If you’ve been around here for a while, you know I love to talk about how to make plant-based eating more nourishing, satisfying, and delicious. One of the most common questions I get from clients or through social media is how to make plant-based meals more satisfying, while still being nourishing. While there are many considerations to this, one of the main components is making sure you’re getting a good balance of foods to make sure you’re not skipping any essential nutrients. The main components I encourage clients to aim for at every meal are plant-based proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, fruit/vegetables, and flavor.

Plant-Based Protein

Think foods like beans, lentils, other legumes (canned or cooked from dry), frozen edamame, tempeh, tofu, and soy milk. Pro tip- you can freeze tofu and tempeh to last longer! When thawed, the texture of tofu will come out spongier and will soak up sauces even better than before. Try to get a source of plant-based protein with each meal.

Whole Grains

There are so many amazing sources of whole grains, but some of the most common ones are brown rice, couscous, quinoa, oats, whole-wheat pasta, whole wheat bread. Whole grains are packed with B-vitamins, fiber, iron, and other essential nutrients and shouldn’t be overlooked.

Healthy Fats

Get healthy fats from foods like nuts and seeds (keep them in the fridge to last longer), nut and seed butters, avocado, extra virgin olive oil (for cold dishes), and avocado oil (for cooking). Healthy fats are important for our cell membranes, brain development, hormone regulation, and feeling satisfied with our meals. Read my post about omega-3 to dive even deeper into this topic!

Save this Recipe!

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Fruit & Vegetables

Try adding a (or several!) fruit/vegetable to every meal. Think oranges, apples, berries, bananas, carrots, celery, leafy greens, cabbage, brussel sprouts, beets, potatoes, sweet potato- the list goes on and on. Don’t be afraid to buy frozen, either! Frozen fruit and vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh, and they also tend to be cheaper. If you purchase fresh and think they might go bad, throw them in the freezer! Fruit and vegetables pack tons of fiber, vitamins, and minerals that are so important for our health.

Flavor:

A huge part of feeling satisfied with plant-based eating is eating food that tastes good. I always recommend having a sauce on hand to liven up nourish bowls or salads or using things like soy sauce, sriracha, tons of spices, and herbs, lemon and lime to jazz up a dish.