S/O ?? re: WFPB lifestyle

I did WFPB a couple of years ago and liked it. It's pretty labor intensive and I spent quite a bit of time on weekends doing meal prep for the weekends.

Breakfast - overnight oats were easy to make ahead and grab on my way out the door. Avocado toast made with whole wheat bread, or toast with raw almond butter and apples. A piece of fruit and a handful of almonds or walnuts. Smoothies. Breakfast burritos made with tofu scramble.

I'd go ahead and cut out eggs, too. There are plenty of other options.

This is my all-time favorite dressing. I make it all the time. minimalistbaker.com/make-tahini-dressing/#wprm-recipe-container-34662. If you want something creamy, there are lots of recipes out there for ranch made with cashews or tofu. All tasty.

IDK what to tell you about oil-soluble supplements. The point of WFPB is that you shouldn't really need supplements. But ask your doctor if you're concerned.

I did not include any processed foods like whole grain bread or pasta in the first couple of months. I did use condiments like those mentioned, and almond/oat milk. I added whole grain bread and pasta in over time, simply because I needed some quicker options. I wouldn't count guacamole as a processed food as long as it doesn't contain any preservatives or additives.

I've never been successful with IF with any way of eating. I get hangry and then I get migraines.

The biggest thing for me with WFPB is that you will need to (and should) eat a lot more than you're used to. You shouldn't be hungry. You will also have some gastrointestinal issues at first, but those get better.


DH and I are planning to go back to a mostly WFPB way of eating when both kids move out this summer. We gave up on it when older DD moved back in at the start of the pandemic because she has food issues of her own I've been trying to manage. Weight loss or no, I feel better eating that way and I believe it's better for the environment.

Good luck! Hope this helps.

DH and I are lifers with IF. We followed a WFPB diet for about 6 months so my answers on in red above.

I’m at the hospital where my dad is having surgery, so I’ll get back to this with a longer answer tonight.

But go to the Brand New Vegan Facebook group, super helpful people. His website,
www.brandnewvegan.com
Has so many great recipes.

But as I’ll explain later, to me the trick is keeping it simple, especially at first.


OK I’ll just add on to my reply right here.

As for breakfast I almost always eat oatmeal. I prefer steel cut oatmeal, and I like to toast mine in a dry pan before I cook it. That’s just my preference. Overnight oats are a great way to go though if a person is in a hurry in the morning. I eat what most people would consider a double portion. Because my food is so low fat, I eat a higher volume. To me this is a trick to making this lifestyle work because I am getting more nutrients for the same amount of calories. I often also eat fruit with my oatmeal breakfast. Sometimes I will have toast, I eat gluten-free and one of my favorite treats on toast is sliced bananas. Try it you’ll be surprise how delicious it is.

I personally don’t see any reason to keep eggs in your diet they are a high fat high cholesterol food. The trick to avoiding diabetes and prediabetes is to get the excess fat out of your diet. That is what causes insulin resistance. And insulin resistance is what causes type two diabetes. Also since eggs have so many calories it ends up using up your calorie allotment without you getting all the wonderful micro nutrients that are in whole foods. Don’t worry about your protein. If your diet consist of mainly whole fruits, and vegetable, legumes, and grains, you will automatically be getting the correct amount of protein. I know it’s hard to believe because it’s been drilled in our heads that if we don’t consume large portions of meat and dairy we will somehow be proteins deficient, but that is just not the truth.

That information was pretty much how I feel about processed food. While I like making my own hummus because I can control how much fat is in it, I also buy commercially prepared hummus. I like corn tostadas, I have found a lovely vegan gluten-free bread that I enjoy but not often. I have pasta about once a week, usually brown rice or quinoa pasta. Probably the most processed foods I eat are condiments, pickles, things like sauerkraut and kimchi all of which I enjoy very much. And sometimes I make my own veggie broth but other times I just buy prepared often at Trader Joe’s.

I have never felt the need to do any intermittent fasting, I have actually found the opposite to be true, when you were eating such a low-fat diet, you digest it very quickly and are hungry again soon. This is the way our bodies are intended to work. It is your own personal furnace burning up those calories into energy! So I actually eat much more frequently than I did before I started eating this way. And I love it!.

Another great resource is the Dr. McDougall program, you will also find groups of them on Facebook, just be careful some of them get a little harsh with their strict rules and I wouldn’t want a new person to become discouraged. But they have excellent experiences and examples of people completely turning their health and their lives around. One of the nice things you can take away from his program is the starch solution plate. Basically half your plate should be a whole foods starch like potatoes, sweet potato, brown rice, etc., the other half should be non-starchy vegetables like Zucchini broccoli cabbage cauliflower or salad. If you eat like this consistently, eating until you are comfortably full, but not overstuffed , you will feel good and lose weight.

The last thing I would like to mention is be careful about recipes that use nuts to get that mouth feel and make you feel like you’re eating something rich. Nuts are very high in fat and should be used very sporadically especially for someone who is wanting to lose weight, and avoid diabetes. Most people ease them back into their diet once they have hit their goal weight. An exception can always be made for a special treat for instance making a nice creamy cashew sauce for a special occasion. The same goes for avocados, I love them and every once in a while I will have some avocado toast, but for the most part I don’t want to use up so many calories and so many fat grams on just a small piece of food. You will find recipes that make creamy sauces out of things like cauliflower, potatoes, chickpeas, etc.

I like salad dressings made with hummus and vinegar and maybe a little maple syrup, I also like a little fresh garlic, and balsamic, some Dijon mustard and maple syrup or honey. If you Google whole food plant-based salad dressings there’s quite a few different ones to try, it depends if you like them sweet or tangier. Or if you need them creamy the ones made with chickpeas are nice for that. I’ve also found some nice recipes that you silken tofu, tofu is a slightly higher fat food and so it’s something we eat in moderation but I enjoy it very much. I think that website I linked has a ranch dressing made with tofu it’s delicious. I know I’ve made it, and I think that’s where I found it.

As for the amount of work this eating plan is, I have found it depends on whether or not you want to keep it pretty simple or want to experiment with lots of different recipes. I tend to do batch cooking, some beans, some brown rice, maybe a big prepared salad. I cut up carrot sticks and other veggie stuff and keep them all in the fridge ready to make simple meals using whatever sauces or condiments or spices can change things up quickly. But I am easily satisfied, as long as I have healthy filling food I don’t mind if I’m eating some of the same foods several times in a row. So I know my experience might not be the same for other people.

A couple more things: excuse the mistakes in the above post, I’m peaing on my phone.

And go slowly with legumes and raw veggies until you see how your digestion handles them. You can always build up, your body has to make the right type of bacteria, but my niece jumped straight in and suffered a lot of tummy distress.

I personally never did, but it doesn’t hurt to be careful. Eat potatoes, they are delicious in so many ways, and easy on the digestion. Keep ben, lentils, ect to one cup a day at first.

Welcome to WFPB eating! I switched in February 2019 and am still going strong!

I pretty much always eat oatmeal for breakfast. 1/4 c. old fashioned oats, a sprinkle or raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, 1/2 c. of water and microwave for 1:45.

My favorite salad dressing is hummus thinned out with water & balsamic vinegar. I also like to use salsa and sometimes make a 3-2-1 balsamic dressing. (3 parts balsamic vinegar, 2 parts Dijon mustard, 1 part maple syrup.)

I went all-in when I started and was super strict (WFPB no oil) for the first six months. I still don’t cook with oil at home, but don’t worry about it if I’m eating somewhere else. I also eat non-WFPB baked goods. My point is, you can make your own rules here. If you’re more comfortable easing in, try that. I, personally, found that eggs were a huge source of my daily heartburn once I stopped eating them every morning. Made it very easy to give them up!

I prep meals on the weekend. I started with the Clean Food Dirty Girl plans mentioned above. I loved them, but it was a little too much work for my life after awhile. I cooked a lot of recipes from Monkey & Me Kitchen Adventures and love almost all of them. I also had a lot of super simple meals like baked potatoes with steamed broccoli and salsa. I am now back to CFDG because they made some big changes to the meal plans, including a “simple” option. I can generally prep the components for a week’s worth of lunches & dinners in under two hours now.

I don’t do IF. I lost 20 pounds within my first six months of WFPB eating and have maintained the loss pretty easily.

Sorry if I forgot anything- on my phone & can't scroll up!

I’m in quite a few of the FB groups but use them for picking up on people’s experience and recipe ideas. I don’t post as some of the members can be very scathing and dismissive of others questions and eating choices when they are finding their own way. I’m not interested in that type of dismissive interaction. I’ve been plant based for over 3 years. I’m not 100% compliant all the time but I do the best I can.

I rarely eat breakfast as I find it kick starts my metabolism and I’m hungry for the rest of the day.

I fell off IF during lockdowns and must get back to it as I enjoy it and feel better for it.

I take D3 and B12 supplements.

Jump right in!

I suggest reading How not to die! link
For Breakfast I eat Oat Grots and Mixed Berries. 
You will need a B12 vitamin but that should be it. 
I get flavored Balsamic for dressings! I buy mine online at California Balsamic.  The Ginger is so yummy  link
If you are looking to lose weight I would highly recommend Chef AJ.  She has lots of You Tube Videos. 

This 100%.  I've done this way of eating off and on for several years.   It's kind of hard with my dh since he has no interest but I hope to stick to it this time as I am really grossed out by meat and I feel so much better when I do eat this way.  I have watched all the documentaries and I just recently re-watched them.  I keep my meals very simple.  The recipes can be a little labor intensive and since it's just me, I don't do them very often.  I always have brown rice, either black beans or pinto beans, salad stuff, salsa, hummus, whole wheat wraps, tostadas.  I make my own dressing with Dijon mustard and maple syrup.  I've made dressing with hummus before and really like that too.  Breakfast is usually steel cut oats and berries with a little maple syrup.  

Last night, I made some black bean brownies and they were quite good.  My dh and dd didn't like them but I thought they were tasty.  I have found that my taste buds have changed.  When eating whole foods, you can actually taste their goodness without all the processed chemicals and crap that they put in our everyday food.  I also do no oil but it is kind of hard when you go out.  I don't sweat it and just try to do the best I can.  

In addition to McDougall, I also follow Plantiful Kiki and HighCarbHannah on IG.  They have some wonderful recipes.

I feel this lifestyle is the healthiest for our bodies and our environment.  Good luck to you!

Can someone help me with how to start. Do I just go all in? Take baby steps? Start eliminating processed foods from my diet and take it from there?

I think my family will think I have lost my mind. We are full fledged carnivores but want to make changes. They do not have to join me and I know that will make it harder.

I have been doing some on-line research. What kind of wraps or bread do you use? I can definitely eat avocado toast but how do I know if a bread is truly "whole grain." How do I know I will not overeat? So many questions are going through my head right now. Thanks!!

As with anything it depends on your own personality.  Small, realistic changes are best, but some can just change full steam ahead without any problems.  The Forks over Knives book recommends starting with just breakfast.  change your breakfasts for the week to WFPB options and continue lunch and dinner as you normally would.  The second week add lunches and so forth and so on.  The key to any change is to be kind to your self when you aren't 100% perfect.  Even in WW that was taught.  There are a lot of resources in this thread where you can pick a few breakfast options that are easy and similar to what you eat normally.  ( I spent the better part of yesterday going through my Forks over Knives and Engine 2 books for ideas.  I have to keep my pool of options small or i get overwhelmed) 

I am a life long vegetarian who was married to a meat eater and two meat eating children.  I got along just fine as most things could be made just with a vegetarian twist.  The same could be said for WFPB.  You do have to think about it initially and the initial decisions of what you want to eat/try etc will take more work, but once you figure out favorite options etc it will become second nature.  

I haven't figured out the bread thing with WFPB yet honestly.  I haven't gotten that far.  Whole Wheat bread you have to look at the label.  First Ingredient should be Whole Wheat, the smaller the ingredients listed after that the better.  It should have a good size fiber count as well and avoid anything with added sugars.  I like Dave's Killer Bread but I haven't stacked up against the WFPB

Hahahaha, this was too funny not to highlight. IF is NOT deprivation IME. The only thing that separates me while following IF from most others, is that I don't eat breakfast. Just like you. 

Admittedly I don't usually eat after 7pm, but it is because I'm not hungry and have eaten all I need/want for the day, not because I'm being deprived. 


flanz and liya , the best approach to getting started really depends on your style. I like to read, plan and jump in 100% when I start something like this. Others may opt to go WFPB for one meal (breakfast, lunch or dinner) at a time until they are fully WFPB.