Put a Little Plant-based Love in Your Heart!

ello all! Vanessa here today. It's so hard to believe we're into February already! This month we've got Lunar New Year (it's the year of the Tiger!), Groundhog Day (again), Valentines Day (<3), and Black History Month as well as American Heart Month - and this week's EatWell discussion focuses on heart health.

Managing hypertension is an important part of keeping your heart healthy, and one way to give your heart a hand with that is by eating a diet rich in fiber and potassium. You know what foods are naturally rich in these? You know this one: vegetables and whole grains. The term "plant-based" gets thrown around a lot when you start reading about ways to include more vegetables in your diet, so I thought I would talk about it here today.

A plant-based diet is based on minimally processed foods made from plants, but there is really no set definition. Some people take it to mean vegan (no animal foods or products), vegetarian (some eggs and/or cheese), pescatarian (fish, cheese, and eggs), or flexitarian (omnivorous but plant-curious). As you can see, you can label your diet as you wish, but the "focus foods" of a plant-based diet would be vegetables, fruit, legumes, seeds, nuts, and whole grains: you would choose most of your foods from these sources. 40% of Americans are already actively choosing to include more of these foods in their day, so you would be in good company! Interested in becoming more plant-based? I've got some action steps to give you ideas on how:

1. Change the way you think. Meat doesn't have to be the center of the meal.

2. Baby steps. There's no reason to do a 180 on your diet. Pick 2 small changes and go from there.

3. Flip it. Reverse the ratio of veggies to meat in dishes like pasta, tacos, chili, or omelets.

4. Main-dish salads! Adding quinoa or barley, beans, nuts, eggs, seeds, dark greens, fruit, fresh herbs, or tofu makes a salad a meal.

5. Include whole grains or veggies at breakfast. Or both!

6. Make it easy. Compile a list of quick plant-based meals you can whip up even on your busiest days. Start with foods and flavors you already like.

7. Don't ever beat yourself up. Progress is better than perfection! And remember, you don't have to give anything up completely. You're just celebrating all that a diverse plate has to offer.

So, go forth and put a little love in your heart today!