The foods you eat can greatly affect your health. Whether your eating habits need a minor adjustment or a drastic overhaul, making the decision to start eating healthy is an important first step. The next step is to cross those unhealthy foods off the grocery list and replace them with nutritious foods. Better yet, shop at a farmers' market in your neighborhood or at one of our Medical Centers.

Eating more fruits and vegetables is the foundation of plant-based eating. It means that most, if not all, of the food you eat comes from plant sources instead of animal sources.

Your plate should be covered with a rainbow of colorful plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds, and whole grains. Lean protein sources, such as fish and poultry, can be eaten infrequently, rarely, or not at all, especially if you have coronary artery disease.

Benefits

Plant-based eating has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, certain cancers, high blood pressure, and diabetes. Replacing junk food and high-fat food with plant-based foods has the added benefit of helping you achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

Foods that come from plants are not only high in vitamins and nutrients that build up your immune system and keep your body healthy, but they also contain substances called phytochemicals. These protect the body’s cells from the kind of damage that leads to a variety of health problems.

Plant foods are also a natural source of fiber. Dietary fiber helps you feel full, which can prevent overeating. Plus, it helps lower cholesterol and control blood sugar levels.

Following a plant-based diet

You can achieve a colorful plate by choosing the right foods in the right amounts at every meal. Plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans, should cover most of your plate. Meat, poultry, fish, or low-fat dairy should never cover more than one-third of the plate. The more you eliminate animal protein, the more you have to gain from the nutritional benefits of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes.

Other recommendations include:

• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
• Eat at least 6 servings of whole grains and legumes each day. Whole grains include oatmeal, whole-wheat breads and pastas, brown rice, and cereals. Legumes include black beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, lima beans, split peas, black-eyed peas, and lentils.
• Boost your fiber intake to at least 25 grams per day.
• Avoid meat, but if you eat it, use a reasonable portion: 4 ounces before cooking, or about the size of a deck of cards.

Eat your colors

It is important to fill your plate with a variety of fruits and vegetables because each color offers different nutrients and phytochemicals. Try to eat fruits and vegetables from as many of the 5 main colors as possible, including:

Green: Spinach, broccoli, lettuce, green beans, avocado, green peppers, kale, green cabbage, kiwi, green grapes
Red: Tomatoes, strawberries, watermelon, raspberries, cherries, cranberries, red grapes, red apples
Orange/yellow: Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, peaches, grapefruit, lemons, oranges, cantaloupe, nectarines, pineapple
Blue/purple: Eggplant, raisins, plums, prunes, purple grapes, blueberries, blackberries, purple figs
White: Onions, cauliflower, garlic, chives, bananas

The size of a serving depends on the type of food. One serving of whole grains equals 1 ounce. Examples of a single serving of whole grains include 1 slice of 100 percent whole-wheat bread, 5 whole-grain crackers, or 3 cups popped popcorn.

Tips for eating more plant foods

Adopting plant-based eating doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can start slow and gradually eat more plant foods. Here are some tips to make the transition easier:

• Choose a high-fiber breakfast cereal (at least 5 grams of fiber per serving) like oatmeal, shredded wheat (unsweetened), grits, or a whole grain like quinoa.
• Top your morning bowl of cereal with strawberries or bananas, or add blueberries to oatmeal.
• Eat whole fruits and vegetables, as opposed to juices. If you do drink juice, it should be unsweetened.
• Snack on carrots dipped in hummus.
• Make sandwiches using whole-grain bread and fill the sandwich with tomatoes, cucumbers, shredded carrots, and hummus or natural peanut butter.
• Keep a bowl of fresh fruit on the kitchen counter to eat as snacks.
• Garnish a salad with mandarin oranges, grape tomatoes, and unsalted chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds.
• Add vegetables or a can of white beans to spaghetti sauce.
• Stuff a baked potato with broccoli. Avoid cheese, butter, and sour cream.

It is also helpful to make your grocery list ahead of time. Sticking to your list of plant-based foods will allow you to avoid the aisles lined with junk food. Or you can avoid the supermarket altogether by shopping at your local farmers' market.

Additional References:

• Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., MD, Avery Books, 2007.
• The Spectrum: A Scientifically Proven Program to Feel Better, Live Longer, Lose Weight, and Gain Health by Dean Ornish, MD. Ballantine Books. 2008.
• The China Study by T, Colin Campbell, PhD, and Thomas M. Campbell II, BenBella Books, 2006.
• Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health by Dr. Colin T. Campbell, Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, and Gene Stone. The Experiment, 2011.
• Forks Over Knives, DVD. Monica Beach Media. 2011