Today you will learn about the importance of eating plant-based food and how to prepare some plant-based alternatives to eggs, meat, and fish.
Importance of eating plant-based food
It is very important that you eat ONLY plant-based food and not animal-based products because all animal products including skim milk, have a lot of fat and no fibre.
Contrary to the common belief that a plant-based diet is restrictive, the plant world is full of abundance and includes a variety of multi-coloured fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. We promise you will never go hungry!
Watch this video by Dr. Nandita Shah to learn more about the importance of eating plant-based food.
Key Points
- Our instincts about our natural diet have been overridden by conditioning and intellect. However, you can still connect with your intuition by asking yourself some pertinent questions.
- The human anatomy proves that humans are herbivores. E.g., Human teeth are more similar to those of horses, cows, and other herbivores than those of lions and other carnivores and omnivores.
- Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds are the best food for our species.
- Enjoy any fruit in any amount, but always on an empty stomach—either first thing in the morning or as a snack whenever you are hungry. Don’t eat fruit right after a meal or with a meal as it will raise your blood sugar and cause gas.
- You may feel hungry more often after you first eliminate animal products from your diet, but it’s only temporary. Eat more beans and whole grains to help keep you full.
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to frequently asked questions about adopting a plant-based diet.
What if I’m hungry?
Never remain hungry or restrict your food quantities. Eat according to your hunger. It’s not necessary to have multiple small meals. Eat only when you are hungry. You may feel hungry more often when you first eliminate animal products from your diet, but it’s only temporary. Eat more legumes and whole grains to help you feel full.
What if my blood sugar level is going down?
If your blood sugar level is going down, you may need to reduce your medications. Consult your doctor or a SHARAN doctor to help reduce your medications.
What if my blood sugar and/or blood pressure levels are rising?
Your blood pressure level should not rise. Anti-cholesterol drugs like statins are known to promote diabetes, so you should reduce them. Consult your doctor or a SHARAN doctor to help reduce your medications. Blood sugar and blood pressure levels can also rise when you are experiencing stress. In addition, your blood sugar level can rise if you are physically sick or have emotional stress. If your blood sugar level is rising, review your daily stress levels and food intake to see if you can identify the cause and then correct it. Otherwise, you should also consult a doctor.
What if I’m taking cholesterol medications?
If you are already strictly following a whole food, plant-based diet, you can reduce your cholesterol medications by half if your dosage is large, and stop it altogether if your dosage is small. Be aware that when you stop your cholesterol medications, your cholesterol level is likely to rise at first because it is no longer being controlled. However, this is not dangerous since you are no longer consuming any cholesterol. Consult your doctor or a SHARAN doctor to help reduce your medications.
A plant-based diet offers abundant opportunities for imagination and creativity in the kitchen, as you will see throughout the programme and from our recipes. Today you’ll learn how to prepare some plant-based alternatives to eggs, meat, and fish.
Egg dish alternative
Watch this video by Dr. Nandita Shah to learn how to cook a tofu scramble—a delicious alternative to scrambled eggs.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Tofu Scramble:
- ½ cup finely-chopped onions
- Finely-chopped garlic to taste (optional)
- 1 teaspoon chopped green chilies or to taste
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup firm tofu
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Pinch of red chili powder (optional)
- Salt to taste
- Water as needed
Meat dish alternatives
Watch this video by Dr. Nandita Shah to learn how to cook kheema matar with soy peas—a delicious, plant-based alternative to kheema matar with meat.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Kheema Matar with Soy Peas:
- 2 star anise pieces
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 1 broken, dried red chili or to taste
- 4 broken bay leaves
- 1 cup finely-chopped onions
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly-grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon chopped or grated garlic
- 1 teaspoon jeera (cumin) powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ cup shelled peas
- 1 cup unpeeled, chopped potatoes (optional)
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (optional)
- 2 cups soaked and drained soy granules
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Watch this video by Nandini Gulati to learn how to cook jackfruit biryani — a delicious, plant-based alternative to biryani made with meat.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Jackfruit Biryani:
5–6 cloves- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 green cardamom
- 2 cinnamon bark sticks
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup thinly-sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1 cup peanut yoghurt
- 1 ½ cups chopped raw jackfruit
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1 cup whole, unpolished, soaked brown rice
- 2 cups water
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves
KEY INGREDIENTS
Better Than Tuna Salad:
- 1 cup boiled garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 1 cup tinned chickpeas
- ¼ medium sized onion chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped capsicum – red or green
- 2 tbsp finely chopped celery
- 5 – 6 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
- Lemon juice to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley for garnish (optional)
Tehseen Mehdi Dudani grew up in a hard core meat eating family. Till she was diagnosed with diabetes, she never understood how her diet caused this disease. Stopping all animal products was a big deal. Her diabetes disappeared in 3 weeks but the ethical aspect stuck in her mind.
“I realized that I was more attached to the flavours than the animal products.”
A New Nutritional Approach to Type 2 Diabetes – Dr. Neal Barnard
