What if I told you that you didn't have to do any of that? What if I told you that I would actually recommend against it? Believe it or not, I was 15 days into my challenge before I even discovered what date sugar was. It's not a staple or a snack, by the way. You don't need it now.
Before you look up a single recipe,
I am going to send you to the grocery store. You need to fill your cabinets with few key items that are going to help you stick to the program without getting overwhelmed. If you have not downloaded the Daily Dozen app yet, I think its a great guide.
Here are the key items you will need to be "Plant Strong"
SNACKS:
- Fruit - This is an easy one. Get fruit that doesn't require a lot of prep. I honestly don't care how much you love watermelon, cantaloupe, and pineapple. Those fruits require cutting and cleaning, and odds of you throwing out an uncut pineapple at the end of the week are pretty high. Get things like strawberries, blueberries, grapes, cherries, etc. Things that you can grab in your hand and eat right out of the fridge.
- Nuts - Similar to fruit, get nuts that are shelled and ready to eat. Raw and unsalted are best. Almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, and walnuts. I am not sure about the science of peanuts, but I don't think they are as good, and they are definitely not as filling. If you decide to get nuts with shells, again, they are going to take space in your pantry until you get sick of looking at them and throw them away. Don't make more work for yourself.
- Water - Water, a snack? While water is not technically a snack, if you drink a glass of it when you feel hungry, you might just feel less hungry after. Plus, you should get out of the habit of just drinking water when you eat. Sip on water throughout the day. Add some lemon and it is actually pretty pleasant.
STAPLES:
- Oats - Get some oats. Steel cut or rolled oats are great. Get the instant ones that take about two and a half minutes to cook.
- Rice - Similar to oats, there are some great options for rice. I used Minute Rice single serves. They are a little more expensive, but not much. Plus, you just throw it in the microwave for one minute and, voila, rice.
- Beans - Canned are fine. Rinse them before you eat them. Black beans, garbanzo beans, or whatever you like. Get a variety. Plant strong equals lots of beans.
- Greens - Kale, spinach, broccoli, or any others. Sometimes you will find yourself eating a handful of raw spinach. These will be the most depressing moments of the journey. Believe it or not, at one point, I will probably challenge you to drink them. Right now you aren't interested. Later you might be.
- Salsa or Tomatoes - They make everything taste better.
- Flax - Flax seeds are the "dirt" I am going to tell you to put on one of your meals every day. It's not delicious, but the health benefits are unbelievable, and you really cant taste it when you mix it with food.
- Sweet Potatoes - I really like the ones you can microwave for 4 minutes and eat, but any kind of sweet potato/yam will do.
That's your grocery list. Seem limited? It is. The first 10 days of plant based eating are supposed to be educational, not fun. That said, you should still enjoy the process.
Happy shopping!