When people consider switching to a plant-based diet, there can be questions about where they will get the nutrients that they were getting in their meat-based diet. Fortunately it's quite simple.

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One of the first concerns is protein. Is there enough protein in plants? Well, if you look at an elephant or giraffe, they built all that muscle mass from the protein in plants. There really is no shortage of protein in a balanced plant based diet.

SIMPLE FACT: Lentils, beans and quinoa have 20-25 grams of protein per 100g. Meat, cheese and dairy have 20-30 grams. So, they're very similar. There's no danger of a lack of protein being WFPB.

The next question that often comes up is where do you get your calcium? We've all grown up in a world that says milk builds strong bones... and we've believed it. Yes, milk has a lot of calcium in it, but the catch is, the acidic nature of the protein in milk and all dairy products requires the body to balance the acidity, neutralize it, to maintain a healthy blood pH. And it mainly uses calcium to do that. As a result, the calcium provided in the milk doesn't make it to the bones, as research shows that the countries with the most dairy consumption also have the highest rate of hip fractures.

SIMPLE FACT: Dark leafy greens like kale, bok choy and collards have lots of calcium, as does broccoli, beans, lentils, nuts and seeds. There are many WFPB sources of calcium. And if the research is right that says we excrete more calcium than we take in with a glass of milk, then we're far and away better off calcium-wise with plant sources.

Another common question we hear is how to deal with cravings for the old, familiar foods. Particularly when shifting from eating Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs), i.e. junk food and sugary drinks, there can be strong cravings for these foods at first. Those cravings are related to the dopamine hit we get by eating UPFs and sodas. We've discussed this in our blogs on the Pleasure Trap here and here and here, but the bottom line for dealing with cravings is to eat High Nutrient Dense (HND) foods. You can download a copy of our HND list here.

SIMPLE FACT: When we provide the nutrients our bodies need to thrive (and stay away from low nutrient dense UPFs) cravings come to an end. Taste buds shift and preferences change as we give our bodies what they need to thrive.

We are designed to thrive, and the intelligence of our bodies knows what it needs to do this. So, listen to your body (which is different from listening to a craving in your mind).

SIMPLE FACT: WFPB meals are full of fibre, where meat and dairy have none. This fibre is what our gut microbiome live on, so it is very important for digestion and gut health.

A healthy microbiome is needed to fully absorb the nutrients in the food we eat. It's also responsible for about 80% of our immune response and helps reduce inflammation.

So, getting all the nutrients we need when shifting to a WFPB way of eating is quite simple. One essential nutrient that is not available in a plant based diet is vitamin B12, so be sure to supplement this.

The recipe this week is our latest WFPB pizza. Give it a try and let us know what you think.

To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill

Roasted Veggie Pizza (For 4 Small (6 ½”) Pizzas)

Pizza Crust

• ¾ cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup sesame seeds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup chia seeds
• ¼ cup ground chia
• 1 teaspoon Italian spice
• 1 cup filtered water or vegetable stock
• black pepper to taste

Add oats, sesame, sunflower and chia seeds to a food processor with the S-blade and process to a “chunky” flour. 20-30 seconds.

Add the ground chia, Italian spice, black pepper and water (or stock) and process until it forms a ball.

Divide into 4 equal parts and with a spoon or offset spatula, spread out evenly into each section of a 4-section pizza crust silicone form or free-hand the shape on a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Dehydrator method: dehydrate at 145º for 1 hour and carefully flip the crusts. Use a spatula to loosen them if they don’t come up easily. Dehydrate another hour and fifteen minutes at 125º.

Oven method: Place in oven at 200º for 40 minutes. Flip and bake another 30 minutes.

Roasted Veggies

• 5 medium tomatoes, quartered or in eighths
• ½ red or yellow onion, cut in half moons
• 1 red, yellow or orange pepper, cut in slices

Roast in an 8 x 8 pan at 400º for 2 hours or until the tips of the veggies are darkened.

NOTE: Use half of the roasted vegetables in the Pizza Sauce below.

Pizza Sauce

• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
• ¾ to 1 cup roasted tomatoes, peppers and onion (half of the veggies from above)
• 1 teaspoon Italian herbs

Place ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.

Assemble the Pizza

Spread this sauce or your favorite pizza sauce lightly onto each crust, out to the edge.

Cover with your favorite pizza toppings. We like roasted tomatoes, peppers and onions, black olives, spicy mushrooms and broccoli.

Broil at 400º for 3-5 minutes to heat everything through and crisp the edges of the crust a bit.