What’s the easiest way to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need from a plant-based diet?
“Enjoy the rainbow,” said Danyelle Schott, Certified Nutritionist and Certified Personal Trainer at Yavapai Regional Medical Center (YRMC). “The more colors – like red apples, orange peppers, green kale and purple grapes – the greater variety of important nutrients in your diet.”
Danyelle calls this “nutrient density,” meaning food that’s high in nutrients but relatively low in calories. These kinds of foods contain vitamins, minerals, complex carbohydrates, lean protein and healthy fats.
If you’re exploring a vegan diet – one without animal products, including meat, eggs and dairy – Danyelle says you can find needed protein in foods like oats, almonds and pumpkin seeds. Looking for an egg substitute for the muffins you’re making? You can substitute overripe bananas or pureed fruit for the eggs. There are more ideas on these flyers on plant-based eating.
Watch Danyelle’s YRMC Healthy Conversations presentation, Plant Based Eating for Healthy Living, to learn how you can transition to a plant-based diet. (Meatless Mondays, anyone?) During the presentation, Danyelle even shares two of her favorite recipes for a veggie bake and a burrito.
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