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Interior and Designer: Regina Stadnik
Art Producer: Tom Hood
Editor: Justin Hartung
Production Editor: Ashley Polikoff
Photography by Hlne Dujardin 2020. Food styling by Anna Hampton.
ISBN: Print 978-1-64876-009-9 eBook 978-1-64876-018-1
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To my husband, John, thank you for your support. To my parents, thank you for teaching me I can achieve anything I put my mind to. I love you all!
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
WHOLE-FOOD, PLANT-BASED MADE EASY
CHAPTER 2
BREAKFASTS AND SMOOTHIES
CHAPTER 3
SNACKS
CHAPTER 4
SALADS AND HANDHELDS
CHAPTER 5
SOUPS AND STEWS
CHAPTER 6
MAINS
CHAPTER 7
DESSERTS
CHAPTER 8
STAPLES
My journey with whole-food, plant-based (WFPB) eating started more than six years ago when my husband, John, brought up the idea during a dinner conversation. He had read some contradictory articles about healthy eating and started exploring some of the research around the WFPB diet. I remember digging my heels in, saying things like, Ill try it, but Im not giving up my cheeseburgers and Buffalo wings. So dramatic!
After experimenting with some plant-based recipes (veggie burgers and Buffalo cauliflower included), I realized this wasnt so bad. In fact, it was delicious. I uncovered stories of other real-life people following a WFPB diet who reversed symptoms of common American diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. I knew I was on the right track to sustain a healthy lifestyle with this way of eating. As my journey with the diet continued, I looked into the ethical and environmental reasons that people might follow a meat-free diet. I learned how the diet can affect far more than an individuals health. For example, by not eating meat, you avoid supporting an industry that inflicts cruelty upon animals. Additionally, the water used to raise animals for food far exceeds the amount used to grow plants. And the greenhouse gases that animal agriculture farms produce exceeds the amount generated by the cars we drive. So I started eating vegan, and although it seemed extreme to some of the people in my life, it felt right to me.
Over the years Ive tried lots of imitation meat and dairy products and eaten at hundreds of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants. And Ive shared many vegan recipes made with these products on my website, VegInspired.com . Although I enjoyed plenty of these foods, I was always drawn toward a WFPB diet, which is similar to a vegan way of eating but with a focus on dishes made only with whole-food ingredients.
It was in November 2019 that I made a complete switch to WFPB. That month, I stepped on the scale and saw that I was at my heaviest weight ever. With a history of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer in my family, I knew that being overweight increased my chances of disease, regardless of the healthy vegan diet I followed at the time (many store-bought cookies might be vegan, but they are not healthy). So I started rereading The Starch Solution by John McDougall and How Not to Die by Michael Greger. I talked to my husband, John, about sticking to a WFPB diet specifically for weight loss. He agreed. We hit the grocery store armed with a list of WFPB ingredients and a meal plan focused on healthy starches and lots of vegetables.
After six months of eating WFPB meals, we had each lost more than 30 pounds. I am wearing jeans and shirt sizes I havent worn in more than a decade. Eating this wayand making sure Im getting regular exercise (I track how many steps I get in a day)has changed my life. I wasnt surprised that I lost weight on the diet; rather, I was surprised by how good I felt. Since day one, Ive felt lighter and more energized. A WFPB diet has helped me with acid reflux, reduced joint pain from years of cheerleading, and even cleared up my adult acne. By increasing my water intake and eating more fiber, my digestive system works more efficiently, too. The benefits of this way of eating are almost immeasurable.
And its delicious, too. By focusing on whole foods, you learn to enjoy the natural flavors and textures of food more. Whether youre brand new to plant-based eating, a vegan or vegetarian looking to follow a stricter WFPB diet, or someone who has been eating WFPB for some time, I am here to guide you. The 30-minute recipes in this book are simple and will make eating healthfully easy for you, regardless of where you are on your journey.
