I'm a 30 year old male with somewhat high blood pressure, overweight and always tired. Not using medication.
I want to change to a plant based diet - not vegan, just less obsessed with meat. How do I do that?
Status Quo
Here in South Africa we eat so much red meat, that chicken is considered a vegetable! We regularly snack of dried meat (called biltong and droewors).
I want to change that for my me and my family.
We currently plan every meal around the chosen meat basis. If we have minced beef - we'd consider what we can make as a side dish. If we have chicken breasts - we'd think what veggies can go with that. You catch my drift.
So up until know, I have tried to control the portions - having smaller servings of meat and bigger portions of salad / vegetables. Snacking on fruit and seeds. We don't consume bread / pasta.
Finding a new base for each meal
The problem is that I'm uneducated - I don't know how to plan a meal around fruit or vegetables.
What vegetables make a good basis for a meal like dinner?
I'm looking for easy meals to prepare - I don't want to make my own paleo pizza bases or bread dough. Not yet, at least.
PS: Is it normal to still feel hungry after consuming a meal with LOTS of fruit and vegetables? I don't know if it is a mental or physiological problem, but it feels like plants doesn't quite satisfy my stomach.
Any help would be appreciated!