Sara Tercero - Plant-Based Diet in 30 Days: A Cookbook and Meal Plan for an Easy Transition to the Plant Based Diet

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Interior and Designer: Amanda Kirk
Art Producer: Janice Ackerman
Editor: Gleni Bartels
Production Manager: Holly Haydash
Production Editor: Jenna Dutton

Photography 2021 Darren Muir. Food styling by Yolanda Muir. courtesy of Photo by Erb/Dufault Photography.

ISBN: 978-1-64876-833-0 | eBook 978-1-64876-253-6
R0

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO MY PRECIOUS FAMILY:
DAVID, MIA, EZRA, AND ALEXA,
WHO MAKE MY STORY UNIQUE AND
GIVE ME PURPOSE.

Contents

RESEARCH INDICATES THAT PLANT-BASED DIETS ARE EFFECTIVE AT preventing disease. Chances are, if you are reading this, you are curious about how plant-based eating can help you. Perhaps you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or your doctor has warned you about prediabetes or recent weight gain. Maybe you are concerned about the environmental impact and would like to make a change toward a more sustainable future. For whatever reason you are reading, this book provides simple, straightforward information, backed by studies to illustrate the reasons that plant-based eating is your solution. It shares the basics of plant-based nutrition and debunks the myths to pave the way for you to make a successful and fearless transition to a plant-based diet. Once you understand the why, I show you how by giving you the tools, recipes, and shopping lists to begin an easy and delicious 30-day eating plan that anyone can follow. The 100 recipes in the book set you up for success by being easy to cook, tasty, and nutritionally sound, and include tips for cooking, storing, and varying the ingredients to your own personal tastes and abilities.

Before my own transition to a plant-based diet, I struggled with excessive weight gain, vitamin deficiencies, and sluggish energy levels. As a professional chef, I always had abundant food at my fingertips, and reaching for the fastest options often resulted in my overconsumption of high-fat and less nutrient-dense foods. After having three babies back-to-back, many extra pounds, and a thyroid condition, I decided to try eating plant-based for one year to see if all the hype was true. Now I am going into my third year, with no plans to turn back. In fact, I have been so profoundly affected by the change, it has become my mission to help others find an easier path to better health through eating a whole-food and plant-based diet.

I am thrilled to be sharing my simple, no-nonsense approach to plant-based eating with you, whether it becomes your permanent lifestyle change or just a great excuse to eat more delicious plants.

WELCOME TO YOUR PLANT-BASED EATING ADVENTURE! My love for plants runs deep, and Im thrilled to guide you on your journey to increased health and vitality. Thanks for taking this step, which has such enormous potential to transform your life, with me. For those who have centered their meals on animal products their whole lives, the journey to a plant-based diet might seem overwhelming, but with the right tools, anybody can do it. I promise to ease you onto a plant-based path deliciously and seamlessly with 30 days of easy, colorful recipes that will satisfy your hunger and nourish your body.

The Power of Plants

I bet youve heard the buzzword plant-based thrown around a lot lately. What was once seen as a diet for those on the fringe has now gone mainstream, thanks to documentaries, news reports, and high-profile enthusiasts like celebrities and athletes who all applaud the diets merits. The jury is in, and the verdict is that eating more plants is good for us. This is not just another fad diet. Plant-based eating has had devotees as far back as biblical times, and many cultures and religions have eaten this way for centuries. Even the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that well-planned plant-based diets support health and are appropriate throughout all life stages, including pregnancy, lactation, childhood, and adulthood, as well as for athletes.

What We Mean by Plant-Based

There are many definitions of the term plant-based, but for the purposes of this book, lets define it as a diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and void of any animal products, including eggs, dairy, and honey. Here are a few of the main tenets of the plant-based diet youll follow on this meal plan: