30 Day Plant Based Diet Plan

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet is a diet where your main source of nutrients is plants. Often confused with veganism, plant-based diets are wide-ranging and include veganism, vegetarianism, pescatarianism, and flexitarianism. In short, as long as the star of your meals is plants, you will be eating a plant-based diet.

This means that some plant-based diets may include animal-derived products such as meat, dairy, or eggs, as long as these foods are not the main component of the diet.

Plant-based means eating fruit and vegetables and includes grains, herbs, legumes, nuts, and seeds. This means your macronutrients, protein, fat, and carbohydrates are all sourced from plants. This might be a significant change for some of us who are used to meat dinners every night, but it is entirely possible, and our 30 day plant based diet plan template can help you get started.

Research shows that reducing meat consumption and increasing the number of plant-based foods in our diets can work wonders for our health. In the next section, you might need to make smart swaps and try some new foods, which we'll introduce, along with their health benefits. So, if you've recently heard about the benefits of plant-based diets or want to incorporate more plant foods into your meals, read on.

Foods included in a plant-based diet plan

A plant-based diet is not automatically healthy. French fries and cookies could be considered plant-based! Instead, a balanced plant-based diet will include minimally processed, whole-plant foods, and some ingredients are especially versatile, nutritionally beneficial, and delicious! Here are just a few that come up repeatedly in plant-based meals.

Brown rice

Brown rice is a fantastic wholegrain alternative to white rice or processed carbohydrates that contains the whole rice grain; it is a source of dietary fiber which improves feelings of fullness and feeds the good bacteria in your digestive system (Rao, 2016).

If you're feeling hungry shortly after a plant-based meal, try adding high-fiber whole grains to your meals to keep you feeling full.

Tofu

When following a plant-based diet, it's essential to be intentional about reaching your daily recommendations for protein, but luckily, there are many great plant-based protein sources. One of the most versatile plant-based proteins is tofu.

One of the best things about tofu is its ability to soak up whichever flavors you add, so try marinating it overnight in your favorite seasonings. If you're looking for that meaty texture without the meat, try pressing the water out of the tofu using a tofu press before tossing in seasonings and cornstarch and baking in the oven until crispy.

Black beans

Speaking of protein, black beans have a reputation as a superfood and certainly live up to the name. They can serve as a great addition to or replacement for meat-based proteins such as ground beef and offer protein, dietary fiber, folate, and magnesium.

Sweet potato

While white potatoes can be included in a plant-based diet, try swapping for sweet potatoes now and then to bump up your beta-carotene intake. Additionally, try leaving the skin on and cleaning it before preparation to get the additional nutrients in the skin. Add coconut milk to cubed or crumbled tofu, sweet potato, yellow curry sauce, and your favorite vegetables, such as bell pepper or canned tomatoes, for a delicious, plant-based curry.

Almond milk

People may wish to swap dairy products for plant-based alternatives for many reasons, and luckily, we have many options these days. Plant-based milk like almond, coconut, or oat milk are widely available. While plant-based milk is not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk, plant-based dairy alternatives, such as almond milk or vegan butter, contain other nutrients not present in dairy products, such as dietary fiber.

How does this diet plan work?

This 30 day plant based diet plan works like an empty structure for you, or your client, to fill out over the 30 days. To work through this template, follow these quick steps below.

Step 1. Name and details

Enter your name and details into the spaces provided at the top of the first page of the template. This can be done digitally using the interactive PDF form or printed out and filled in by hand.

Step 2. Goals for diet plan

Before embarking on any life change, like a change in diet, it's important to set clear goals for the endeavor. We have provided space for you to set out these goals.

Step 3. Food restrictions, allergies, and preferences

Everyone has some foods they prefer over others, whereas others may have allergies or food restrictions, such as celiac disease.

Step 4. Start date and 30-day diet plan

Add the start date of the 30-day diet plan, and use the calendar provided to enter in breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks for each of the 30 days.

Step 5. Reflect on the 30 Day Plant Based Diet Plan

After the 30 days, we have provided space to reflect on the 30 days- what has gone well and the next steps following this 30-day plan.

Benefits of following a plant-based diet

There are many benefits to following a plant-based diet, from health to environmental impact; here are just a few:

Reduce your meat intake

Embracing a plant-based diet by reducing meat intake can contribute to lower risks of heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers while also promoting better cholesterol levels and improved overall cardiovascular health (Kim et al., 2019).

Increase your dietary fiber intake

A plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains provides dietary fiber, aiding digestion, promoting gut health, and reducing the risk of constipation while contributing to sustained energy levels and weight management.

Increase your plant protein intake

Incorporating plant-based protein sources like legumes, tofu, and quinoa into your diet not only supports muscle development but also provides essential amino acids, with the added benefit of reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases associated with high animal protein consumption (Tharrey et al. (2018))

Eat more fruits and vegetables

Consuming various colorful fruits and vegetables as part of a plant-based diet provides a rich array of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, supporting immune function, reducing inflammation, and contributing to vibrant skin and overall well-being.

Reduce your environmental impact

Opting for a plant-based diet helps decrease your carbon footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, land and water use, and deforestation associated with livestock farming, making a more sustainable and eco-friendly choice for conscious consumers (Scarborough et al., 2023).

Are there any limitations to this 30 day plant based diet plan?

In creating this plant-based diet plan, we aimed to produce a resource that would be useful for the most significant amount of people. Some people work irregular hours or prefer many small meals to three meals daily. As such, individuals with specific eating patterns may not find this diet format valuable to them.

Additionally, for those with food allergies, some plant-based food options, such as sesame oil, almond milk, or coconut milk, may not be appropriate for their diet plan. Nut-free alternatives such as soy milk or olive oil may be substituted where someone has food allergies.

This diet plan also does not include a list of plant-based foods, but if you are looking for some inspiration for your meals, look at our plant-based foods list.

References

Kim, H., Caulfield, L. E., Garcia‐Larsen, V., Steffen, L. M., Coresh, J., & Rebholz, C. M. (2019). Plant-based diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(16), e012865. https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.119.012865

Rao, T. P. (2016). Role of guar fiber in appetite control. Physiology & Behavior, 164, 277–283. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2016.06.014

Scarborough, P., Clark, M., Cobiac, L., Papier, K., Knuppel, A., Lynch, J., Harrington, R., Key, T., & Springmann, M. (2023). Vegans, vegetarians, fish-eaters, and meat-eaters in the UK show discrepant environmental impacts. Nature Food, 4(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-023-00795-w

Thierry, M., Mariotti, F., Mashchak, A., Barbillon, P., Delattre, M., & Fraser, G. E. (2018). Plant and animal protein intake patterns are strongly associated with cardiovascular mortality: The Adventist Health Study-2 cohort. International Journal of Epidemiology, 47(5), 1603–1612. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyy030