Whether it be a nut roast, a vegan-alternative to a sausage sizzle or moreish, creamy faux-chocolate, vegan cooking is here to stay, so why not change up your standard meals currently on rotation and add in some plant based meals to your dinners and lunches? To steer you in the right direction, we’ve rounded up the 21 best plant based cookbooks for you to add to cart in anticipation of the feasts to come.

I Can Cook Vegan by Chandra Moskowitz

Vegan JapanEasy by Tom Anderson

Wholefood Cooking Everyday by Amy Chaplin

The Vegan Butcher by Zacchary Bird

Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi

The Happy Pear: Vegan Cooking for Everybody by David and Stephen Flynn

The New Vegan by Aine Carlin

Five Ingredient Vegan by Katy Beskow

Sweet Potato Soul by Jenna Claiborne

Vegetable Kingdom by Bryant Terry

One Pot Vegan by Roxy Pope

Deliciously Ella: The Plant-Based Cookbook by Ella Mills

Mississippi Vegan by Timothy Pakron

Plant-Based Love Stories by Cynthia Louise

Vegan: The Cookbook by Jean-Christian Jury

Asian Greens by Ching He Huang

On Vegetables by Jeremy Fox

La Vida Verde by Jocelyn Ramirez

Raw by Charlie Trotter

The Complete Vegan Cookbook by the National Gourmet Institute

Food52 Vegan by Gena Hamshaw

Since you’re already on the hunt for some new plant based food options after perusing the cookbooks, why not give one of our 16 vegan recipes a go tonight? Or, if you’re vegetarian, we’ve also got your culinary desires covered with 10 recipes that don’t skimp on the flavour.

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The health benefits of incorporating plant-based meals into ones diet are endless. “A whole foods plant based diet has been linked to a significant decrease in the risk of developing high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality.” Says Kylie Alla, a Soulara recipe writer and food scientist. “A plant based diet that’s abundant in whole grains, legumes, fruit and vegetables is rich in fibre, micronutrients, prebiotics and plant sterols which help your body function effectively and ultimately contribute to better overall health.”

“Plant based meals aren’t necessarily easier to digest than meals that contain meat and dairy but they will help to significantly improve the overall health of your digestive system.” Alla notes. “A whole foods plant based diet is rich in fibre which will keep your bowel movements regular and help prevent many of the diseases associated with the colon and large intestine. Bacteria in your gut also use fibre as fuel and a well fed gut microbiome is an essential part of a healthy digestive system.”

Alongside the health benefits, eating more vegan recipes can drastically impact our carbon footprint, with the University of Oxford noting that cutting meat and dairy products from our diets could reduce an individual’s carbon footprint from food by up to 73 per cent.

We will always encourage intuitive eating and finding what works best for your individual health and wellbeing, but if you feel compelled to start trying more vegan recipes, see our favourites below.

The Healthy Snickers Bar

Blueberry and Acai Grawnola

Green Pesto Scrambled Tofu

Miso Carrot Mung Bean and Brown Rice Salad

Peanut Butter and Caramel Ice Cream

Lemongrass Noodle Soup

Pumpkin Nachos

Spiced Sheet Pan Vegetables

Cauliflower Larb

Mediterranean Nourish Bowl

Rice Paper Rolls

Green Pasta

Chimichurri Potato Salad

Za’atar Baked Eggplant

Slow Roasted Cauliflower

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So sometimes we must cut our losses and take the pressure off. Whether you’re opting for a meal service to save time shopping for groceries or simply want to try something new, in the spirit of World Vegan Month or November as others call it, here at RUSSH we’re rounding up 6 of the best and most delicious plant-based meal delivery services. Find them, below.

1. Soulara

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As one of the OG plant-based meal services, Soulara has truly finessed the medium. From its commitment to sustainability with 100% recyclable packaging and a veggie-scraps-to-farmer initiative, to it’s impressive 60 plus lineup of meals, snacks and drink options that are seasonal, locally-sourced where possible and don’t skimp on protein. With Soulara knocking on your door, you won’t find yourself eating the same, under-seasoned dahl four times a week. Instead, it’s a colourful reel of hoisin noodles, spicy tagines, biryanis and risottos.

2. IKU

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What began in 1985 as a humble storefront dishing up simple plant-based meals in Glebe, has flourished into an online delivery service with a mission to make plant-based food accessible to all. IKU offer all the salty, fresh and savoury delights we yearn for as well as a diverse array of sweet treats too. As is the case for Soulara, IKU have pre-prepared all the ingredients so that once you receive it all you need do is heat and…devour.

3. Garden of Vegan

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Benny, Mel, Gareth and Damien – the four owners of Garden of Vegan – are up at 4 am most mornings. Why? They’re at the local certified organic farm picking the veggies that will soon be prepared into a number of wholesome and flavourful meals. Think Penang Curry and Shepherds Pie free from refined sugar, gluten and of course, meat.

4. Macros

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While not exclusively plant-based, Macros has plenty of vegan, vegetarian and plant-based options for the time poor among us. Choose between 7 and 24 meals per week, that have been designed by dieticians and crafted by chefs.

5. Marley Spoon

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For those who enjoy cooking, Marley Spoon simply saves you a trip to the grocery story (plus all the brain power you would usually spend on thinking up a dinner recipe). Each meal is delivered unassembled at the time and day of your choosing. And although Marley Spoon don’t eschew meat and dairy altogether, what they do offer in the way of plant-based is exciting, substantial and fail-safe.

6. My Goodness Organics

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One of the more expensive plant-based meal services on the list purely because My Goodness Organics know that a gal can never say no to a generous portion size. Here you’ll find the usual array of colourful, cross-cuisine fare as well as bagels, desserts and plant-based pantry staples.

For more in the way of easy, weeknight dinner solutions try these recipes.

Images: One, Two, Three

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As the research into plant-based diets increases, we’re seeing more and more evidence that this way of life has real benefits. And not just around our physical health, plant-based diets can aid our mental wellbeing too. To find out more, we spoke to ambassador for Inside Out Nutritious Goods, nutritionist and dietitian Millie Padula. Below, she answered all the questions we had about diet, mental health and plant-based eating.

Can our diets have an impact on our mental health? What might these impacts look like?

Our eating patterns can have an immense impact on our mental health, in both a positive or negative way; depending on the overall quality of our diet.

Research has shown that because the food we eat has such a profound effect on our mood and mental health, scientists around the globe are now referring to the gut as the second brain.

The health of our gut can intricately dictate the state of our mind and functioning of our brain via a few different pathways. Firstly, we all have a nerve called the ‘vagus nerve’ which runs directly from our brain to our stomach allowing for bi-directional communication between the two; and explains how both organs are so closely linked. Have you ever experienced ‘butterflies’ in your stomach before? This is an example of the brain communicating with the gut.

Secondly, 95 percent of our serotonin (one of our happy hormones) is located in the gut, so it makes sense that what we eat and the environment in which these cells are found impacts how they perform. A healthy digestive system full of beneficial bacteria from a whole-foods, plant-based diet will positively affect the functioning of serotonin, and vice versa.

Thirdly, most of us can also vouch for the fact that when we fill our bodies with nutritious foods, our energy levels are better, our sleep quality improves and we feel more motivated and optimistic which indirectly affects our mental health for the better.

Research shows that fuelling your body with nutritious foods can reduce your risk of depression based on the above factors. According to several studies, individuals who tend to present with mood disorders such as depression typically consume diets that are far from adequate.

Are the effect psychological or physiological? And is this something that is related to particular foods or food groups – or ways of eating like diet culture?

According to the ‘food and mood’ centre, the diet of an adult is closely correlated with the size of their hippocampus (a part of our brain involves emotional regulation). Those who consumed a healthy, well-balanced diet that contained adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, quality dairy products, complex carbohydrates and healthy fats were more likely to have a larger hippocampus. Perhaps we are what we are after-all.

There is also a prominent link between our mental health and consumption of omega 3 essential fatty acids. DHA and EPA are two types of Omega 3’s which are found in the brain in abundance and appropriate dosages through food or supplementation have proven to be beneficial for depression, bipolar disorders, ADHD, autism and aggression.

Omega 3’s can be found in oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, walnuts, chia seeds, linseeds/flaxseeds, hemp seeds and algae.

Another nutrient that can affect our mood is Vitamin B6 – commonly found in chickpeas. Research shows that low intakes of B6 can be associated with depression.

Not surprisingly, more research needs to be conducted in the area of diet and mental health, but the results are looking promising thus far.

Do you think that plant-based diets are beneficial for mental health?

Yes, absolutely! Plant-centric diets and eating patterns focused on the predominant consumption of plants are some of the most well researched and beneficial diets in reference to their effect on our mental health.

Nutritious plant-based diets encompass a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole-grain; in other words – a whole lot of foods full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutritious compounds.

Plant foods are high in dietary fibre, in particular prebiotic fibre which helps to fuel the beneficial bacteria (also known as probiotics) in our gut. This brings me to the food and mood equation, which looks like this: the greater variety of plant foods we eat = the greater variety of beneficial bacteria in the gut = the greater the health outcomes such as improvements in mood and mental health. Inside Out’s Unsweetened Oat Milk contains prebiotic fibre and is a great addition to a nutritious diet and an excellent non-dairy alternative, particularly if you experience gut issues or adverse reactions that are impacted by the consumption of dairy.

When fibre is fermented in our large bowel, it generates what we call a ‘short-chain-fatty-acid’ which is a group of compounds known to have positive effects on inflammation levels, disease risk, immunity and our ability to absorb mood-boosting nutrients from our food.

Could they be more beneficial for mental health than omnivore-style diets? If so, why?

Plants have a greater impact than animal products on our mood, but this isn’t to say that animal foods can’t be a part of a mood-supporting diet. Typically, a plant-based diet allows for small amounts of animal products if the individual permits, so as long as the majority of your diet is derived from nutritious plant-foods, there should be no negative impact imposed on your mental health. If you eat more animal foods than you do plants, your fibre intake will likely be inadequate and will therefore not have much of an impact on your healthy gut bugs and in turn, your mood.

Are plant-based diets something that you encourage people to explore?

Yes, a thousand times over! Here in Australia, most of us just don’t eat enough plants. Whilst we know plants include a wide variety of foods and good groups, just 7% of us manage to meet our vegetable requirements, and put blatantly – that just isn’t enough of us. My dietary recommendations are always centred around eating more vegetables, it sounds so stereotypical of a dietitian, but based on that statistic – can you blame me? As I’ve mentioned, plant consumption is associated with so many wonderful health benefits, everything from our mood and mental health (of course), to our gut health, immune health, inflammatory levels and disease risk.

What do you think is the biggest barrier for people in switching to plant-based eating? And how can we overcome that?

Honestly, I think it’s the ‘all-or-nothing’ approach so many of us know far too well. We aren’t all inclined to make small changes, because we tend to want results, and we want them ASAP.

However, switching from a diet that includes large quantities of animal products to a diet that is heavily plant-based isn’t going to happen over-night. We know that sudden and extreme dietary changes are unsustainable, so instead of going from 0-100, focus on smaller, more attainable and achievable goals that you can start doing today and implement for life.

This might include incorporating a meat-free Monday into your routine, or substituting chicken with tofu in your favourite curry, or lentils instead of mince in a bolognese sauce. Stock your house with delicious plant-based snacks such as fresh fruit, vegetables sticks and dip, multi-grain crackers, home-made bliss balls/muffins/slices, and nuts and seeds so you have nutritious plant-based options at arms reach. Switching out your milk with plant-based options such as Inside Out’s Almond and Oat Milks, which are fortified with calcium, will still provide you with some of the macro and micronutrients you would find in dairy based milks.

Lastly, do keep in mind that plant-based diets don’t necessarily exclude animal products altogether. It’s important to always eat in a way that works best for you, your lifestyle and your health and nutrition goals.

What do you think is the biggest or most common myth you hear about plant-based diets?

That plant-based diets are the same as vegan diets. Despite what you may have heard, a plant-based diet is inherently different to a vegan diet. Vegan diets exclude animal products in their entirety, whereas a plant-based diet is a style of eating where plants form the basis of the diet but animal products aren’t necessarily omitted altogether.

Secondly, the idea that plant-based diets don’t provide you with all of the nutrition you need. This couldn’t be more untrue. Dietary patterns that are centred around the consumption of plants can easily provide all the nutrients you need to lead a healthy life. Despite common misconceptions, a well-planned, balanced plant based diet (one that includes small amounts of animal products or excludes them entirely) can be nutritionally complete, given you pay careful consideration to the nutrients present in the food groups you have limited or removed so you can replace these elsewhere in your diet from a food source that aligns with your dietary goals and values.

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But what exactly is a plant-based diet? Do you have to cut out meat like a vegan or vegetarian? Or does it simply mean that you eat more food sourced from plants? And can you really get all the protein you need if you don’t eat meat?

I’m here to address these questions one by one. And if you’re looking for ways to maintain a healthy intake of protein after making the switch, read on.

What is a plant-based diet?

Technically, vegans and vegetarians follow a plant-based diet, and the terms are often used synonymously. But for many, following a plant-based diet simply means that most of your diet, but not necessarily all, consists of plant-based food sources.

Do you have to cut out meat on a plant-based diet?

The concept of a plant-based diet means that plant foods make up the main portion of your diet. Fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are your primary food sources, but you can still eat small amounts of dairy, eggs, fish, and even meat if you choose. 

It’s entirely up to you how restrictive you want to be. You could completely eliminate all animal-derived foods, or you could include eggs and dairy, seafood, poultry, or meat occasionally.

Plant-based is more like a category of diets, rather than one specific eating plan. For example, the Mediterranean diet incorporates small amounts of seafood and poultry, but the emphasis is on plant foods. Many diets, such as Whole30, can be adapted to be more plant-based if that’s your preference.

Why are plant-based diets such a hot topic these days?

Most people are making the switch to a plant-based diet for the potential health benefits. This style of eating is better for your heart, cholesterol levels, and maintaining a healthy weight. It may also support fertility and reduce your risk of developing a chronic disease, such as diabetes or cancer.

Some studies even suggest that diets rich in plant protein increase longevity in general. In fact, simply increasing your intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes to three or four servings a day may lower your risk of early death.

Can you get enough protein on a plant-based diet?

If you’ve ever mentioned to a friend or family member that you were thinking about making the switch, the first comment you probably heard is, “How are you going to get enough protein?” There’s an overwhelming amount of misinformation out there on this subject, and while some concern is understandable, there’s really no reason to worry.

There’s no question that protein is essential for overall health, but you may not need as much of it as you think.  For most people, even those who lead an active lifestyle, 10-15% percent of your daily calorie intake should be protein. And most of us are getting 70% more protein than we actually need each day.

People who suffer from protein deficiency, whether they’re plant-based or not, are usually malnourished overall and not getting enough calories to begin with. In these cases, increasing calorie intake is much more important than focusing on adding more protein because the individual is deficient in all nutrients since they’re not eating enough.

Where does protein come from in a plant-based diet?

The best way to ensure that you’re getting enough protein on a plant-based diet is to eat a variety of whole foods every day. Many whole plant foods are very rich in protein, including: 

Even leafy greens and many other vegetables have a substantial amount of protein.

The Best Sources of Healthy, Plant-Based Protein

Soybeans

Soybeans are an excellent source of plant-based protein because they are considered a whole protein. Edamame, which is steamed soybeans, provides all eight essential amino acids, as well as iron, calcium, folate, vitamin K, and fiber.

If you’re looking for a convenient source of soy-based protein on the go, Soylent’s soy protein shakes are a great choice. They provide all of the protein and nutrition you would get from a complete meal in a variety of delicious flavors.

Tofu is another great way to incorporate soy protein into your diet. It doesn’t have much taste on its own, but it takes on other flavours and can be used in all sorts of recipes, from burgers to desserts.

Lentils 

Lentils contain eighteen grams of protein in just one cup after cooking. They’re extremely versatile and can be incorporated into everything from salads to soup. They’re also a great source of fiber and complex carbs, which are essential for gut health. They also contain iron, manganese, and folate, as well as important antioxidants.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast comes in flake or powder form. Its cheesy flavour makes it a great choice for sprinkling on popcorn and pasta or adding to things like scrambled tofu and mashed potatoes.

Nutritional yeast is another complete protein. It also provides plenty of fibre. Fortified nutritional yeast is also available, which is a great source of B vitamins, copper, zinc, and magnesium.

Nuts and Seeds

Nuts and seeds are fantastic sources of plant-based protein, with most containing between 5-7 grams of protein per ounce. They also contain healthy fats, fibre, iron, calcium, magnesium, vitamin E, B-vitamins, antioxidants, and more.

Choose raw nuts and seeds because roasting and blanching can destroy nutrients. And avoid nut butters made with sugar and excess salt.

The Bottom Line

Protein deficiencies on a plant-based diet are far from the norm if you’re eating a variety of whole foods. But if you’re still concerned, plant proteins above can be used to boost your protein intake and a variety of other nutrients, too. And, even if you’re not ready to make the switch, incorporating more plant-based protein into your current diet can be extremely beneficial for your health.

As always, every body is different. If you’re looking to make any changes to your diet you should always consult a health professional first, like a GP or Dietitian. This will empower you to make informed decisions that make sense for your own unique circumstances.

Image: Laila Gohar, Danielle Opatovsky

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