How to build a plant-based plate

Knowing how to build a nutrient packed plant-based plate is vital to meeting your nutrient needs on a plant-based diet.

With that said, try not to stress about it! It's what you eat regularly that counts.

We are going to do a deeper dive into each nutrient that requires special attention on a plant-based diet later in the course, but, here are the basic recommendations to help ensure that you are getting adequate nutrition on a plant-based diet!

Eating a variety of plant foods every day is important in making sure you are getting an assortment of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fibre, protein and energy.

• Try to fill half of your plate with 2-3 cups of 2-3 different types of non-starchy vegetables. I recommend to try including at least 2 servings (1 cup raw, 1/2 cup cooked) of leafy greens like spinach, kale, arugula, Swiss chard, collard greens, beet greens, mustard greens, bok choy, cabbage or broccoli daily.

• Aim for a few servings (a whole fruit or 1/2 cup) of fruit per day, particularly berries like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, blackberries or mulberries. Fresh or frozen!

• Aim for 1/4 of your plate whole grains and/or starchy veg. Brown or wild rice, oats, quinoa, buckwheat, teff, barley, corn, amaranth, kamut, triticale, whole wheat or whole grain pasta and whole wheat or whole grain bread. Sweet potato, potatoes or corn are examples of starchy veg.

• Aim for 1/4 of your plate to include a concentrated source(s) of plant-protein like beans, lentils, split peas, tofu or tempeh. Eat at least 3 servings of legumes per day. One serving = 1/4 cup hummus, 1/2 cup tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils, peas, edamame, 2 tbsp peanut butter or 1/4 cup peanuts.

• Add foods like hemp hearts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and nutritional yeast on top of your meals for an additional protein and nutrient boost!

• Include multiple servings of calcium rich foods like fortified milk alternatives, calcium-set tofu, bok choy, collard greens, kale, napa cabbage, almonds, tahini, chia seeds, blackstrap molasses and figs daily.

• Include whole food sources of fat like avocado, nuts, seeds and their butters, and olives, most often. Getting enough fat from these foods or oils, is extremely important for young children and teenagers.

• Include sources of plant-based omega-3 (ALA) per day. ~1-2 tbsp of ground flax, flax oil, hemp hearts, chia seeds or 1/4 cup walnuts.

• Take appropriate supplements (vitamin B12, vitamin D and optional others iodine and EPA/DHA). Talk with your Registered Dietitian about what supplements are appropriate for you.

• Choose whole foods most often, but enjoy more processed plant-based alternatives (meat alternatives and cheese alternatives) occasionally! They can help make plant-based eating enjoyable and are often sources of fortified key nutrients.

Important Note

You do not need to track your food and nutrient intake. Some people find that when they get started it can be helpful to track some meals to see where their micro-nutrients like iron, calcium and zinc are coming from, but this is certainly not necessary.

You do not have to meet 100% of the recommended nutrient intakes daily. If you are eating a variety of foods often and are eating enough, you are more than likely meeting your needs over time, so don't stress!