Savory Plant-Based Treats:

Smashed Potato Nachos

A tasty plant-based alternative to regular cheesy nachos made with our delicious Sweet Potato Queso! This dish is hearty enough to be a meal and a total crowd pleaser. Serve with our Classic Sour Cream for the full experience!

Sweet Potato Queso

Try our delicious plant-based version of this favorite. No cheese required! Use for our Enchilada Bake, as a tasty dip or with any other recipe that calls for traditional queso.

Mac N’ Cheese

Try this dairy-free version of the classic American dish. No fuss, just simple ingredients!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Simple, satisfying, and well-designed: having food you can hold in one hand lets you yell and wave your other hand at the TV. Try our plant-based version of this Mexican favorite.

Classic Margherita Pizza

Who can resist this party classic? No need for real cheese when you can whip up cashew mozzarella to make this tasty margherita pizza!

Quick Black Bean Tostadas

For those who aren’t interested in as much indulgence, these toasted tortillas topped with flavorful black beans and fresh vegetables make a quick and delicious light meal.

Sweet Plant-Based Treats: 

Easy Freezer Fudge Brownies

Looking for a sweet treat? Try these no fuss freezer-made brownies packed with plant-based whole food ingredients.

Oat Cocoa Power Balls

Whip up a batch of these protein-packed power balls for a quick and easy snack. Use this recipe as a formula and make it your own by swapping the ingredients for your own favorite varieties.

Damn Good Cookies

Raw dough, baby! Who isn’t in the mood for it sometimes? These super simple, awesome cookies are best served cold.

Cinnamon Rolls

Amazing, fluffy, gluten, yeast, grain and soy free cinnamon rolls that can be enjoyed by everyone. No rising time needed!

SEE ALL PLANT-BASED RECIPES

The post 10 Plant-Based Recipes for the Big Game appeared first on The Game Changers.

It’s easy to get all the nutrients we need to thrive eating a plant-based diet. Plant-based diets are typically higher in quality than diets that include meat (1) and include more fiber, vitamins C and E, folate, magnesium, and copper, and other nutrients (2). That said, making sure we’re getting key nutrients like vitamins B12 and D, calcium, iodine, iron, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids is well worth the effort. For a breakdown of these important nutrients and ways to include them in your diet, we turn to the recommendations of Michael Greger M.D., FACLM, founder of NutritionFacts.org and Scientific Consultant to The Game Changers (3).

Vitamin B12

As discussed in The Game Changers, up to 39% of people, including meat eaters, are low in Vitamin B12 (4). The good news is that it’s very easy to get enough, and Dr. Greger has several recommendations for how to do this. His professional opinion is that:

the easiest and most inexpensive way to get one’s B12 is to take at least 2,000 mcg (µg) of cyanocobalamin once each week, ideally as a chewable, sublingual, or liquid supplement (you can’t take too much–all you get is expensive pee). (5)

Anyone who’d rather supplement daily can take 50 mcg cyanocobalamin per day and people over the age of 65 should take at least 1000 mcg cyanocobalamin once per day (3).

Note that many foods are B12-fortified, and range from exotic foods like nutritional yeast to drinks as simple as soy milk. While it’s certainly possible to get enough B12 with frequent servings of fortified foods and beverages, it seems simpler to just take a supplement.

Vitamin D

Most people meet at least some of their vitamin D needs from sunlight (6) but since factors like time of day, season, latitude, air pollution, and sunscreen affect our ability to make it, supplementing is often needed to get enough (7).

If getting vitamin D through sun exposure is inadequate or unreliable, Dr. Greger recommends getting 2,000 IU of vitamin D3 per day (3).

Calcium

While the dairy industry has done a great job convincing people that their products are the only viable way to get enough calcium, there’s nothing special about the calcium in cow’s milk. Fortified soy milk, for example, has a comparable amount of calcium and is absorbed just as effectively (8). And the calcium in low-oxalate vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and bok choy is actually 15-30% more absorbable than the calcium in cow’s milk (9). This is why Dr. Greger recommends getting:

At least 600 mg of calcium daily via calcium-rich plant foods, preferably low-oxalate dark green leafy vegetables, which include all greens except spinach, chard, and beet greens (all very healthy foods, but not good calcium sources due to their oxalate content) (3). 

Iodine

Sea vegetables like nori, kombu, and wakame are excellent sources of iodine (10). Dr. Greger cautions against kelp (because it has too much iodine) and hijiki (because of its high arsenic levels) and suggests that people who don’t like seaweed or use iodized salt supplement with 150 mcg of iodine per day (3).

Iron

A healthy plant-based diet includes multiple sources of iron including beans, lentils, tofu, spinach, and cashews. Dr. Greger recommends that:

All menstruating women, whether they’re plant-based or not, should boost iron absorption by combining iron-rich foods and vitamin C at meals, and get checked for iron-deficiency anemia every few years. For men, he recommends they getting checked for an iron overload disease before any attempt to increase intake (3).

Selenium

According to Dr. Greger, northern Europeans may need to take a supplement or eat a daily Brazil nut (3).

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

When most people think of omega-3 fatty acids, they tend to think of fish or fish oil. But like other animal protein, fish are just the middlemen, getting their omegas from the algae they eat. Given that fish, and even distilled fish oil, have been found to contain toxic industrial pollutants, it’s a better plan to rely on plants for your omega-3s. Besides, according to Dr. Greger, even most fish-eaters aren’t getting enough DHA for optimal health. Therefore:

In addition to eating omega-3-rich whole foods every day (like walnuts, ground flaxseeds, and ground chia seeds),Dr. Greger recommends that everyone consider taking 250 mg daily of pollutant-free (yeast or algae-derived) long-chain omega-3s.

This is especially important for older men as well as women who are expecting, breastfeeding, or even thinking about getting pregnant.

TIP –  For extra assurance, use the free Cronometer app to track three days of meals and drinks (two weekdays and one weekend day) to see which nutrients you’re getting plenty of and which ones could use more attention.

References:

(1) Parker HW, Vadiveloo MK. Diet quality of vegetarian diets compared with nonvegetarian diets: a systematic review. Nutr Rev. 2019 Mar 1;77(3):144-160.

(2) Sobiecki JG, Appleby PN, Bradbury KE, Key TJ. High compliance with dietary recommendations in a cohort of meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians, and vegans: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Oxford study. Nutr Res. 2016;36(5):464–477.

(3) Greger M. Optimum nutrition recommendations. 2011 Sept 12, Updated 2019.

(4) Tucker KL, Rich S, Rosenberg I, Jacques P, Dallal G, Wilson PW, Selhub J. Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations relate to intake source in the Framingham Offspring study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 Feb;71(2):514-22.

(5) Greger M. Vitamin B12: how much, how often? 2011 Aug 30.

(6) National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin D: Fact sheet for health professionals.

(7) Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Dec;116(12):1970-1980.

(8) Tang AL, Walker KZ, Wilcox G, Strauss BJ, Ashton JF, Stojanovska L. Calcium absorption in Australian osteopenic post-menopausal women: an acute comparative study of fortified soymilk to cows’ milk. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2010;19(2):243-9.

(9) Weaver CM, Proulx WR, Heaney R. Choices for achieving adequate dietary calcium with a vegetarian diet. Am J Clin Nutr. 1999 Sep;70(3 Suppl):543S-8S.

(10) National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Iodine: Fact sheet for health professionals.
 

The post Important Nutrients appeared first on The Game Changers.

Athletes, on the other hand, and others who work out/train regularly, often require more protein than ‘regular’ people do, in order to repair and recover properly from higher activity loads. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind.

Most People:

As mentioned above, most people, including people who follow a plant-based diet, easily get more than enough protein to optimize health. The current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein ranges from country to country, but the US and Canada recommend:

0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
For a 77kg/170lb person:
0.8 x 77 = approximately 62 grams/day

Athletes/Active People:

As also mentioned, athletes and other people who work out/train regularly often require more protein, and how much more depends on what type of sport/activity they engage in.

Endurance Athletes

Distance runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes require about 50% more protein than the average person to help them recover and perform their best. This translates to:

1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
For a 68kg/150lb person:
1.4 x 68 = as much as 95 grams/day.

Most endurance athletes naturally consume this amount, since they typically eat more calories and therefore more protein.

The Majority of Athletes

Most athletes require around two times the amount of protein as “regular people”. The following range is considered more than sufficient for the majority of athletes:

1.6-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
For a 82kg/180lb person:
1.8 x 82 = as much as 148 grams/day.

Strength Athletes and Bodybuilders

Strength athletes and bodybuilders seeking to make gains as quickly as possible can require twice as much or more protein than the general population:

1.6-2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.
For a 100kg/220lb person:
2.2 x 100 = as much as 220 grams/day.

People who consume this much protein, whether they eat animal products or not, often rely on protein powders or supplements in order to hit these higher target numbers. And ironically, since consuming protein at the top end of the spectrum often comes at the expense of other nutrients, over-focusing on protein can actually undermine gains. For more on that, check out Gaining Muscle and Strength on a Plant-Based Diet.

Doing the Math

As we mentioned up top, most people easily get more than enough protein to optimize health. However, if you are an athlete or work out/train regularly, keeping an eye on your intake is important, whether you eat animal foods or not. If you eat five times per day (three meals plus one afternoon snack and one evening snack), take your ideal grams/day protein recommendation, and divide it by five. You now have the average amount of protein you can aim for each time you eat. Of course you can always eat more protein at one meal or snack and less at another, since what matters most is your total daily intake. In practical terms, check out our recipes for a wide array of protein-rich meals, smoothies, and snacks.

The post How Much Protein Do You Need? appeared first on The Game Changers.

1. Set one tangible goal at a time, and wait until that goal feels sustainable before moving on to the next one

For some people, this could mean choosing one meal a day to eat plant-based (like breakfast.) For others, this could mean dedicating one or two days per week to eating fully plant-based. In both cases, deciding ahead of time and planning accordingly is usually key.

2. Identify the plant foods and plant-based meals you already love

You might be surprised to discover just how many of the foods you already enjoy are plant-based, including stir-fries, soups, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and grain-based breakfasts like granola and oatmeal, not to mention the huge variety of naturally plant-based meals from international cuisines including Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Mexican, Middle Eastern, and African.

3. Find easy plant-based substitutions for foods you already eat regularly

If you like cereal for breakfast, experiment with a plant-based milk. If you typically grab a fast-food burger once a week, opt for a plant-based one. Same goes with protein powders. If you like chilli for lunch, use your usual recipe but just stick with beans or swap in a ground beef substitute. If you like enchiladas, curries, stews, sliders, pasta bolognese, etc., our Recipes offer plant-based versions that have the same look, comfort and taste. Focus on options that feel familiar, before jumping into unfamiliar ingredients and dishes.

4. Surround yourself with plant-based foods, so that when your hunger/craving kicks in, you have lots of options

In addition to having a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, and spices on hand, also make sure you stock your fridge, freezer and cupboards with plant-based milks, burgers, burritos, pizza, nut butters, dark chocolate, and so on. The foods you get started on should taste good and fill you up, even if they aren’t perfectly healthy. It’s much more important to enjoy your new way of eating than drudge through bland meals and snacks that leave you unsatisfied.

5. Approach your new way of eating as opening up to a new world of foods, rather than closing one off

Deprivation diets never last long, but eating patterns that taste good, feel good, and yield tangible results (improved energy, fitness, appearance, health, etc.) create a positive feedback loop that gets stronger and stronger over time. You will likely also be surprised by just how varied plant-based eating actually can be, with literally thousands of new flavors, textures and combinations to try.

6. Don’t be hard on yourself for ‘slipping up’

It can take weeks, months or even years for many people to dial in to a new way of eating, and judging yourself for ‘giving in’ to cravings or convenience is neither fair nor effective. A much better strategy is to focus on the positive steps you’ve made, how they made you feel, and build on them one step at a time.

Need a bit more advice? Check out our Getting Started program here.

The post 6 Ways To Get Started on a Plant-Based Diet appeared first on The Game Changers.

And for those of you traveling this holiday season (or if cooking from scratch just seems like too much work), remember that most grocery stores (and major online retailers) carry amazing pre-made, plant-based Thanksgiving dishes to fit every budget.

The Main Dish:

Option 1: Country Fried Crispy Tofu Turkey
This tasty modern take on an old tradition offers mouthwatering flavor and texture, and will be a quick hit with everyone.

Option 2: Thanksgiving Holiday Roast
This roast has layers of savory mushroom lentil stew, mashed sweet potato, and an apple cranberry sauce all wrapped up into a puff pastry package.

Option 3: Oat & Lentil “Meat Loaf”
This protein-rich BBQ-glazed “meatloaf” is a quick, inexpensive whole food option that will leave everyone at the table asking for seconds.

The Sides:

Simple Mushroom Gravy
Smooth, hearty and guaranteed to please even the pickiest eaters, this gravy can be whipped up quickly and served over any main. We’ve even got a video recipe to make is super easy.

Quinoa Apple Stuffing
This simple homemade stuffing is full of hearty ingredients like protein-packed quinoa, tart cranberries and sweet apple bits.

Wicked Easy Mashed Potatoes
Fluffy and rich, your guests won’t believe there’s no dairy in this Thanksgiving classic.
 

Wicked Traditional Herb-Crusted Butternut Squash Tenderloin
You’ve never served squash like this before. Best part is: most of the recipe can be done the day before!

Fire-Roasted Tomato Soup
Step up your soup course with this hearty vegetable-packed soup. The sweet potato gives it a nice holiday feel.

Cranberry Orange Sauce
Beets give this tasty sauce a vibrant hue. Use the leftovers in oatmeal or on top of pancakes or waffles. 

The Desserts:

Pumpkin Pie Jars
This is a perfect pumpkin party dessert with a “quick option” that you can make in 10 minutes flat.

Cinnamon Rolls
Amazing, fluffy, gluten, yeast, grain and soy free cinnamon rolls that can be enjoyed by everyone. No rising time needed!

Vanilla Cream
Our versatile sweet vanilla cream is delicious poured over fresh fruit, for a “lighter” dessert option.

The post The Ultimate Plant-Based Thanksgiving Recipes appeared first on The Game Changers.

1. Our muscles and brain run on carbs

As touched on in the film, hard-working muscles run primarily on glycogen, a form of carbohydrate stored in our liver and muscle. Carbohydrates, which come almost exclusively from plants, also provide our brain with its primary and preferred fuel — glucose — which helps us stay sharp and focused during intense training sessions or long days at the office.

2. Carbs are associated with lower body fat

This is surprising to many people, who have been conditioned to believe that carbohydrates, as a whole, are the root cause of excess body fat, and that a “low-carb” diet is the key to weight loss. While refined carbohydrates like sugar and white flour — which have been stripped of fiber and other key nutrients — are associated with weight gain, the opposite is true for unrefined carbohydrates like oats, bananas and sweet potatoes — their fiber and key nutrients left intact — which are consistently associated with decreased body fat. This helps explain why people who eat plant-based diets, despite getting more of their calories from carbohydrates than those on animal-based diets, have lower average levels of body fat. 

3. Carbs help build muscle and strength

While getting enough calories and protein are key to gaining muscle and strength, carbohydrates also play a crucial role. In fact, research has shown that low-carb diets, including the ketogenic diet, tend to undermine training goals and can slow or even block muscle and strength gains. A recent eight-week weight training trial, where subjects were fed the same amount of total calories and protein, showed that those eating a normal amount of carbohydrates gained 2.9 pounds of lean muscle mass, while those in the low-carb, ketogenic group gained none (1).

And it’s not just extreme carb restriction that can slow progress. A six-month study on rugby players — where calories and fat were matched between two groups — showed that those eating a plant-based diet with ample carbohydrates gained five pounds of muscle, while those eating an animal-based diet with more protein in place of carbohydrates gained only one pound of muscle (2).

4. Low-carb diets have both short-term and long-term costs

Extreme diets that encourage cutting out carbs may help with short-term weight loss, but it comes at the cost of an increased risk of dying early. And even in the short term, performance tends to suffer because, unlike carbohydrates, fat can’t produce energy fast enough to meet the high-intensity demands of exercise. Low-carb diets, including the keto diet, have been shown to cause so much fatigue they even affect our motivation to begin a training session, let alone finish it. 

5. Carbs may be the performance ‘edge’ you’re looking for

Carbohydrates are the ideal source of energy for optimized performance whether it’s doing squats, playing football, or running a marathon. For athletes, even a 0.5-1.5% improvement in performance can make a massive difference in their success, and the compound effect of the plant-based advantage can be very significant, whether you’re an athlete or someone simply looking to stay active and energized.

References:

(1) Vargas S, Romance R, Petro JL, Bonilla DA, Galancho I, Espinar S, Kreider RB, Benítez-Porres J. Efficacy of ketogenic diet on body composition during resistance training in trained men: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2018 Jul;15(1):31.

(2) Toro R, Mangas A, Quezada M, Rodriguez-Rosety M, Fournielles G, Rodriguez-Rosety I, Rodriguez Rosety MA, Alonso JA, Garcia-Cozar FJ, Duran Mdel C. Influencia de la dieta y el ejercicio en el perfil proteómico de una población deportista. Nutr Hosp. 2014 Nov;30(5):1110-7.

The post 5 Reasons Carbohydrates Are the Optimal Fuel appeared first on The Game Changers.

As demonstrated by the athletes and research featured in The Game Changers, switching to a diet centered around plants can yield significant advantages, not only for athletes, but for anyone who wants to feel and perform better in any aspect of their lives. But why, exactly? Here’s a quick recap.

1. It cuts out the “middleman”.

Many people don’t realize that the animals they are eating are really just “middlemen”, since the majority of these animals get their protein from plants, where all protein originates. In fact, most of the largest and strongest animals on the planet, like elephants, rhinos, horses, and gorillas — are herbivores. And they get more than enough protein to build large muscles and maintain good health. Plant protein maximizes efficiency by skipping the middleman.

2. Getting enough is easy.

Contrary to popular belief, the largest study comparing the nutrient intake of meat-eaters with plant-eaters showed that the average plant-eater not only gets enough protein, but 70% more than they need. Even meat-eaters get roughly half of their protein from plants. This should come as no surprise when you consider that a peanut butter sandwich contains about as much protein as three ounces of beef or three large eggs.

3. Plant proteins are complete.

Another common myth is that plants are “incomplete” because they don’t contain all of the essential amino acids, and therefore the quality of plant protein is inferior. This is also patently false, since every single plant contains all of the essential amino acids, in varying proportions. While it is true that some plant foods are lower in certain amino acids than others, our bodies break protein down into individual amino acids so that the appropriate proteins can be built at the necessary times. This would explain why, when it comes to gaining strength and muscle mass, research comparing plant and animal protein repeatedly demonstrates that as long as the right amount of amino acids are consumed, the source is irrelevant.

4. The plant “protein package” is superior.

Animals are not only protein middlemen, but very poor ones, removing many of the most beneficial aspects of the plants they consume, like fiber and antioxidants, while concentrating contaminants like pesticides and mercury, and adding highly inflammatory compounds. This helps explain why eating a single hamburger has been shown to increase measures of inflammation by 70%, while also impairing blood flow. Inflammation and impaired blood flow are not only bad for short-term performance, but create even greater problems down the road, setting the stage for heart disease and certain forms of cancer.

While the animal protein package sabotages our efforts to perform and feel our best, the plant protein package does the opposite, since it comes loaded with fiber, antioxidants and phytochemicals like vitamin C and carotenoids, which reduce measures of inflammation and improve blood flow. On average, plants have 64 times the antioxidant content of animal foods. Even iceberg lettuce has more antioxidants than salmon or eggs. As a result, switching to a plant-based diet can help reduce measures of inflammation by 29% in just three weeks.

5. The benefits extend beyond performance.

As thousands of champion athletes have experienced, plant-based foods can not only provide more than enough protein to support optimal athletic performance, but appear to provide distinct athletic advantages. These advantages include reduced inflammation, decreased recovery times, improved blood flow, and reduced body fat. Non-athletes who switch to a plant-based diet also benefit from getting their protein from plants, since most people want increased energy, reduced soreness, and a healthier body composition. And let’s not forget the environmental benefits.

The post 5 Reasons To Get Your Protein From Plants appeared first on The Game Changers.

1. Crowd out your shopping cart

When you intentionally include more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds — as well as plant-based dairy, meat and egg alternatives — in your cart, you’ll find that over time you’ve naturally “crowded out” many animal foods without even thinking about it.

2. Consider buying frozen produce

Frozen fruits and vegetables can be a convenient and affordable alternative to fresh produce. And there’s a huge added bonus: frozen produce often contains more nutrients because the foods are picked and frozen when they are their ripest and most nutrient-dense. Frozen fruit like berries and exotic fruit mixes can be used in smoothies, in baking, in oatmeal or on top of pancakes, etc. Frozen vegetables like broccoli, spinach, beans and asparagus can be added to a wide variety of cooked dishes. Buying pre-cut fruits and vegetables will also save you time.

3. Buy from the bulk section to save money on staples

Buying certain items from the bulk section can be a great way to save money, even if you’re only buying a small amount. Look for nuts and seeds, dried beans and lentils, spices and herbs, flours, grains and healthy snacks. If you don’t have much variety in your bulk section, take a look at online bulk stores.

4. Compare grocery stores

Plant-based alternatives vary between stores both in variety and price point. If you happen to live in an area with more than one grocery store, it is definitely worth the time to check out the options in each one. There are also a number of online retailers that sell plant-based foods, which can be a convenient and cost effective option, especially if you live in an area with limited in-store choices. Doing some research can help keep costs down and simplify your shopping experience.

5. If budget is a priority, whole foods are not only healthier, but also cheaper.

Most plant-based staples, like beans and whole grains, and many fruits and vegetables (like bananas, and sweet potatoes) can serve as cost effective foundations for a wide variety of dishes including pastas, burritos, sandwiches, wraps, soups, chilli, pancakes, oatmeal, smoothies, and so on. You can find recipes for these, and many other dishes, in our Recipes section.

The post 5 Tips for Plant-Based Grocery Shopping appeared first on The Game Changers.

Simple Baked Tofu:

At a whopping 24 grams of protein per serving, this simple baked tofu is a versatile protein that can be added to wraps, pastas, salads, sandwiches or stir fries. Once you’ve nailed the basic “formula”, experiment with different herbs and seasonings to keep it fresh and exciting.

Tempeh Bacon:

Whether you’re looking to add a 25-gram-per-serving protein kick to sandwiches and bowls, or just crave a nutrient-dense snack, this smoky tempeh bacon is a great one to have in the rotation.

Batches of beans and lentils:

Beans and lentils are protein and fiber-packed, go with virtually everything and are super affordable. Preparing dried beans is easy – all you need is a little time. You can apply this recipe to any bean or lentil. Make a big batch to last all week and add them into your favorite dishes.

Tofu Scramble:

This quick and easy tofu scramble recipe is the perfect protein base for a bowl, wrap, or breakfast platter. Change up the veggies you use for new flavors and textures.

Store-bought plant-based “meats”:

Most grocery stores offer a selection of plant-based “meats” that are a simple swap for any meat dish you love. You’ll find plant-based versions of chicken strips, burgers, hotdogs, sausages, ground beef, pulled pork, deli slices, bacon, etc. Experiment with a few options until you find the ones you love. This is a great option for people who don’t have the time or interest in cooking from scratch.

The post 5 Quick Go-To Protein Recipes appeared first on The Game Changers.

Milk

Broadly speaking, milk is perhaps the easiest animal food to substitute. Not only can you find plant milks that taste delicious, they are widely available in grocery stores. And when it comes to cooking or baking, if a recipe calls for dairy milk, you can almost always just use the same measurement of a plant-based milk. Soy, almond and coconut are the most commonly found plant milks, but there are now many more to choose from including rice, cashew, macadamia, oat, flax, pea and hemp. There are even plant-based creamers for your coffee. Be sure to take a look in both the refrigerator section and cartoned milk section at the grocery store to see what’s available. Try a few options until you find the one you prefer.

Eggs

Eggs in recipes:

Eggs in recipes can be replaced in a variety of ways but the “golden standard” is a quick and inexpensive flax/water blend. The ratio is: 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed) to 3 tablespoons of water. You simply combine the flax and water in a bowl, stir, and let it sit for five minutes to thicken. This replaces the equivalent of one egg in a recipe. So if a recipe calls for two eggs, double it, etc. Alternate egg replacement recipes include: mashed banana, unsweetened applesauce, chia seeds, silken tofu, baking soda and vinegar and even canned pumpkin. There are also several brands of plant-based egg replacer (these can be found in the baking aisle of the grocery store or online). While this substitution works for many recipes, for optimal results, we recommend finding a plant-based recipe to work from rather than “plantifying” a standard recipe. Check out our recipes for egg-free french toast, spelt blueberry pancakes, and coconut waffles.

Eggs for breakfast:

If you want to replace eggs in their own right, check out our tofu scramble, huevos rancheros, or experiment with one of the new plant-based egg alternatives on the market (you can now find these at most good grocery stores, usually in the refrigerator/egg section).

Butter

Butter in recipes and for cooking can easily be swapped with plant-based butters, margarines, oils and sprays. Healthier alternatives include avocado or nut butters, depending on the recipe.

Cheeses

Cheese can be swapped for one of the many different types of plant-based cheeses, including cheddar, mozzarella, feta and brie. Plant-based cheeses are available in many grocery stores, and range from more refined to less. Several brands make excellent plant-based parmesan, but for a simple and cost effective option try substituting nutritional yeast, which has a distinctive cheese-like flavor that can also be used to add depth and flavor to pasta dishes or sprinkled on top of popcorn. Additionally, plant-based cheeses are simple to make at home from nuts or seeds. Almond cheese, for example, is a great substitute for ricotta, and cashew cheese can be used in place of brie. There are plenty of basic (and not so basic!) recipes available online.

Yogurt

As with milks and cheeses, there are a wide range of plant-based yogurts available in stores including almond, soy and coconut varieties. As always, choose the option that best suits your taste, performance, and health goals.

Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Many pre-made sauces, dressings and condiments are already plant-based, and there are also loads of affordable plant-based alternatives to traditionally animal-based ones available in grocery stores and online. On our Recipes page you’ll also find recipes for several of our favorite home-made versions, including: gravy, BBQ sauce, cashew sour cream, buffalo tahini sauce, bolognese sauce, Alfredo cream sauce, and sweet vanilla cream. These sauces are great because they can be made in big batches and kept in the fridge and/or freezer.

Meat

The range of meat substitutes, both store-bought and home-made, are nearly limitless. While plant-based meats can range from healthy to healthier, many recipes work well with whole foods like tofu, tempeh, lentils and beans. Additionally, since the vast majority of the population are not gluten-intolerant, seitan (a wheat protein product) is also a great option.

Fish

While store-bought fish substitutes are fairly new to the market, there are many home-made recipes that imitate the taste and texture of various types of fish. Various types of seaweed, including nori, kombu, and wakame, can also be used to make dishes taste ‘fishy’.

Protein Powder

Many athletes and other active people use protein powder to bolster their daily protein intake. Whey, egg, beef and other animal-based protein powders can be easily swapped for one of the many plant-based protein powders available in stores and online, including pea, soy, brown rice, hemp, and blended proteins.

The post Simple Swaps and Substitutions for Plant-Based Eating appeared first on The Game Changers.

1. Use the same seasonings and garnishes

Newly plant-based people often realize that what they actually enjoyed about animal foods were the seasonings they used to prepare them. Meat and fish are, more often than not, just a “vehicle” for flavor. However you spiced and herbed your old meat dishes can be applied to plant-based ones, as can cooking techniques like marinading, barbecuing, charring, etc. For example, check out our BBQ Chickpea and Carrot Sliders or our Tempeh Bacon.

2. You don’t have to make everything from scratch

While some people prefer to make all of their meals, many people simply don’t have the time. There’s no right or wrong, only what works best for you and your schedule. If pre-made sauces, dressings and plant-based alternatives keep your meal-stresses to a minimum, then go for it. This also means when you do spend time in the kitchen, it’ll be preparing the meals you’re the most pumped about.

3. Sneak in extra fruits and vegetables by blending or pureeing them

If you and/or your family aren’t huge fans of fruits and veggies, try pureeing them into soups or blending them into smoothies. Our Green Energy Smoothie packs in banana, berries, spinach and kale, but all you’ll notice is how delicious it tastes.

4. BYOB (Build Your Own Bowls)

Bowls are a delicious, healthy and easy meal to add into your rotation. You can prep all the elements on Sunday nights for ready-to-go lunches, or throw a bowl together quickly for a simple yet satisfying supper. The key is to mix it up with different grains, greens and spices each week. Use our Quinoa Bowl with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Black Beans as a “template” and go from there.

5. Explore Instagram, Pinterest and blogs for plant-based meal ideas and inspiration

For most people, plant-based eating means opening up a whole new world of flavors, textures, colors and combinations. While this may seem daunting at first, plant-based eating has become so popular that there is something for everyone, no matter what kind of food you love the most. Look around for the sites that appeal to you. Of course, our Recipes section is a good place to start. If you’re active on Instagram or Twitter, follow certain hashtags so your feed is always full of meal inspiration. (We suggest: #EatLikeAGameChanger and #PlantBasedRecipes and #VeganRecipes)

The post 5 Tips for Cooking Plant-Based Meals appeared first on The Game Changers.

“I’ve cut back on meat by 80% and I have never felt better. My doctors are happy and I haven’t lost a step in the gym. I’m not a vegan, but I respect people who choose to be 100% plant-based, and I think it’s more possible now than ever.

One of my mottos is “Stay hungry”, which for me means constantly learning and trying new things and climbing the next mountain. The Game Changers was an incredible learning experience for me, and I was blown away by the athletes and the science. I’m proud to be an executive producer because I believe everyone can benefit from watching it with an open mind.”

— Arnold Schwarzenegger, Executive Producer of The Game Changers

As a former team physician for the St. Louis Rams and Cardinals, I’m all too familiar with locker room mythology about meat, protein and strength. Even when concerning blood lab results would come back for some of these young athletes, any recommendation to make diet or lifestyle changes never went over well.

Experiences like these made me happy to be interviewed for The Game Changers. The film follows the story of military combatives trainer and former UFC fighter James Wilks — a guy who wouldn’t even step foot in a vegetarian restaurant — as he travels the world looking for answers about the necessity of animal foods, interviewing world-renowned athletes, experts, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger, the godfather of muscle and protein.

Wilks’ major realization is that the public has been coerced by the animal foods industry into believing that a diet centered around meat, dairy, and eggs plays a central role in achieving optimal fitness, health and even masculinity, when in fact the opposite appears to be true.

This is why last week’s review of The Game Changers in Men’s Health (MH) didn’t really surprise me, since the film also explores, ironically, how the media often plays an unwitting role in further spreading these myths.

Denying the Evidence

Nobody likes being told that their lifestyle habits, especially the food they enjoy, might be dangerous, and the first response is usually denial. Not surprisingly, the MH article opens in a similar fashion, quickly claiming that the very first study referenced — which concluded that the Roman gladiators ate a plant-based diet — “isn’t actually a study” since it was “not published in a medical journal.” In reality, the study was published in not just one, but two peer-reviewed medical journals: PLOS One (1) and the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine (2).

What could have been a single misstep actually sets the tone for the rest of the article, which claims that the dangers of an animal-based diet are not “well-established”, alleging that The Game Changers presents “only one side of the facts” from “controversial sources” and “small studies”.

Conversely, the research featured and cited in The Game Changers includes cohort studies, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses with subject pools as large as 563,277 people, reflecting a body of evidence so well-established that the world’s leading health and nutrition organizations now confidently encourage a plant-centered diet.

The World Health Organization, for example, recommends eating “a nutritious diet based on a variety of foods originating mainly from plants, rather than animals.” (3) Similarly, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations confidently recommends, “Households should select predominantly plant-based diets.” (4)

Downplaying the Risks

When extensive scientific evidence makes denial impossible, the next defense is to downplay the risks. The MH article naturally follows suit by singling out colorectal cancer — just one of many cancers linked to animal products — which last year claimed the lives of more than 800,000 people globally, including more than 60,000 in North America (5).

Starting from the position that a person’s “absolute risk of developing colorectal cancer is about 5%”, the article then admits that “eating 50 grams of processed meat daily (about one hot dog) increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 17 percent.” But it follows this up immediately with, “Sounds scary. However, this increased risk is relative…In reality, actual risk goes up by about 1 percent total, to a new absolute risk of about 6 percent” — basically implying that this increased risk is trivial.

However, the 1 percent total increase in risk posed by “one hot dog” could translate into roughly 160,000 new deaths from colorectal cancer per year, including 12,000 in North America. This is why the World Health Organization classified processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning they have been proven to cause cancer in humans (6), making the risks associated with eating processed meats anything but trivial.

The nitrites and other compounds used to preserve processed meats are only some of the many constituents found in animal products linked to cancer. One of the nutritional experts featured in The Game Changers is Walter Willett, MD, PhD, MPH, the immediate past Chair of Nutrition at Harvard University, who has published more than 1,700 scientific papers and reviews on various aspects of diet and disease.

Dr. Willett explains that the proteins found in animal foods set the stage for various forms of cancer. “We do see, for example, that high consumption of milk proteins, proteins from dairy sources, is related to a higher risk of prostate cancer…So that chain of cancer causation actually seems pretty clear.”

Another expert featured in The Game Changers is Dr. Kim Williams, recent President of the American College of Cardiology, who explains how the various constituents found in animal products, including heme iron, are linked to the development of cardiovascular disease — the number one killer of humans worldwide.

To illustrate this connection, the film highlights an analysis of six prospective dietary studies involving more than 130,000 patients, which concluded that one additional milligram per day of heme iron — found exclusively in animal foods — is associated with a 27% increased risk of cardiovascular disease (7). To put that in perspective, the average hamburger patty contains around two milligrams of heme iron.

The Risks Don’t Matter

The final defense most people use to hold on to a dangerous habit is “there are bigger things to worry about”. Here again the MH article follows the playbook, alleging that The Game Changers claims that “diet is everything”, ignoring the role that genetics and other lifestyle factors play, when in reality “diet is only a small piece of overall health.”

The Game Changers never suggests that “diet is everything” for either health or performance. After all, genetics are responsible for 10–20% of our risk for most leading causes of death, and lifestyle habits like smoking are, of course, very dangerous (8).

However, global health authorities have concluded that poor diet is a major contributory factor in more than 60% of all global deaths — including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers (9) — and the leading cause of death worldwide, even beating out smoking (10).

A well-established body of evidence (see references below), and the world’s leading health authorities, have concluded that the dangers posed by animal foods are quite real, and that a diet centered around plants is optimal for human health.

Placing the Blame

While it would be easy to blame Men’s Health for publishing an article as scientifically inaccurate as its review of The Game Changers, I believe the fault ultimately lies with the animal foods industry, which spends billions a year (including taxpayer dollars) to reassure us that their products are not only safe, but a necessary part of a healthy diet.

While marketing and lobbying are critical to these efforts, The Game Changers goes into significant detail exposing a more insidious strategy: the meat, dairy and egg industries’ covert funding of researchers whose pro-industry “findings” infiltrate the scientific literature, eventually making their way to the public via the media.

Although the MH article doesn’t provide any references, it does quote two sources, including “Mike Roussell, Ph.D., author of The MetaShred Diet”. Ironically, but perhaps not surprisingly, Roussell is a paid spokesperson for the beef industry (11). I assume the author of the article was not aware of this connection.

As such, this MH article is just the latest example of how relevant and timely a film like The Game Changers actually is.

Disclosures: I was not paid to be participate in The Game Changers, nor was I paid to write this article.

References:

(1) Lösch S, Moghaddam N, Grossschmidt K, Risser DU, Kanz F. Stable isotope and trace element studies on gladiators and contemporary Romans from Ephesus (Turkey, 2nd and 3rd Ct. AD) — Implications for differences in diet. PLoS One. 2014;9(10):e110489.

(2) Longo UG, Spiezia F, Maffulli N, Denaro V. The Best Athletes in Ancient Rome were Vegetarian! J Sports Sci Med. 2008 Dec 1;7(4):565.

(3) World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe. A healthy lifestyle. 2019.

(4) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, World Health Organization Vitamin and mineral requirements in human nutrition. Joint FAO/WHO Consultation on Human Vitamin and Mineral Requirements, FAO/WHO, Geneva, 2004.

(5) International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. Colorectal cancer. The Global Cancer Observatory, 2018.

(6) International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization. IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat. 2015 Oct 26.

(7) Yang W, Li B, Dong X, Zhang XQ, Zeng Y, Zhou JL, Tang YH, Xu JJ. Is heme iron intake associated with risk of coronary heart disease? A meta-analysis of prospective studies. Eur J Nutr. 2014;53(2):395–400.

(8) Willett WC. Balancing life-style and genomics research for disease prevention. Science. 2002 Apr;296(5568):695–8.

(9) Bloom DE, Cafiero ET, Jané-Llopis E, Abrahams-Gessel S, Bloom LR, Fathima S, Feigl AB, Gaziano T, Mowafi M, Pandya A, Prettner K, Rosenberg L, Seligman B, Stein AZ, Weinstein C. (2011). The Global Economic Burden of Noncommunicable Diseases. Geneva: World Economic Forum.

(10) GBD 2017 Diet Collaborators. Health effects of dietary risks in 195 countries, 1990–2017: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Lancet. 2019 Apr;393(10184):1958–72.

(11) Roussell MA, Hill AM, Gaugler TL, et al. Beef in an Optimal Lean Diet study: effects on lipids, lipoproteins, and apolipoproteins. Am J Clin Nutr. 2012;95(1):9–16.

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