SALT LAKE CITY — It only takes about 10 minutes of watching TV or driving past freeway billboards to learn that eating meat has become synonymous with being a true American.

Landscapes of steaks, ribs and hamburgers are framed by flapping red, white and blue flags with triumphant music announcing their bold and stately presence.

Meat is manly, and vegetables are … not so much.

Sometimes the idea of eating more plants (vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans) is unappealing or even scary for some. I once tried to serve a “meatless Monday” dinner on Thursday, and my husband feigned repulsion, claiming he needed more warning to mentally prepare for a meatless meal.

I get it, meat tastes great. Most of us have grown up with a literal large chunk of meat making up a hefty percentage of our plates. Meat is a nutrient-rich food and has its place in our diet.

Though Paleo adherents would have you believe otherwise, the evidence for a plant-centered diet is abundant. Diets rich in whole, fresh plant foods are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and cancer, which are the leading diet-related causes of death in America.

We could all do better to eat more whole, fresh plants to improve vitality and longevity.

You don’t have to do a complete 180 and become a vegetarian to benefit from a plant-powered diet, however.

Here are four ways to make eating more plants work for you:

1. Stretch the meat with plants

Adding vegetables, beans or whole grains to mixed-meat dishes is economical and stretches the meat portion so it lasts longer. Try adding black beans to ground taco meat, sauteed vegetables to meat sauce for pasta, vegetables or beans to omelets, and whole grains like barley to soups.

2. Bulk-up the plant portion of your recipes

Consider the plant-rich recipes you already make, and add more plants than are called for. Add an extra can of beans or two to your chili or a chopped up bell pepper and zucchini. Pad your pizza — frozen, homemade or the take-out variety — with extra olives, tomatoes, sauteed veggies, or artichoke hearts. Toss in an extra handful of spinach into a smoothie. Add nuts, beans and seeds to your garden salad. Boost your stir-fry or curry with a handful of cashews or extra vegetables. Aim to make plants fill half your plate or bowl.

3. Try a new plant-centered recipe or meal

When you get brave enough, try a new meatless entree recipe, a whole meatless meal, or maybe even pretend to be vegetarian for a day. When you slowly try new meatless dishes, you grow your arsenal of plant-based recipes you actually enjoy and you also slowly adjust your expectations for what makes an acceptable meal offering. When we challenge ourselves to make a meatless meal or day happen, we get outside of our food habits and explore new ideas instead of just taking the meat out of tried and true go-to recipes. I have several recipes collected here you could try or you could use meatless Monday resources like meatlessmonday.com too.

4. Make sure your plant-centered meals are rich in fiber, protein and fat

Meat helps us feel full because of the high percentage of protein and fat it contains. Protein and fat take longer to digest and so they are released slowly from your stomach into your intestine. As a result, you feel fuller longer.

When you decide to eat a plant-rich meal, make sure that you are choosing whole foods that are rich in fiber, protein and fat to give you the same benefit. No one wants to slave over making a meal, eating a meal and cleaning up the meal, just to feel hungry in an hour.

Avocado, nuts and nut butters, vegetables cooked or dressed in canola or olive oil, whole grain products baked with coconut oil, and fresh fruit paired with yogurt are all ways to add protein, fat and fiber to your plant-rich meals.

Eating plants is American, too

I started out talking about how meat has become synonymous with being an American, but unfortunately, chronic diseases largely preventable by plant-rich diets are also synonymous with being American.

I really enjoy a good steak, but I’m committed to branching out and helping my family learn to love vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds too.

Will you join me?

Erica Hansen, a dietitian-nutritionist, believes getting back to the basics in the kitchen with real food for real life is the first step to better vitality and longevity. Find her online at realfoodfixes.com and @realfoodfixes on Instagram/Facebook

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