Sheltering With Plenty: Why Now is the Perfect Time to Try a Plant-Based Diet

We are all doing our best to be responsible citizens during this time of hunkering down: checking in with our neighbors from the sidewalk, not visiting grandma (but still calling her every day, of course), wiping down our cell phones and credit cards with Lysol, supporting local restaurants by ordering curbside, and, most importantly, trying to stay home as much as possible. This means drastically reducing our number of trips to the grocery store.

Did you know the foods that are the most shelf-stable and the most friendly to your grocery budget are actually the main staple foods of a healthy vegan diet?

Foods like rice, pasta, lentils, beans, oats, potatoes, canned tomatoes, plant-based milks, tofu, and frozen fruits and vegetables are all you need to eat a perfectly balanced and super satisfying plant-based diet at home. These ingredients also last forever in your pantry, which means you could potentially go a month without making a trip to the supermarket, doing your part to help flatten the curve of COVID-19. Hooray!

Whole plant foods are proven to be the most nutritious foods on the planet. You can get all the nutrients you could possibly need from a whole-foods vegan diet. So, not only will you be protecting your community with fewer grocery store trips, or being kinder to your wallet by purchasing cheap staple foods in bulk, but you will also be benefiting your body and your mind with pure plant nutrition! A plant-based diet is also proven to improve mood and productivity, among other things, which is definitely something we could all use a little bit more of right now! Here is a video if you are interested in the science behind that.

The transition to a vegan diet from an omnivorous diet can take some adjustment. This extra time we have at home allows for more flexibility and open-mindedness in experimenting with foods and tastes than when we are busy with our usual working routine and can't accommodate changes in our lifestyle. When you first switch to a vegan diet, there also can be side effects, like bloating, from your body adjusting to the change. These symptoms will be much easier to handle during this time of social distancing. By the time quarantine is over, your body and tastes will have adjusted to your new vegan diet, and any side effects will have resolved.

If you are new to the idea of veganism, you may be thinking, why should I go through a lifestyle change for a diet that I may give up right after this shelter-in-place order is lifted? I would challenge you, since we all have a little more free time, why not use it to educate yourself on the benefits of going vegan and the effects of the animal agriculture industry on our world? You can either visit the Why Vegan page to find out more, or go to the Resources page to dive deep into the health, wellness, ethical, and environmental benefits of eating a vegan diet.

If the idea of going vegan is terrifying to you, that’s ok. You don’t have to change your entire diet overnight to enjoy the benefits of beautiful plant foods. Try incorporating simple changes, like the ones listed in Practical Steps: How to Start Plant-Based. Maybe try substituting some animal products in your diet for these pantry protein staples listed here, or try a couple of plant-based meals a week to start. Here are some easy entree recipes that are perfect for those trying out veganism for the first time, as well as some pantry meals that utilize plant foods you may already have at home!

The most important thing during these crazy times is that you are taking care of yourself, your family, and your community by staying safe and nourishing your body well.