As I mentioned in a prior post, animals accumulate fat-soluble chemicals such as PCBs, dioxins, and some pesticides at much higher levels than plants, up to millions of times higher. Because it can take years or decades to clear these chemicals from your body, it’s best to reduce your exposure to them in the first place. You can do this by replacing some or all the meat, eggs, and dairy in your diet with plant-based foods like those made from legumes, nuts, and seeds.

It can be challenging to change the way you eat. We have strong preferences for certain foods, as well as vary widely in terms of how our bodies respond to dietary choices. If you’re used to eating a meat and dairy-focused diet, figuring out how to add more plant-based options can be confusing. And if you’re not used to the higher fiber present in plant-based proteins, I’d suggest starting with lentils, chickpeas (think hummus), and tofu, which are easier on digestion than legumes like pintos and black beans. 

There are numerous cookbooks and resources that can help you incorporate plant-based foods into your cooking. There are also many plant-based “meat” and “dairy” products that might be easier for you to switch to. However, be careful about centering the more processed of those in your diet because they may contain unhealthy synthetic ingredients or be more contaminated by chemicals such as plasticizers. I’ll talk more about that in a later post.

Here are my favorite cookbooks that are primarily plant-based and that minimize processed foods.

1. Vegetable Kingdom, by Bryant Terry.
   • A cookbook filled with beautiful plant-focused recipes; I just made his stuffed cabbage recipe which was the best I’ve ever had.
2. Blue Zones cookbook, 100 recipes to live to 100, by Dan Buettner (also The Blue Zones American Kitchen).
   • These recipes are created from mostly plant-based, whole foods and reflect the diets of people around the world who live healthfully and long.
3. Zero Waste Chef. Plant-Forward Recipes and Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen and Planet, by Anne Marie Bonneau.
   • This cookbook is filled with great recipes, including an amazing cilantro chutney recipe, and offers creative ways to prevent food waste. I advise following her on social media (@ZeroWasteChef) and subscribing to her newsletter.
4. One Pot, Pan, Planet, by Anna Jones.
   • This book contains a wide range of plant-focused recipes, along with suggestions for making them vegan or vegetarian. I loved her lemon, chickpea & green herb stew. The book also has great suggestions for preventing food waste.
5. Plant-based on a budget, by Toni Okamoto.
   • This is a helpful book if you are on a budget and looking for simpler plant-based recipes. You can also follow her on social media (@PlantBasedOnABudget) and subscribe to her newsletter.

Resources for learning more about plant-based eating: you may also subscribe to their newsletters for additional tips.

1. Meatless Monday is an organization that offers suggestions for incorporating more plant-based foods into your diet.  https://www.mondaycampaigns.org/meatless-monday
2. Check out the website of the pulses industry, which offers great tips for incorporating peas, beans, lentils, and chickpeas into your menus: https://pulses.org/us/.

I’d love to hear your suggestions for cookbooks and resources that focus on plant-based recipes.

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