As we continue our discussion about some of the challenges people face when adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet, here are tips on conquering two more obstacles.
The difficulty of buying the right foods
Many people believe that in order to get the right foods for a WFPB diet, they have to shop at high-end supermarkets and specialty stores. Since there are fewer high-end supermarkets and specialty stores, and they tend to have locations in more affluent neighborhoods, some have the impression that buying high-quality, plant-based foods is both inconvenient and expensive. Nothing could be further from the truth. It’s true that you need to be more selective when buying your foods, but this is just as necessary when shopping at a high-end market as it is at a regular market. As long as you carefully read an item’s label, you can find everything you need in most ordinary markets. It may take a little longer the first few times you do this, but once you find the types and brands of plant-based foods you prefer, it will be easy. Also, more and more farmers’ markets are appearing every day, offering farm-fresh, plant-based foods at convenient locations andcompetitive prices.
The necessity of giving up some of your favorite foods
This is a lot easier than it sounds. There are often ways to prepare popular non-plant-based dishes in a manner that makes them healthy; for instance, vegan chili and cornbread taste great and are every bit as satisfying as their animal-based counterparts. Of course, you can’t do too much with foods like steak or roast chicken, but there are plenty of plant-based foods that are just as tasty (if not more so), and sooner than you think you’ll find new favorites to substitute for your old ones.
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