How to re-introduce meat if a fully plant-based diet isn’t working for you
A 100% plant-based diet doesn't work for everyone. Here, dietician Bonnie Taub-Dix gives tips on how to start eating meat again without upsetting your digestive system.
How to re-introduce meat if a fully plant-based diet isn’t working for you
A 100% plant-based diet doesn't work for everyone. Here, dietician Bonnie Taub-Dix gives tips on how to start eating meat again without upsetting your digestive system.
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Let’s say you’ve been some type of vegetarian for years, but you’ve recently been craving burgers and bacon. First of all, don’t panic! Sure, this kind of experience can be jarring, but going back to eating meat doesn’t mean you’ve failed at life. Rather, science shows it may be your body’s way of telling you that you’re lacking certain nutrients—or it could be that your dietary restrictions are starting to interfere with your health and happiness.
No matter what your reason for heading back to animal proteins may be, easing into the process is best in order to avoid any weird bodily outbursts. “It’s not just meat that can upset your system,” says dietitian Bonnie Taub-Dix, RDN, creator of Better Than Dieting and author of Read It Before You Eat It: Taking You from Label to Table. “You have to think of where the animal protein is coming from and its fat content. Starting with something like a hamburger after you haven’t had any animal proteins in a while is not the best idea, because it’s fattier. And out of all the macronutrients, fat is the hardest to digest and break down.” (Some experts suggest supplementing with digestive enzymes to help you process foods like this.)
“Starting with something like a hamburger after you haven’t had any animal proteins in a while is not the best idea, because it’s fattier. And out of all the macronutrients, fat is the hardest to digest and break down.”
For this reason, Taub-Dix recommends reintroducing leaner proteins first, like fish or turkey, and staying away from anything too greasy. She also suggests limiting your meat intake in the beginning and keeping portion sizes small. “Bacon with breakfast, pastrami for lunch, and steak for dinner is probably not a good idea at first,” she says. Instead, think of animal proteins as a garnish for your meals, rather than the main event. “Have the plant foods continue to take on the starring role—for example, a pasta dish with cut-up veggies and a little bit of poultry, or a big salad with some pieces of fish.”
The most important thing to keep in mind, though, is to listen to your body. “There isn’t any specific timeline of what to re-introduce when. I would just say to play it by ear and ease into it,” Taub-Dix says. And, she stresses, don’t forget about your favorite veggies as you’re getting reacquainted with salmon bowls and scrambled eggs. “Continue eating all those fruits and vegetables—they are the best for you!” Don’t worry, kale, we’d never quit you.
It is possible to have your “meat” and your vegetables, too. Exhibit A: Next-gen veggie burgers that closely replicate the real thing. If salad fatigue’s your issue, check out this chef-approved tip for keeping things interesting.
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As a registered dietitian (RD) with more than a decade of experience, I’ve worked in a range of healthcare settings over the years— from inpatient hospitals and outpatient clinics to private practices—and the one issue that continues to plague all of these establishments is lack of insurance coverage for nutrition consultation.
While patients in a hospital can typically seek the counsel of an RD as part of their stay, many won’t be able to continue that care once they go home as insurance coverage in outpatient and private practice settings is hard to come by. If clients do have coverage, it’s often for a very limited amount of sessions (around two per year maximum) Given that proper nutrition is one of the primary ways to prevent several types of chronic diseases, working with a nutritionist on healthy eating habits is something that almost all adults could benefit from.
Thankfully, one company has made it their mission to address these long-standing issues for patients and nutrition professionals alike…and that company is Fay Nutrition. As an RD, I tested this online service to get firsthand insight into how it works, what it offers, and if it’s worth trying.
Fay was started by Jason Rasmussen, co-founder and CEO of Fay Nutrition. “Both my mom and sister are registered dietitians, and before starting at Harvard Business School, I was helping them with their private practice,” he said. “What I learned was that many dietitians struggled to accept insurance and open a private practice, yet so many people needed the help of an affordable, personal dietitian.”
Rasmussen soon made it his mission to empower RDs and make medical nutrition therapy more affordable and accessible to Americans. “In America, over half of adults1 have one or more preventable conditions linked to eating patterns, but access to nutrition care has been gate-kept by prohibitively high costs and obstacles for dietitians to accept insurance,” he explained. The company aims to help millions of Americans live longer, healthier, and happier lives through the power of nutrition.
My Experience Using Fay Nutrition
A platform linking you to RDs that take your insurance certainly sounds alluring, but what is it actually like to use? Here’s how my test run went.
Given that I was trying the platform on a demo, I was given a special link with an accompanying payment method to use upon signing up. For at-home users, you’d sign up as you would for any other service, inputting your basic personal and payment information (for co-pays if you have any). You then enter your health insurance information. If you don’t have health insurance, your journey on the platform will end here as it hinges upon this prerequisite.
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From there, it offered me a list of RDs to choose from based on my location, insurance company, and primary nutrition concern. With each listed RD, you can read a little bit about their philosophy and what areas of nutrition they specialize in.
The first RD I chose wasn’t actually available to see new clients—which was a little confusing, to be honest—but the next one I picked was. However, even though available for both virtual and in-person appointments, this next RD was located in Connecticut—a very long drive from my home in Colorado for an in-person session. If I hadn’t been looking for a virtual appointment, this would have required additional time and searching to find a Colorado-based RD.
Thankfully, virtual worked for me, so I went with the Connecticut-based RD and was able to get an appointment within a week of booking, which is impressive given that many outpatient and private practice RDs are booked out for weeks (if not longer). Booking was simple and I received plenty of helpful email communication after the fact, sharing everything I needed to know before the appointment, as well as frequent appointment reminders. Logging into my appointment was just as simple—I clicked the Zoom link in the email and entered right into the meeting.
My RD was very competent with an impressive 25 years of experience working in a range of settings with a variety of patients. She did all the right things when it came to an initial consultation: inquiring about my medical history, family history, basic biometrics, typical eating patterns, activity level, and more. She then offered very sound nutrition advice (I opted to receive general nutrition information) that was catered to me, recommending balanced eating practices that included all the major food groups (in line with my dietary preferences) to provide the correct amount of macro- and micronutrients.
We also had a candid conversation about who I was and what I was up to. This RD had nothing but positive things to say about working with Fay as a long-time professional in the field. She explained how Fay took care of all the behind-the-scenes insurance work, freeing up RDs to see more clients and often landing patients several covered appointments. This has allowed her to have long-standing relationships with Fay clients, making an even bigger impact on their health through nutrition therapy.
She shared several Fay client success stories with me and assured me that she was being compensated competitively by the company—all things I love to hear as an RD who supports other RDs.
Overall, I think Fay Nutrition is providing a great service for both RDs and patients. Throughout my career, I’ve seen time and time again how problematic a lack of insurance coverage for nutrition services can be for those who need it.
Fay addresses this by doing the grunt work for users and dietitians—a middleman that serves both sides. This enables more Americans (with health insurance) to receive nutrition care, while also empowering RDs to build up their businesses. The company also has an extensive vetting process for new hires (according to the RD I spoke to), ensuring that only experienced and well-qualified providers are featured on the platform.
So if you’re seeking nutrition consultation and have health insurance, it’s more than worth logging onto Fay to see what your options are. It’s far quicker and less frustrating than calling your insurance company for coverage confirmation and then doing additional leg work to find covered RDs in your area.
Buttorff C, Ruder T, Bauman M. Multiple Chronic Conditions in the United States. Rand Corp.; 2017.
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Staring down the barrel of a brand-new cookbook can feel super intimidating (especially if you only purchased it because the cover was so! cute!). While it’s exciting to pick up a new cooking guide, it can often introduce you to new language and techniques that feel out of your wheelhouse, leading to a Schitt’s Creek-level cooking meltdown.
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So if you’ve ever felt out of your depth, let me tell you a secret: In culinary school, students dedicate literal weeks to learning just one thing. When I attended The Culinary Institute of America, I had a three-week course on cookies. Imagine: a full 15 business days to master the art of combining butter, sugar, and flour. But if you’re a home cook, you’re typically left to your own devices, making it difficult to take your skills to the next level when you’re not sure how much you’ve “mastered” in the first place.
So, to help you level up your cooking this year, I’ve tapped a few chef friends to create a set of simple recipes that play off the basics you already know. Love roasting vegetables in the oven? Great—here’s a crispy chickpea mix that’ll have dinner guests clamoring for the recipe. Do you make a daily smoothie? Use those prep skills to blend up a quick dairy-free pudding. Sautéing no longer making you cry? Elevate your work with a pesto orzotto that’ll become a new weeknight dinner staple.
From there, you can keep stepping up these basics until you’re the best home cook your kitchen has ever seen—no culinary degree required.
In a medium-size skillet, add 2 ounces grapeseed oil and heat the pan on medium until hot.
2.
Add the eggs one at a time, keeping them separate, adding garlic and thyme around the egg whites. Cook, sunny side up, using a metal spoon to coat the eggs with oil occasionally (aka basting), until eggs are set and the garlic is aromatic (meaning the whites are cooked through and the yolks are still runny). Season with salt.
Add water, dijon mustard, cheese, and lemon juice to the blender. Blend on high until completely smooth.
5.
Once the mixture is blended smoothly, slowly add the oil to create an emulsion with a steady drizzle while the blender is running on medium speed.
6.
If you find that the dressing might look as if it’s breaking or separating, add a couple tablespoons of water and keep adding the oil until all the oil is absorbed by the dressing.
7.
Turn off the blender and refrigerate and reserve for up to a week.
If you can roast in the oven, you can make this snack mix
Photo: Getty Images/oksix
Protein-Packed Crispy Chickpea Snack Mix
From Emily Ziemski, Well+Good’s senior food editor Prep Time: 7 minutesCook Time: 22 minutesServings: 10 to 12
Prep the chickpeas by draining and rinsing. Place on a sheet tray. (Or two, if you need more room. You want each chickpea to have a little space). Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
3.
Place in the oven and roast for 5 minutes.
4.
Remove carefully, then add olive oil, salt, pepper, and seasoning mix of your choice (I like something with a little balance, like Desert Dust, which has flavors of dates, paprika, AND garlic for a savory-sweet combo!). Shake sheet tray to thoroughly coat the chickpeas.
5.
Return to the oven and roast for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden and crispy.
6.
While the chickpeas are roasting, roughly chop the thyme.
7.
Remove the chickpeas from the oven, let cool for 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients (pretzels, Cheez-its, thyme) together in a big bowl, and toss to combine. Make sure you let any extra oil drip into the bowl, it’ll help the thyme stick! Store extras in an airtight bag or container for up to a week.
If you can sauté, you can make this skillet orzotto
Add olive oil and diced onion to a skillet over medium heat and sauté for about 3 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2.
Stir in the orzo, add the wine, and continue to stir to avoid any orzo sticking to the bottom of the pan.
3.
When the orzo has absorbed most of the liquid for about 3 minutes, add 1 cup of the stock and continue to stir.
4.
Add the next cup of stock when most of the liquid is absorbed.
5.
Repeat with the remaining stock until it has all been absorbed. This process will take a total of around 15 minutes.
6.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, and peas, cooking until the peas are warm. Turn off the heat and stir in the pesto, then season with salt to taste.
7.
Divide amongst bowls and serve with additional cheese on top.
If you can make a smoothie, you can make this pudding
Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and run it at high speed until the mixture is uniformly dark brown and homogenous, about 5 minutes. Pause and scrape down the sides of the blender or food processor as needed.
2.
Spoon the mixture into a container with a lid and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
3.
Serve with a pinch of flaky salt and an extra drizzle of olive oil on top.
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