The Great 14 Day Plant Based Diet Challenge

I won’t lie, I’m pretty excited for this challenge!

Why plant based?

I was a vegetarian for 7 years. Then stopped.

I’ve been having a hard time with everything that has been happening in the world lately. I feel powerless and frustrated. I also know that healthwise, cutting out meat products is good for me and my family. Maybe you feel the same?

My goal is to focus on eating good plant foods, avoiding heavily processed foods, reducing my carbon footprint, and making delicious, family friendly meals.

My very favorite quote regarding eating is from the book In Defense of Food and it sums up perfectly how I feel.

“Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan

So why the plant based diet challenge?

Because I want to show that it can be done, that you can have delicious food outside of meat, dairy, and eggs. I’m writing for you mama, who is also interested in changing the way you eat but doesn’t exactly know where to start, or if it can be done with kids, with busy schedules, and with fiances. And really, can it taste good?!

I’m here to say yes.

I won’t lie, you will most likely have moments where you miss certain tastes and textures you’re used to. It might take a bit before your taste buds adapt to the new flavors–when they do though! Food has a whole different way of tasting good. It’s hard to explain, but it’s almost like without all the additional additives and flavors, you can truly taste what an apple is meant to taste like.

Do I plan on going completely whole foods, plant-based after the challenge? I can’t say for sure. The plan is to eat primarily plant-based with some dairy/eggs thrown in here and there. I don’t know if I’ll be ready to walk away from those yet. During the holidays, I will also still be serving meat for my family.

While some may not necessarily agree with this method, I believe that it is a doable method. While it’s not perfect, it’s still better than falling off the wagon and giving up. I believe you can still benefit the earth, the animals, and yourself by approaching it this way.

I was reading an article about how people would tell the author that they can’t go vegan because they like cheese and bacon too much. The author of the article (I wish I could remember where I read this and who said it) said, “That’s fine! Start where you are. Cut out the rest and eat what you love. Even that little change helps. If you feel like giving up more later on, go ahead. No pressure.”

I have to say I agree.

What the Challenge Entails.

Commit for 14 days to eat plant based.

Follow along by liking my Facebook page for food demos, Q&A, and tips and tricks. I’m going to be working on getting it up on Instagram too!

Daily post answering questions about the plant based diet.

Are you seeing this after the challenge? That’s okay! I’ll have everything posted right here for you to follow along afterwards.

Post your foods on social media with the hashtag #plantbasedapronwarrior (longest hashtag ever, I know!)

So let’s break down some of the basics and look at some of the questions I’ll be answering over the next couple weeks!

I’ll be posting daily and will have the links placed here in one convenient spot for you to look back on. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND I WILL DO MY BEST TO ANSWER THEM DURING THE CHALLENGE.

What exactly IS a plant based diet?

What foods can you eat on a plant based diet?

How do you start a plant based diet?

Can you eat bread on a plant based diet?

Can you lose weight on a plant based diet?

What are the health benefits of a plant based diet?

What is the environmental benefit of a plant based diet?

Is it healthier to be vegetarian or vegan?

What is different between a plant based diet and veganism?