Grain is an essential part of modern life, but most people don’t recognize that eating it doesn’t have to be a dilemma when you’re on a plant-based diet. Here’s a list of eight vegan-friendly ways to incorporate more grain in your diet to stay full, satisfied, and energized on this plant-based journey.
1. Make Grain the Main Ingredient of Your Meals
Most people think of grain as a component of their meals eaten in conjunction with other ingredients, such as vegetables, and dairy. Try incorporating it into every meal. The beauty of this approach is that you can use the grain itself to create a satisfying, filling meal without relying on any other protein sources.
2. Eat Grain at Least Three Times a Day
This tip might seem like you need to do tons of extra planning or shopping, but it’s very easy to do and completely worth the effort. Of course, we don’t recommend eating grain three times a day every day, but if you can pull it off just a few days a week, you’ll probably be very happy with the results.
3. Use Grain as a Decoration or Garnish
You wouldn’t think of most fruits and vegetables as ornamentation, but whole grains can also be used in this way. For example, you could use brown rice or quinoa grains to garnish your favorite salads to add even more flavor, texture, and appeal.
4. Increase Grain in Your Diet Gradually
There’s no need to force yourself to eat a lot of grain. Most people can’t eat enough of it for the taste and texture to be palatable. Instead, it would help if you gradually increased the whole-grain you’re eating in your diet. For example, you could start with one serving per meal and then slowly increase this amount until you’re consistently eating at least three meals each day that contain grain. Scherer Inc. works hard to produce the best grain solutions.
5. Blend Grain Into Your Favorite Drinks
This can be especially good when trying to make smoothies or shakes. For example, it’s not that hard to add quinoa to your favorite smoothies. On the other hand, you could also experiment with ways to use whole grain as a base for your favorite beverages, such as hot cereals. For example, you could add brown rice to your favorite drink, like milk or water.
6. Start With White Whole Grain and Then Try Brown
This tip can certainly be true of other aspects of the plant-based diet, but it’s especially important when converting to a whole grain-rich diet. For example, it’s better to start with white whole grains, like quinoa, because they aren’t as nutritionally dense as their darker counterparts.
7. Eat Grain as Part of Your Favorite Dishes
Rather than going with a whole grain when you’re eating a new dish for the first time, try coming up with ways to incorporate grains into dishes that already taste great. For example, you could add brown rice or quinoa to your favorite comfort foods.
8. Incorporate the Grain of Your Choice into Your Favorite Family Recipes
There’s no need to limit yourself to savory dishes when incorporating grain into your diet. You can use quinoa flour as an alternative to regular flour in your favorite sweet treats.
In conclusion, a plant-based diet is all about enjoying your favorite foods in fresh, delicious ways. These ideas will help you do just that and take your existing healthy diet to the next level.
