Selecting the freshest fruits and vegetables is essential for flavourful and nutritious plant-based meals. Look for vibrant colours and firm textures.

Here are some practical and easy tips while choosing the most nutritious foods:

1. Eat a variety of colours - each colour has different phytonutrients and immune boosting properties.

2. Eat seasonal produce which is at its optimum, has the energy (prana) of the season. As an example, salad leaves are great in the sping and summer while root vegetables are grounding and nourishing in the cooler seasons.

3. Eat locally produced food, picked when ripe and ready to eat. Support local farmers and the community. This way, there is less carbon footprint too.

4, Eat organic when possible, especially the heavily sprayed fresh produce like berries, spinach and apples.

5. Eat wholesome, real food. The body gets confused with processed foods and artificial ingredients, which advsersely affects the gut microbiome, hormonal health and many other physiological functions.

Achieving the perfect balance of sweet, savoury, sour, bitter and spicy flavours is key to creating delicious plant-based dishes. This balance of flavours is a key concept in Ayurveda.

Experiment with different herbs and spices to enhance the nutritional value of the foods you eat.

Turmeric and black pepper work in synergy to enhance the absorption of the nutrients.

Cinammon is scientifical known to regulate blood sugar and even assist with reducing sweet cravings.

Bitters like dandelion greens help li.ver detoxification.

Ginger is a great immune booster and a warming root for the cold weather.

What herbs and spices do you like using? Follow me on Instagram for more healthy plant-based recipes and nutrition tips.

Learning to substitute animal-based ingredients with plant-based alternatives is a valuable skill for creating healthy plant-based meals. Explore different substitutes for eggs, dairy, and meat.

Eggs can be substituted with pureed stewed apples (apple sauce), flax meal and ground chia seeds.

Dairy can be substituted with plant-based milks, coconut-based or but-based cheeses and plant-based yoghurts. There are a lot of healthy plant-based alternatives to dairy available in supermarkets these days.

My plant-based meat alternatives are tofu, tempeh, beans, lentils and nuts. Gluten-based protein is also available readily (seitan).

How do you substitute animal products with plant-based versions? Email me with your comments.