Where to Start - Maitri Cooks

Plant-Based: Where to Start

You’re not alone.

If you’re starting to eat more plant-based, it probably feels a bit overwhelming knowing where to start.

What do I put in my coffee? How do I make pancakes? What about holiday dinners? Will my kids hate everything I make now?

These were some of the questions I had when we were getting started.

We had our share of failed experiments for sure. When I first served lentil soup to my 5-year-old stepdaughter, she said, “Daddy, this looks like poop!” 😂

So….. I learned that there were 3 keys to transitioning our family from a meat-and-dairy to a plant-based diet:

Take it slow. Introduce one new thing each day, and still eat your favorite foods. Shift your eating slowly. This will make it easier on your body as well as your emotions and your family.
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Treat it like an adventure. Today we get to try 3 different vegan cheeses and see how they melt! Pretend you’re a mad scientist in a food lab and try new things you’re curious about.
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Follow your tastes. Our recipe box has a lot of Italian and German dishes from our parents and grandparents, so we started adapting those familiar favorites. No need to give up comfort food!

It also helps to have a strong reason for WHY you’re making this change.

Is it because eating plant-based is better for your health? You want to help reverse climate change? Your friends and family around you are doing it? You don’t want to hurt cute animals?

If you like having scientific data to back up your reasoning, feel free to check out my Science page for all the evidence that a plant-based diet helps with cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and other chronic conditions.

Whatever your reason is, we’ve got your back! You can do this!