Falafel with salad

I’m stuck. ‘What can I eat on a whole food plant based diet?’ Well, there are lots of foods you can eat and they fall into four main groups:

  1. legumes – beans and pulses
  2. fruits
  3. vegetables
  4. whole grains

Fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains

Here’s a fuller list all of which each can form the core of a substantial and filling meal:

Whole grains

Barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), couscous, corn, millet, oats, quinoa, rye, wheat berries and wild rice

Unrefined flours

Barley, buckwheat, corn, lima bean, oat, potato, rice, rye, soy, wheat, whole wheat pastry

Egg free pastas

Artichoke pasta, corn pasta, spinach pastas, tomato pasta, whole wheat pasta.

Noodles

Buckwheat soba, rice noodles, somen, udon

Legumes – Beans and pulses

Red kidney beans, mung beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, black beans, limas, red lentil, brown lentil, green lentil, black eyed peas, green peas, split yellow peas, whole green peas.

And here’s some fruit and vegetables you can also add:

Fruit

Apples, bananas, pears, nectarines, peaches, grapes, pomegranate, passion fruit, kiwi fruit, mango, strawberries, raspberries, lychee, quine, papaya, guava, kumquat, cherries, to name but a few

Vegetables

Kale, spinach, broccoli, sprouts, sprouting beans e.g. lentil, mung, bean, watercress, lettuce, cucumber, spring onions, tomatoes, celery, celeriac, artichokes, Swiss chard, peppers, mushrooms, beans, radish, parsnips, water chestnuts, yams, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, butternut,

However, try to stay clear of the following foods. They should never, ever be part of your daily diet. Ever.

  • Meat e.g. beef, lamb, pork in any way for instance as chops, minced, steaks, bacon
  • Poultry e.g. chicken, turkey ,duck
  • Dairy foods such as milk, cheese, cottage cheese, butter, yoghurt, sour cream, cream
  • Eggs
  • Animal fats such as butter, margarine, lard
  • Oils such as coconut, olive, sunflower, vegetable, sesame, walnut
  • Processed and packaged foods, except for certain ones that contain only the permitted ingredients
  • Alcohol

The lists above give you good idea of what you can eat on a whole food, plant-based diet. There’s lots more information that I’ve written here that you can read to learn more about what a whole food, plant-based diet is and how it can help you.