My 9 Favorite WFPB Foods
Embarking on a new way of eating comes with its challenges. You’ll be giving up your favorite processed, salty, high-fat foods and figuring out how to replace them with foods that will actually better your health. Your tastes will change with a bit of time, but at the start, you may be at a loss when trying to figure out how to make tasty dishes with the new set of foods you’ll be choosing from.
To that end, I would like to share with you nine of my favorite WFPB foods that helped me reverse my pre-diabetes and the health benefits that these foods possess.
1. Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast, informally known as nooch, is a deactivated yeast known as saccharomyces cerevisiae that is cultivated in a sugary medium, killed with pasteurization and sold in either flake or powdered form, according to an article in Women’s Health magazine titled, “6 Benefits of Nutritional Yeast That Will Make You Want To Use It On All Your Food.”
Nutritional yeast has a savory, almost cheesy taste and is used to add a cheesy flavor to vegan dishes. It’s a main component of most homemade vegan cheese sauces. It’s used to make a vegan Parmesan cheese that is an excellent topper for pasta dishes and used anywhere else that a cheesy flavor is desired. From personal experience, let me tell you, it’s delicious.
It’s low carb, low salt and fat and sugar-free. It offers a little fiber and protein to your meals as well as a slew of other vitamins such as B6, B12, folate, iron, and potassium, says Aryelle Siclait and Trish Clasen Marsanico, authors of the Women’s Health article. It helps lower cholesterol, eliminate toxins from the body, stabilize blood sugar and offer protection to cells.
It does have a couple of drawbacks. It can cause gas and bloating in people who are sensitive to it and it is a known allergen, says Siclait and Marsanico. To most, however, it’s just a tasty addition to meals that I recommend you try.
2. Flaxseed and Flaxseed Meal
Flaxseed is one of the world’s oldest crops, says an article on Healthline titled, “The Top 9 Health Benefits of Flaxseed written by Rachael Ajmera. There are two varieties — golden and brown, says Ajmera. They’re both loaded with nutrients including protein, thiamine, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium, zinc, B6, iron, omega-3s, fiber and folate, according to Ajmera. She goes on to explain that flaxseed aids the body with energy metabolism, cell function, brain development, immune health and iron metabolism. It also fights inflammation and offers protection against cancer.
I use it as my regular dose of omega-3s. I add it to my cereal or a salad. It’s also great in smoothies, pancakes and other baked goods. It’s also the perfect plant-based egg replacement for baking. Just mix it with a little water and let it sit for ten or so minutes. I’ve also seen recipes for a flax-based flatbread that works great for making a gluten-free wrap. It really is a versatile little seed.
3. Lentils
As with flaxseeds, lentils are also quite versatile. Lentils are little disk-shaped seeds that come in four varieties — brown, green, red and black. They are an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber and naturally low in sodium, says clevelandclinic.org. In an article on their website titled, “Lentils: the BigHealth Benefit of Tiny Seeds”
Lentils offer a whole list of health benefits. They protect the body against chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and obesity, among others due to being rich in polyphenols, the clinic says. It continues by saying that they have anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties and they lower cholesterol and blood pressure. They really do pack a powerful, healthy punch.
It is important to be sure to cook them completely and not overindulge, according to the article. If you don’t, they can cause cramping and gas and can interfere with nutrient absorption.
There are many ways to use them. I use the red ones to make lentil hummus. They also make a good soup or a dal. This is a very tasty Indian dish. The brown or green ones can be used to make a vegan bolognese sauce or a lentil loaf. I throw them into a big salad to make a meal. You can also use them to make a really tasty lentil soup. This is one of my favorite ways to use lentils, especially in the colder months.
4. Tofu
Tofu, known as bean curd in Asian countries, is made by pressing curdled soy milk into a solid block, says Danny Bonxisuto in an article on WebMD. It’s been made in Japan for over 2000 years. It comes in different levels of firmness from extra soft to extra firm and it provides many benefits to the body. The phytoestrogens reduce hot flashes in menopausal women, Boxisuto says. It lowers the risk of heart disease. It lowers LDL levels and is beneficial for bone health. It slows the progression of prostate cancer and lowers the risk of colorectal cancer according to Boxisuto’s article. It’s an excellent source of protein and it contains all of the essential amino acids.
Boxisuto does offer one caveat. You should avoid consuming tofu if you take MAOI drugs for mood disorders or Parkinson’s.
Tofu is great at taking on the flavors of whatever dish you throw it into. It’s great grilled or fried and added to a stir fry. You can blend it up and use it for the base of a cream sauce or mayonnaise replacement. You can make it into a plant-based cheese or add it to a smoothie, according to Boxisuto.
5. Almond Milk
There are so many plant-based milks to choose from. I happen to be a fan of almond milk and apparently so is most of America. Almond milk is the most popular plant milk in the U.S., according to an article in Medical Newstoday.com. It is low-calorie and, of course, dairy-free. It’s made, according to the article’s author, Atli Arnarson, PhD, by blending up whole almonds with water and then removing the solids. It’s easy to buy at any market or even to make at home.
The store-bought options are usually enriched with various nutrients. They add vitamin D and calcium, according to Arnarson.
It’s low in calories, but It does contain a little fat. How much depends on how many almonds went into making the particular batch. Store-bought almond milk tends to use less almonds than homemade ones, says Arnarson. Store-bought ones also tend to have a little sugar, so be sure to check ingredient lists when making your choice. The unsweetened types of almond milks don’t affect blood sugar and are good for diabetics and all almond milk is good for those who suffer from lactose intolerance.
Almonds do contain calcium oxalate, so if you are prone to kidney stones, says Arnarson, it’s best to avoid this particular plant milk.
I’m a big fan of cold cereal, as you’ll see later in this article, so I use it with that quite often. I also like it in smoothies for a creamy consistency. You can also add it to soups and other dishes to similarly create a creamy consistency. And it makes a nice coffee or tea creamer or a base for a chia seed pudding. Give it a try, won’t you?
6. Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the healthiest fruits, says Registered Dietician Julia Zumpano in an interview with Clevelandclinic.org. It’s loaded with antioxidants, especially the lowbush or wild varieties, Zumpano says. It also offers a dose of vitamin C, vitamin K, Manganese and fiber.
All of these wonderful nutrients give these little blueberries some wonderful healing properties. It lowers oxidative stress, increases immune function and aids in blood clotting and bone and muscle strength, according to Zompano. She goes on to explain that their high fiber content moves bile out of the body which results in lower cholesterol levels.
Along with its high fiber content, blueberries are low in sugar so, Zompano indicates that they won’t spike blood sugar. She also says that they’re great for sufferers of Metabolic Syndrome. Blueberries lower cholesterol by producing nitric oxide.
Zompano offers one useful piece of advice. Don’t cook them. Heat affects their antioxidant effects. Your best bet is to eat them raw and there are so many ways to enjoy them. Throw them on top of a bowl of cereal or into a jar of overnight oats. Add them to a smoothie or maybe a salad. Or you can just grab a handful and munch away. They’re delicious just as is.
7. Grape Nuts
So speaking of breakfast cereal, Grape Nuts happens to be my favorite. It’s an excellent source of fiber, according to an article in Consumer Reports titled, “Are Grape Nuts Good For You?.” You can get one-fourth of your daily fiber requirement in a half-cup serving of the cereal. It’s mostly insoluble fiber, so it keeps you regular, says. Trisha Calvo, the article’s author. That same serving gives you 6 grams of protein, the same amount of protein as one large egg, Calvo says. And there’s no added sugar, which is much more than you can say about most cereals on the supermarket shelves.
Grape Nuts made Healthline’s list of the 14 healthiest cereals and maybe that’s because of its nice short list of ingredients. Unlike many cereals which have an ingredient list longer than this article, Grape Nut’s list of ingredients is just whole grain wheat, malted barley flour, salt and dried yeast. And that’s it.
I love starting the day with a bowl of Grape Nuts. I have it with a scoop of flax meal, A little date sugar, almond milk, blueberries and whatever nuts I have on hand. Yum!
8. Split Peas
When was the last time you had a nice warm bowl of split pea soup? If you haven’t had it in a while then I hope you have it soon, because it’s chocked full of nutrition. According to Nutritionfacts.org, Dr. Michael Gregor’s website, split peas have the safest form of iron along with Zinc, phosphorus and magnesium. Gregor says they lower cholesterol and hypertension and the incidence of prediabetes. They also have anti-inflammatory properties.
According to Gregor, they are protective against Colon Cancer and Osteoporosis due to their high phytate content. Their Magnesium content means they, “may favorably affect some metabolic and inflammatory disorders including diabetes and heart disease.”
And on top of that, they’re just plain delicious. Split Pea is one of my favorite fall and winter soups. You can also use them to make a hummus-like dip. Powerhungry.com has a recipe for a Lemon Garlic Split Pea Dip. They also have a recipe for Baked Split Pea-nuts. It’s a tasty-sounding crunchy snack. This website isn’t WFPB, so you’ll have to make some adjustments to the recipe like eliminating the oil and salt. You can replace the oil with some aquafaba — that’s a fancy word that means bean water. If you give either of these recipes a try, let me know in the comments. I’d be interested in how they turned out.
9. Avocado
Despite this fruit appearing at the bottom of my list, I do love avocados quite a bit. They’re loaded with beneficial things. They have vitamins C, E and K. It has B6, Riboflavin, Niacin, Folate, Pantothenic Acid, Magnesium, potassium, beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids, according to an article in Medical News Today titled, “Why is Avocado Good For You?”
Due to their fat content, avocados are very satiating. They support skin and immune system health and they aid in vitamin absorption, says the article’s author, Megan Ware RDN, LD.
Avocados are good for your heart, according to Ware, because their high level of sterols helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels. She says they’re also good for your vision. Lutein and Zeaxanthin are phytochemicals that are important to eye tissue. These chemicals protect against the damage from UV light and avocados have a good amount of both of them.
Ware goes on to say that avocados may prevent osteoporosis due to their Vitamin K content. Vitamin K increases the absorption of Calcium by slowing down the rate of its excretion. Lastly, Ware indicates that avocados may decrease the risk of cancer due to folate, but more research is needed before this is confirmed.
Avocados are very beneficial during pregnancy, Ware says. Folate lowers the risk of miscarriage and neural tube abnormalities and the fatty acids are essential to fetal development.
Avocados are also beneficial for depression, digestion, cardiovascular disease and osteoarthritis and have anti-microbial properties. Wow! Is there anything an avocado can’t do?
Besides all the wonderful health benefits, avocados are delicious. I love avocado toast, a good guacamole and putting a little avocado either in a salad or a sandwich. Oh, and how about inside a bean burrito? Yummy!
Just don’t go too crazy. As we’ve been talking about, they are one of the fattier foods. So, If weight loss is one of your goals, keep it to maybe a quarter avocado per day — a half if it’s a small one.
Conclusion
And that’s it — nine of my favorite foods. Not only are they all delicious, but they’re also great for your health. I hope you try them all, but if some of them don’t appeal to you that’s okay too. Just pick out the ones that you think will work best for you and go from there. There are so many great benefits to all of the items on the list.
What’s most important is to just eat a large variety of plant foods. The greater the variety, the better it is for your health. So start with some of the items on my list and then go to the grocery store and find even more new foods to try. That’s what’s great about WFPB eating. There are just so many different plant foods available, that you’ll never get bored.
To follow my journey follow me here at wholefoodplantbest.medium.com and at www.pinterest.com/wholefoodplantbest.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. The information provided on the site is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your doctor before making dietary changes or using any advice given here.