little dairy, and a small amount of egg products so making a plant based transition wasn’t as difficult for me. In the beginning, I didn’t notice much change in my body but over the last few months, I have witnessed changes in my body and my behavior. My internal dialogue about food has changed to “What do I need to eat?” as opposed to, “What do I want to eat?”
When I first went plant based, I didn’t believe that I would lose any weight especially since I was already working out at least once a week and didn’t see any weight loss. In retrospect, I probably wasn’t losing weight because I was eating more than what I am now. I had thought that since I went plant based, and the food I was eating wasn’t as “fulfilling,” I had to eat much more than what I needed each meal.
I wasn’t necessarily overweight to begin with (5’8” 160 lbs.) but around late April, I began to notice my jeans were too big for me. Finally, I weighed myself and was surprised to see that I lost 20 pounds without “dieting” or exercising. Losing weight from going plant based is fairly common but, it’s not a side effect that you will immediately experience if you already ate a relatively healthy diet prior to going plant based.
On a daily basis, I eat a pretty basic plant based diet that doesn’t contain much variation but it works for me. It’s ideal to begin the day with a quick fruit & nut smoothie for protein and energy. My favorite is based on a meal replacement banana smoothie that I bought on a whim while out one day and it has been my go-to ever since. The recipe that I use has frozen banana (peeled and frozen the night before), chopped walnuts, agave, almond milk, and a little vanilla extract; all of which I adjust to the size blender that I’m using and my anticipated meal schedule for the day. During the day, I snack on fresh and/or dry fruit. For lunch/dinner I typically eat a meal that is centered around rice, beans, or quinoa. In addition to this, I try to have a side of fresh green vegetables such as kale or spinach. Overall, I don’t believe that the foods that I eat at home are complicated to prepare or expensive (~$35 per week).
As someone who eats a plant based diet, going out to eat can be complicated, especially when you don’t live in a large metropolitan area that has a lot of vegan or vegetarian restaurants or options. Most chain restaurants don’t have main course vegan options but Chipotle and Moe’s have decent tofu (Chipotle’s tofu is seasoned better than Moes’ in my opinion). I personally don’t eat out a lot since I cook and have a limited budget but, when I do go out to eat with other people it is a little awkward to eat a meal of sides while my friends have full meals. My recommendation to anyone that’s going out to eat in a group on a plant based diet is to eat a salad while out so people don’t feel as though they are alienating you and eat a meal at home before.
Overall, eating a plant based diet has been a great life change for me and I would recommend it to anyone that has the means to do so. Eventually, I want to go fully vegan and eliminate animal products in all aspects of my life (i.e. clothes, shoes, furniture) but I do not have the means to at the moment. Once I stopped viewing food as something that I depended on for pleasure and entertainment, eating a healthy plant based diet and consuming less processed foods was very easy for me. In the long term, I can see myself being vegan for life and I hope to be an example for other people of color that are thinking about going plant based.