Getting you started on a mostly whole foods plant-based (WFPB) diet |15 July 2022

Chances are you’re pretty much like Tina. You’ve gone through life eating a bit of everything and corned beef and luncheon meat feature regularly on the menu because you love that smell when you open the tins and after all it makes cooking easy.

A quick fry with some tomatoes and onions and your corned beef dish is ready, while the chopped luncheon meat is sitting nicely in the lentils, and Voila “guys, dinner’s ready”.

Then after a few years of this routine, with some pork roast or curry on Sunday over a heap of rice, and you begin to feel certain things are not quite right with your body and you begin to wonder what life has in store for you.

Switching to a mostly whole food plant-based diet (WFPB)

Then you see a message on your smartphone that tells you ‘you are what you eat’ or you come across our page here in Nation and you begin to explore the idea almost like a new toy until one day you decide to dip your toes into the world of whole foods plant-based diet (WFPB) but you’re overwhelmed and not sure how to start.

Given the hard times we’re living in when the war in Ukraine is making some basic articles scarce, and when we can find them the prices are rocketing, we’re going to focus here on how to start eating healthy without spending too much, and in doing so still help our small country and its farmers.

Many people who have transitioned to a WFPB diet have testified to feeling much better overall both physically and mentally such as experiencing less anxiety, sleeping better and having more energy.

So here’s a few tips to get you started

It all starts in the brain

We’ve talked before here about how everything starts in the brain, with you taking a conscious decision that will then transform into your life choice and into your daily habits.

So take the decision to bring into your daily life the wonderful world of plants in all the wondrous varieties and colours (think beyond just fruits and vegetables to lentils, beans, nuts, seeds and grains), and start picking what you’ll be introducing into your daily meals.

Do it slowly

Transitioning to a plant-based diet doesn't have to happen all at once. In fact, you might never transition fully, which is OK. Like Tina, you may love to have fish once or twice a week, and you might even hanker for a favourite meat curry for a family gathering.

It’s what you eat every single day that impacts most on your health and wellbeing, not what you treat yourself to once in a while. And when you do it, go ahead, and don’t feel any guilt.

Plant-based on a budget

Many fresh foods are more expensive than processed foods that you find most convenient. This can make eating a plant-based diet on a budget appear hard but with good planning you can transition while watching the cents, and still reap all the health benefits.

If you cut out highly processed foods from your diet, that money can be used to buy fresh items hence saving you money in the long-run.

Shop at your nearest roadside stall or market 

That’s the most convenient if you have one near you, and you know you’re supporting the neighbourhood farmer or the lady who’s gone to ‘rapaze’ to feed her own family, and you’re eating fresh.

Of course there are the likes of Victoria Market, the Roche Caiman stalls, the kiosks at Beau Vallon, and now the ever so friendly Perseverance market, not to mention a few door-to-door delivery services that have been springing up since Covid-19 forced us to stay home.

Buy what is in season

When vegetables and fruits are in season they tend to be cheaper. And you can consider buying some items in bulk and freeze. Par-boiling breadfruit and cassava and freezing is a great start.

Include some minimally processed plant-foods

No country produces everything it needs for its population. While we have been blessed with great fish in our oceans we don’t and can’t produce all the foods for a nutrient-dense diet.

Fortunately, while we advocate to stay clear of tinned meats, there are some great plant based treats in tins. Think here of chick peas, a variety of beans which are an important part of the menu, sweetcorn, bamboo shoots etc.

There are also some enterprising shops that are coming up with well-priced plant-based options like millet and nut flours, which are healthier than the all-purpose flour, through barley and bulgur wheat, all the way up to the stars of modern and trendy healthy eating such as flaxseeds, chia seeds and quinoa.

Reach out to a friend

Better still, whip out that same phone and reach out to a friend and ask for help. That’s what friends are for. This whole process is going to make the diversity and endless possibilities of the world of plant-based eating much more and besides, you’ll be adding some more zest and zing into your life!

Besides, food and cooking make for great conversations and sharing recipes are one of the best parts of social life, knocking insulting people on Facebook out of the proverbial park.

Soon, you might be exchanging dishes just like we used to do in the old days, thus enriching your post-Covid life.

Explore on your phone

Technology can help you immensely on your plant-based journey if only you’ll take the time to explore and use this wonderful sharing tool that is the worldwide web.

You’ll discover how you can prepare you breakfast in the fridge while you sleep. If you’re so lazy that you want us to do the work for you, then write to us on our Facebook and Instagram pages.

Next week we’ll be back with more practical tips of how to go about your new WFPB journey, before heading to coach you on breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack ideas.

Thank you for joining us this week on our Eat for Our Health page. Look us up on Social Media - Eat for our health Seychelles on Facebook and @eat4ourhealth on Instagram.

And don't forget to drop us a little email on myhealthyplatesc@gmail.com and let us know how you're doing with these ideas, or better still, share your favourite dishes or tips.

Yours in health
The E4OH Team