The best part of transitioning to a whole-food, plant-based diet is that you don’t need to get fancy and expensive equipment to be successful. This is because most of the foods included in this lifestyle can already be consumed in their natural raw state (like nuts, seeds, legumes, fruits and many vegetables). In fact, the two pieces of ‘equipment’ I have found the most useful so far during our family’s transition to a whole-food, plant-based diet are simply these:
* A plastic colander (without legs) with a mixing bowl that fits underneath
* A slow cooker
These plant-based kitchen friends are indispensable! Get a metal or plastic colander with a corresponding bowl that fits its size to use together, or simply purchase a plastic mixing bowl or other bowl that fits its size underneath. Why? This will allow you to fill up the colander with water and then you can easily lift it up to drain out the water quickly and easily. This makes it SO easy to soak and rinse vegetables, fruits like blueberries, canned and dried beans, split peas, lentils…you name it! Your prep work time will be quickly reduced and you can then get to cooking right away.
And the slow cooker? If it has been sitting dusty in a remote corner of your kitchen, it is time to bring it back out into the limelight again. There are many easy wonderful slow cooker recipes using plant-based foods that are hearty, filling and delicious. And the best part is that because the beans and legumes used in the recipes often need to cook for many hours in the slow cooker, I’ve found that they ended up being easier on my digestive system. As a result, our family has been able to rapidly ramp up our vegetable and fiber intake without problems. You may not have such an issue but for those with sensitive intestinal systems, this is a factor to consider when transitioning over to a whole-food, plant-based diet.
Eventually, as you begin to try more and more new plant-based recipes, you may find a hand immersion blender or food processor handy for making nut or seed butters, or whipping up vegan based desserts or bean dips or bean based soups!
