We’re proud to support the nation’s first Plant Power Day, taking place on Wednesday, 7 March 2018. Its aim is to encourage everyone to put plant-based foods first for all food and drink choices, at least for one day.

It’s easy to take part: whether you start your day with a smoothie or host a ‘planquet’ – a meal that puts plants first – making vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds the star of the show. Breakfast, lunch or dinner with friends or family, or even just a small snack, you’ll help spread the word about the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Plant Power Day’s instigators, Alpro, are hosting a special Planquet in collaboration with cooking sensation BOSH! . Guests will enjoy watching the team create a three-course plant-based meal in an open kitchen in London, and tuck in to a delicious meal. There are still a few tickets available online

Plant-based eating doesn’t mean we have to give up meat and animal foods. Simply starting to add more plants to our meals can all help!

Why take part in Plant Power Day?

As we’ve posted on our recent blogs, plant-based diets are rising in popularity. We see this as a good thing because of the many benefits such a diet can bring. It’s great for our health, the planet and for economics.

Good for you
As a rule, plant-based foods tend to be:

• Fibre filled – this means a good provider of fibre (our current fibre intake is 60% lower than it should be!)
• Heart healthy – generally low in saturated fat, known as ‘the bad kind of fat’, and high in unsaturated fat, ‘the good kind’, to help maintain normal blood cholesterol levels
• Packed with a wide range of vitamins and minerals

Good for the planet and economy
It may be surprising to know that the way we are currently producing and eating food and using the earth’s resources means that we would need two planets by 2030. This is clearly not sustainable.

Each person who puts plants first on Plant Power Day will*:

• Save 1,500 litres of water, equivalent to:
  • Two weeks’ worth of showers^[1]
  • Two years and eight months’ worth of drinking water^[2]
  • 27 washing machine cycles
  • 150 toilet flushes
• Reduce their carbon footprint by 2kg^[3], equivalent to:
  • 5 miles of driving in a car
  • Two days’ worth of light from a lamp^[4]
  • The energy required to make 1,064 cups of tea^[5]

[1] 15 showers, 2 Based on an individuals’ consumption of 1.5L water per day = 1000 days’ worth of water, 3 2kg of CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent. The standard unit for measuring carbon footprints, 4 Based on a 60W bulb. 39gCO2e per hour. 5 Based on 8 cups of tea per kettle. Boiling one kettle = 15g CO2e

Ideas for the day

Have a think about the meals you eat on a typical day and how you could adapt them to be plant based. By experimenting with plant-based foods for Plant Power Day, you may be surprised at how satisfying and tasty the options can be.

• Try swapping beef mince in a chilli or bolognese for soya mince or beans, lentils and chickpeas. Try this tasty recipe for a bolognese using lentils
• Add beans, lentils or tofu to stews, soups and curries. Try the delicious sweet potato and chickpea curry (pictured above).
• Include a sprinkling of nuts and seeds in your salads
• Try a milkshake, latte or smoothie using fortified plant-based milks. Here is a collection of smoothie recipes from Alpro
• Have a go at making some tasty falafels in a wholemeal pitta, like the oven-baked version by Dietician Anita Bean.
• Use nut and seed butters on wholegrain crackers or on an apple for a healthy snack.

For more recipe inspiration, go to the Alpro website

Get involved and have fun giving your meals a makeover, putting plants FIRST. Please like and share this post, suggest your own favourite recipe and help spread the word!

Your chance to win

Try a new recipe or share one of your own favourites. Post a picture of your #planquet on Twitter and Instagram for a chance to win a hamper of the Alpro plant-based range, a KeepCup and a subscription to AllPlants. Put the plant-foods first and snap away!