Plant-Slant/Plant-Based Eating Lifestyle

Healthy eating: plant-based eating lifestyle (not a diet of deprivation, but a lifestyle choice), when possible using community-supported agriculture (CSA), farmers markets, eating local/in-season, and temperance. See: Old Family Recipes.

Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen Checklist:

(My favorite options are marked in bold.)

1. Fruit

3 servings (each serving: 1 medium fruit or 1/4 cup dried) + 1 serving of berries (see below)

Core & Stone Fruits

• • • Apples
    • Pears
    • Apricots
    • Cherries
    • Coconuts
    • Dates
    • Mangos
    • Nectarines
    • Peaches
    • Plums

Citrus & Melons

• • • Clementines
    • Grapefruits
    • Kumquats
    • Lemons
    • Limes
    • Oranges
    • Tangerines
    • Honeydew
    • Muskmelon
    • Watermelon

Tropical Fruits

• • • Bananas
    • Guavas
    • Jackfruits
    • Kiwifruits
    • Papayas
    • Passion Fruits
    • Persimmons
    • Pineapples
    • Pomegranates
    • Star Fruits

2. Berries

1 serving (1 serving examples: 1/2 cup fresh/frozen or 1/4 cup dried)

• • • Blueberries & Huckleberries
    • Caneberries
      1. Black Raspberries
      2. Red Raspberries
      3. Blackberries
      4. Marionberries
      5. Boysenberries
      6. Loganberries
    • Cranberries
    • Grapes
    • Strawberries

3. Peas & Beans

3 servings (1 serving examples: 1/2 cup cooked beans, 1/4 cup hummus)

Peas & Peanuts

1. 1. • Green Peas (Shelling Peas/English Peas)
      • Split Peas
      • Peanuts

Soybeans

1. 1. • Edamame (Green Soybeans)
      • Tofu
      • Tempeh

Dry Beans & Lentils

1. 1. • Black Beans
      • Black-Eyed Beans (Black-Eyed Peas)
      • Butter Beans
      • Cow Beans (Cowpeas)
      • Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas) (Hummus)
      • Great Northern Beans
      • Kidney Beans
      • Lima Beans
      • Pinto Beans
      • Red Beans
      • White Beans
      • Lentils

4. Cruciferous Vegetables

1 serving (1/2 cup chopped)

• • • Broccoli
    • Cauliflower
    • Cabbage
    • Bok Choy/Pak Choi
    • Brussels Sprouts

5. Leafy Greens

2 servings (1 serving: 1 cup raw)

• • • Arugula
    • Collard Greens
    • Kale
    • Mustard Greens
    • Spinach
    • Swiss Chard
    • Turnip Greens
    • Endive
    • Lettuce & Leaf Lettuce
    • Spring Mix – Red romaine, baby spinach, radicchio, green romaine, red oak leaf, mizuna, red leaf, lollo rosso, arugula, red mustard, green mustard, red chard, frisee, and tatsoi

6. Other Vegetables/Fungus

2 servings (1 serving: 1/2 cup)

Root & Stem Vegetables

• • • Potato
    • Sweet Potato
    • Yam
    • Turnip
    • Rutabaga
    • Beet
    • Carrot
    • Parsnip
    • Radish
    • Onion
    • Green Onion
    • Leek
    • Asparagus
    • Celery
    • Rhubarb

Fruit Vegetables

• • • Avocado
    • Cucumber
    • Eggplant
    • Green Beans
    • Okra
    • Olive
    • Peppers (Bell & Hot)
    • Snap Peas (Sugar Snap Peas)
    • Snow Peas
    • Sweet Corn
    • Tomatillo
    • Tomato
    • Pumpkin
    • Squash
    • Zucchini

Edible Fungus

• • • White Button Mushroom
    • Portabello Mushroom
    • Shiitake Mushroom
    • Oyster Mushroom
    • Maitake Mushroom
    • Morel Mushroom
    • Crimino Mushroom
    • Enoki Mushroom
    • Beech Mushroom
    • King Trumpet Mushroom
    • Black Trumpet Mushroom
    • Chanterelle Mushroom
    • Hedgehog Mushroom
    • Porcino Mushroom
    • Truffle

7. Nuts & Seeds

1 serving (1/4 cup nuts or 2 tablespoons nut butter)

Tree Nuts

• • • Almond
    • Brazil Nut
    • Cashew
    • Chestnut
    • Hazelnut
    • Macadamia Nut
    • Pecan
    • Pine Nut
    • Pistachio
    • Walnut

Seeds

• • • Chia Seeds
    • Pumpkin Seeds
    • Sesame Seed
    • Sunflower Seed
    • Rapeseed/Canola

8. Flaxseed

1 serving = 1 tablespoon ground

• • • Flaxseed

9. Herbs & Spices

1 serving (1/4 teaspoon)

Herbs

• • • Basil
    • Bay Leaves
    • Chives
    • Cilantro
    • Dill
    • Lemon balm
    • Lemongrass
    • Mint (Peppermint & Spearmint)
    • Oregano & Marjoram
    • Parsley
    • Rosemary
    • Sage
    • Thyme

Fruit Spices

• • • Allspice (berries)
    • Barberries (berries)
    • Black Pepper (berries)
    • Cayenne pepper
    • Chili Powder (peppers)
    • Paprika (peppers)
    • Vanilla (fruit)

Root Spices

• • • Celeriac
    • Garlic
    • Ginger
    • Horseradish
    • Turmeric

Seed Spices

• • • Caraway
    • Cardamom
    • Coriander (Cilantro seeds)
    • Cumin
    • Mustard Powder
    • Nutmeg

Other Spices

• • • Cinnamon (bark)
    • Cloves (flower buds)
    • Saffron (flower parts)

10. Whole Grains

3 servings (1 serving example: 1 slice of bread)

True Cereal Grains

• • • Wheat
    • Rice
    • Maize (Cornmeal)
    • Oats
    • Barley
    • Rye
    • Sorghum
    • Millet

Other Cereal Varieties

• • • Triticale
    • Farro
    • Freekeh
    • Emmer
    • Spelt

Pseudo-Cereal Grains

• • • Quinoa
    • Buckwheat
    • Amaranth

11. Water

5 servings (60 ounces = three 20-ounce glasses)

• • • Water

12. Exercise

90 minutes

• • • Hiking & walking – My most common exercise
    • Swimming – My favorite exercise in Summer
    • Paddling (kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, rowing) – My most favorite activity!
    • Caving – Over the last ten years I have explored about one cave per year, on average
    • Snorkeling – On my list of things to try!

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Other Foods

Beverage Plants

• • • Coffee Beans
    • Tea
      1. Green
      2. Black
      3. Oolong
      4. Wulung
    • Sassafras Root Bark
    • Hops

Sweetener Sources

• • • Cacao (chocolate)
    • Maple Sugar
    • Sugar Beet
    • Sugarcane