Beginner’s Guide to a Whole-Food Plant-Based Diet

If you’re new to eating a whole-food plant-based diet, or if you’re just curious, you came to the right spot. It’s worth mentioning that neither whole-food plant-based eating, diet nor a vegan diet are “diets” in the sense of restricting calories. The term is used here as a description of how someone eats on a consistent basis.

What exactly is a whole-food plant-based diet?

First up, following a whole-food plant-based (WFPB for short) diet is different from eating vegan. While neither includes animal-based foods nor foods derived from animal-based ingredients, WFPB goes a step further and removes overly processed foods like oil, junk food, white flour, white sugar, vegan ice cream, vegan cookies from the mix. Why? Because overly processed foods are typically very high in calories but low in nutrition. Calorie density isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but when paired with little or no nutritional value, it’s best to avoid those types of foods. Plus, high quantities of salt, fat, and sugar release super powerful chemicals in our brains that make us crave more and can turn down our body’s natural satiation signals, meaning it’s easy to eat way more of those foods more often than we intend.

What should you eat when following a WFPB diet?

When you eat a whole-food plant-based diet, you’ll find yourself enjoying:

• Vegetables
• Whole grains
• Beans & legumes
• Fruit
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Herbs & spices
• Minimally processed plant based ingredients like tofu, tempeh, unsweetened plant milk, and sprouted grain bread

Benefits of whole-food plant-based eating

Whether your motivation to eat more plants is to boost your immune system and your overall health, drop some pounds, get off your diabetes medication, help protect the environment, or animal welfare, it’s never too late to start, and there are no prerequisites. You simply start where you’re at and ease into it however you like.

Reverse diabetes

Lower your A1C and manage your blood glucose by harnessing the power of plants. A whole-food plant-based diet can help you find joy in eating again while reversing diabetes. We’ve seen it happen for countless members.  

Improve mental health

Depression and anxiety are a daily reality for many, but plants can help support optimal brain chemistry. In some cases, we’ve seen people able to completely stop their anti-depressant medications under the guidance of medical professionals.  

Weight loss

If you’re familiar with, and tired of, the restrict-binge-restrict-binge dieting cycle, but you’re carrying around some extra weight you’d like to lose, then we have good news. Eating whole-food plant-based naturally leads to weight loss and, the best part, it’s sustainable weight loss because this is a lifestyle change, not a temporary restrictive diet. You get to lose weight while eating delicious food. Enough said!  

Save money

Many believe that eating a plant based or vegan diet is expensive and inaccessible. We’re here to show you it’s cheaper than you may think! This 2022 study showed people who ate primarily plants saved up to 34% on food compared to those on a standard diet. In fact, one of our team members feeds her plant based family for less than $2 per person per meal.

Help our planet

Research shows that meat and dairy products are fueling the climate crisis, while plant-based diets—focused on fruits, vegetables, grains, and beans—help protect the planet. What we eat matters, and the food choices that we make on a daily basis have a huge impact on our environment. Even small changes can eventually add up to big gains for our beautiful planet. 

Your plant fueled life, your way

Starting a whole-food plant-based journey looks different for everyone. You can begin by eating one WFPB meal a day, one WFPB meal a week, or you can just add more plants into your existing food routine. Alternatively, you can jump right in, switch to all plants, and never look back.

This is your process, and you have to do what works best for you.

We’ve seen people have success with both methods. There is no wrong or right way to do this; it just takes practice and patience as you get familiar with new ingredients, new textures, and new methods of cooking.

7 quick tips for starting a whole-food plant-based diet

Whether you want to go all in right away or slowly ease into this way of eating, here are some tips to help get you started.

1. Get used to the idea of spending time in your kitchen

You can’t order this kind of food from a restaurant or buy it pre-made at the grocery store. Eating this way requires you to get into your kitchen and cook. You don’t have to be a kitchen pro, but you must be willing to spend time preparing food.

As a society, we’ve gotten away from spending time in our kitchens because making our own food isn’t convenient. But eating out all the time and heating up frozen meals isn’t really working for us, either. If you have zero time to spend in your kitchen, it may be time to take a look at your schedule and reprioritize some things.

We accomplish what we make a priority.

Molly Patrick

If eating more plant based is a priority to you, then you won’t find time to cook. You will make time to cook. If it’s not a priority, then you won’t do it. Easy as that. Either way is fine. But know that in order to eat plant based, your kitchen must be used.

2. It might take time for the food to taste scrumptious to you

If you’re used to eating lots of processed foods and restaurant-prepared foods, it might take a little while before your palate adjusts and you really enjoy the taste of whole plant foods. This is because processed food and restaurant meals are loaded with salt, sugar, and fat, and anything that isn’t as stimulating as those may taste bland at first.

The more plant based food you eat, the better the food will taste, until one day (sooner than you think), you’ll be walking along, and BOOM! You get hit with a salad craving. It totally happens!

3. Get your kitchen ready 

You don’t need a ton of fancy kitchen gadgets, but there are a few things that are worth purchasing because you will use them often.

• A decent blender – Molly, our co-founder, used a $20 blender from Target for years. A Vitamix is great if you have one, but a cheap blender will absolutely do the trick if you can’t afford a high-powered blender.
• Sharp knives – sharp knives make a huge difference. A chef’s knife and a paring knife are all you need to get started.
• Instant Pot – this will save you time in the kitchen. It’s definitely not a necessity, but we love popping ingredients in the Instant Pot, turning it on, and moving away to do something else.
• Food processor – you won’t use this daily, but when you need it, you will really need it. A food processor is perfect for hummus, veggie burgers, walnut parm, and for chopping and dicing veggies.

4. Serve fruit and/or veggies on the side with whatever you’re eating

It doesn’t matter what you’re eating, just throw some fruit and/or veggies on the side to up the nutrient density of your meal. 

• Having eggs and bacon for breakfast? Fine! But grab some apple slices, too. 
• Avocado sandwich for lunch? Cool, add some celery sticks and red pepper slices to your plate.
• Eating some brown rice and stir-fried veggies with tofu for dinner? Awesome! Add a few baby carrots and berries on the side, and call it a day.

Adding fruit and veggies on the side of your meals is a super-fast way to fuel up on nutrients and fiber. And when it comes to nutrients and fiber, more is definitely better.

5. Find good whole-food plant-based recipes

You won’t eat plant based if you don’t enjoy it, plain and simple. 

There are mouthgasmic whole-food plant-based recipes and there are whole-food plant-based recipes that taste exactly like cardboard. We can’t vouch for other recipes, but ours are consistently satisfying and delicious. There are hundreds of free plant-based recipes on our blog. Or, check out Clean Food Dirty Girl, our premium membership full of tasty meal plans and recipes you won’t find anywhere else. Creating tasty, healthy recipes is what we do best.

6. Stock your kitchen with staples

In order to put yummy plant based food in your mouth on a regular basis, you must have some staples in your fridge and pantry.

You will be using ingredients that you’ve maybe never even heard of before. Nutritional yeast, ume plum vinegar, tahini, and miso paste, to name a few. Here’s a list of kitchen staples that will create a solid base of ingredients for your kitchen. View the complete list of Speciality Ingredients here. Once you have these items, you’ll be able to whip together many whole-food plant-based recipes without an additional trip to the store. Once you have yummy food made, there won’t be any reason not to eat it. 

We recommend you always have a selection of these items ready to go in your fridge so you can whip together a ton of fast meals:

• Hummus – sandwiches, quesadillas, on salads
• Chickpea Mash – sandwiches, on salads
• Sprouted tortillas – tacos, burritos, quesadillas
• A yummy cheesy sauce, like our Plant Based Cheddar Sauce– put it on potatoes, pasta, and bowls
• Cooked sweet potatoes or white potatoes – top with veggies and cheesy sauce
• Salad dressing (Oil Free Island Vinaigrette is a member fave) – salads, spread on sandwiches
• Washed and dried lettuce and leafy greens – you are way more likely to eat your greens when they are washed and ready to go
• Sprouted bread – sweet or savory toast, sandwiches 
• Baked Tofu – sandwiches, salads, bowls, or just to munch on alone
• Nut or seed butter – add to celery or apple slices
• Fruit – eat it plain or on the side with any meal 
• Cooked rice or quinoa – bowls, sides
• Canned beans – bowls, burritos, on salads
• Walnut Parm – sprinkle on pasta, salads, and bowls
• Toasted seeds – top salads or bowls 
• Hippie Porridge – We love this cold with fruit, nuts, raisins, and soy milk
• Sauerkraut – add to sandwiches and salads

7. Act on your cravings. Just eat whole-food plant-based versions of them.

The longer you eat this way, the less you will crave things like pizza, french fries, burgers, and cake. If you start craving junk food, whip together whole-food plant-based versions of those foods.

Craving pizza?
Make a pita pocket pizza with red sauce, cheesy sauce, Tofu Sausage, and veggies.

Craving burgers?
Make these bad boys.

Craving cake?
Nip that craving here!

Craving Mac and Cheese?
We got you!

Whatever you do, never eat a piece of lettuce when all you really want is a Reuben or make yourself eat an orange when all you really want is a candy bar. You will only be pissed off and disappointed. Make the healthiest version possible of whatever you’re craving, and allow your craving to be satisfied.

Ready to dive deeper into plant based living? Check out Clean Food Dirty Girl.

Plant-Based Meal Plans

Leave the planning to us. Hundreds of meal plans (AKA meal plans) are created by our recipe developers to tantalize your taste buds and nourish your body. They come complete with a grocery list, batching instructions, and interactive tools to make time in your kitchen satisfying and enjoyable. 

Plant Based Recipe Vault

Thousands of the most delicious plant-based recipes you won’t find anywhere else. Say goodbye to pesky ads, and Pinterest fails. Say hello to your kitchen BFF.

Magic Meal Planner

Make a custom meal plan – complete with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and extras – for the week and share it with other members. Add custom items to your list, switch view modes, and create magic for your mouth.

Coaching

Watch Coaching sessions with Molly, co-founder and certified life coach. She’ll help you bridge the gap between wanting to eat more plants and actually eating more plants. Replays are available on topics from managing cravings to goal cultivation.

Begin your plant fueled life today!

If you’ve tried eating a vegan diet in the past and it didn’t work for you, know that a whole-food plant-based diet is a very different experience. It is one of the best things you can do for your health and will impact how you feel daily. Wherever you’re at in your process, we’re cheering you on. Start a free trial now, and let’s do this!

Are you new to eating this way? What challenges have you had with making the switch? Talk to us in the comments below!

Xo 
Molly

This post was originally published in April 2020 and has been recently updated.