Registered dietician nutritionist Nisha Melvani join us on the Plant-Powered People Podcast for a nutrition Q&A. She has a Masters in nutrition education from Columbia University, she's a graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, and has a wealth of practical knowledge about how to thrive on a vegan diet.

Show Notes:

About Nisha and her journey towards studying a Masters of nutrition at Columbia University
How and why Nisha transitioned into plant-based living
Nisha’s experience living in Jamaica, England, Montreal, and New York
What Nisha learned from her Indian heritage and how it influences her plant-based cooking
The challenges that Nisha encountered when transitioning to plant-based living & the conflicting information that she learned in nutrition school
The truth about the protein obsession, and what people should really obsess over in their diets
Meeting protein needs on a plant-based diet throughout each phase of life
Why our bodies need protein & how to eat enough plant-based protein
The relationship between protein and bone health
Protein-rich plant foods & how many servings to eat per day
Lectins & the importance of soaking dried legumes
What you need to know about cooking beans in a pressure cooker
Some of Nisha’s favorite easy, fast, & healthy plant-based protein bowl recipes
Why fiber is essential & how to properly introduce more fiber into the diet to prevent bloating and discomfort
What is enough water intake & why you should drink more water when increasing your fiber
Why it’s important to chew slowly
How more fiber can help build a stronger gut lining, diabetes, and more
The calculation you need to know to understand the fiber content in processed foods
Why iodine is essential & how to get it on a plant-based diet
Iodine’s importance during pregnancy
Iron-rich plant-based foods & how to get enough on a plant-based diet
Tips to get rid of the aftertaste in tempeh
The benefit of fermented foods vs non-fermented foods
Why it is important to consume healthy fats & plant-based fat sources
The importance of maintaining the joy of eating
The meaning behind “cooking for peanuts”
Thank you to our sponsors Caraway Home (https://www.carawayhome.com/plantpoweredkitchen/ or code plantpoweredkitchen at checkout for 10% off) and Bootstrap Farmer (https://www.bootstrapfarmer.com/)

Resources:

Legumes Recipes: Plant Based on a Budget
Legumes Recipes: World of Vegan
Legumes Recipes: Cooking for Peanuts
Nisha’s Instagram
Nisha’s website for printable recipes

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