Why go plant-based?
A plant-based diet is strongly associated with tremendous health benefits. This includes lower risk – and sometimes even reversal – of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, fatigue, high cholesterol, eczema…the list goes on and on. And if the health benefits weren’t enough, it’s also better for the planet and, of course, the animals.
What is a whole-foods plant-based diet?
A whole-foods plant-based (often referred to as WFPB) diet focuses on unprocessed and minimally processed plant foods (such as vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) and encourages little to no use of animal products, sweeteners, or processed foods.
I’m ready to go plant-based! What should I buy?
You must check out my extensive online shop! It includes basically everything I use on a regular basis for my whole-foods plant-based lifestyle. From appliances to pantry items, supplements, books and more…if you need it for a healthier, more holistic you, it’s probs in my shop. Even if you aren’t ready to buy right now, it’s a fantastic place to learn what to look for.
Where do you get your protein?
The better question is, where don’t we get our protein? Protein can be found aplenty in plants. In fact, all animal protein originated in the plants the animal consumed. If you’re eating a wide variety of plant foods, you will almost certainly not be protein deficient.
Why isn’t there any oil in your recipes? Don’t we need healthy fats?
We do need a minimal amount of healthy fats in our diet, but not in the form of bottled oil. Once oil is extracted from its source, its unnatural concentration of fat promotes weight gain and an unwelcome variety of health risks. Luckily, whole foods such as avocados, nuts, and seeds provide adequate fats, along with many other awesome nutrients. Plus, they’re delicious!
Why all the date sugar? What even is that?
As far as your body is concerned, there’s little difference between plain ol’ sugar and so-called “healthy” sugars (think honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, beet sugar, and the like). Thankfully, whole dates are a delectable way to add some wholesome sweetness to your dish. In their whole-food form, dates boast a host of health-promoting micronutrients, antioxidants, and lots of fiber, which slows down the absorption of the dates’ sugars.
Dates also have a neutral flavor that can be paired with just about anything. In recipes where whole dates are not practical, date sugar – which is just ground, dried whole dates, is a wonderful alternative. Just be aware that date sugar, due to its high fiber content, does not perform exactly the same as other sugars. If you’re on the less adventurous side, consider using a trusted recipe that includes date sugar before diving in with the date-sugar experiments.
What’s the actual deal with soy?
Everyone and their mom has heard the nasty gossip that soy is bad in one way or another. Turns out that the actual science doesn’t really say exactly that, and the truth has become pretty warped through the grapevine.
There is so much to say about this humble little bean that’s gotten such a bad rap, but in the interest of brevity, I will cut to the chase: Minimally processed soy (such as tofu, tempeh, miso, and soy milk) that is organic and non-GMO can be enjoyed in moderate amounts with many health benefits. It is, however, best to stay away from soy protein isolate and any form of soy that’s been highly processed, as well as soy products containing lots of unwanted additives.
Don’t you ever just want something bad?
Though it’s been many years since I jumped on the WFPB bandwagon, I am continually shocked at the incredible flavor of some of my plant-based concoctions. Many taste downright junky, in the best possible sense. It truly feels like a little miracle every time I make something that’s as satisfying as it is nutritious. Additionally, I have learned to love so many wholesome things that I just don’t find myself craving the junky stuff nearly as often.
When the craving does hit, I can almost always make something WFPB that seriously hits the spot. However, there are times that I make a decision to indulge in something “else,” enjoy it, and move on with my life. I also don’t stress about every ingredient when we go out to eat at a restaurant or at a friend or family member’s home. I believe very strongly in eating WFPB, but I don’t believe in dietary militancy at the cost of all else. Diet is one critical component of a healthy lifestyle, but so are family, friendship, fun, and flexibility. (With amazing alliteration like that, it must be true!)
With all of that said, despite my strong belief in a WFPB diet, I try not to think of any food as bad. It’s true that some foods are clearly more health promoting than others, but a person isn’t bad or good based on the nutritional value of their food. Many people struggle with their entire self-image due solely to what they put into their mouths; villainizing a food means villainizing myself if I choose to eat it. This distorted way of thinking leads to addiction and depression, among other problems. We can work on making healthy food choices without feeling bad, guilty, or less-than when we eat something with less nutritional value.
Do I need to supplement on a plant-based diet?
Those who adhere to a strict WFPB diet should need very little supplementation, with the exception of B-12 and D vitamins, which nearly everyone can use a bump of in today’s world. That said, life happens, and many of us need a little help in the nutrition department at times for one reason or another. I use a variety of high-quality supplements, whether for daily backup, extra immune support, brain boosters, and more. Many of the supplements I use and recommend can be found in my shop.
Are Salad Therapy recipes kosher?
Very! Every packaged ingredient I use in my recipes is kosher certified. So are most of the supplements (and the very few supplements that do not have kosher certification are strictly free of kosher-sensitive ingredients). I strongly encourage you to check out my shop to make your kosher plant-based shopping experience way less time consuming. I’ve already done all the long hours of painstaking research for you over the course of nearly a decade!
For some reason I’m not seeing your posts on social media. What’s the best way to see your newest recipes?
There are two things you can do to ensure you see my posts:
1. Signing up for my free email newsletter is the best way to make sure you get notified of my newest recipes. While you should totally follow Salad Therapy on Facebook and Instagram because there is some really awesome extra content on my pages there, those platforms often show my posts to only 5-15% of my followers. So once you’ve signed up for my email newsletter, remember to also…
2. Consistently engage with Salad Therapy on social media. When you like, comment on, or share Salad Therapy posts, it tells Facebook and Instagram that you want to see more Salad Therapy posts. The more you engage, the more you’ll see!
Why are there random self-improvement books in your shop?
While Salad Therapy is primarily a recipe blog, on a deeper level it’s about whole-person wellness and healing. Food is a humongous part of health, yet it is far from the only factor. The mind-body connection is very real. Our inner world is scientifically proven many times over to strongly affect our physical health. The books I recommend, while not all diet-related, are incredible tools to health and healing for your whole person.
Got more questions?
Check out Salad Therapy’s Resources page for everything you ever wanted to know about WFPB science, philosophy, and practical lifestyle. You can also contact me anytime via my contact page, or message me on my Facebook or Instagram accounts, where I am happy to answer any and all questions and where I share lots more food ideas!