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

Related Episodes:

• #75: Gut Health & Why it Matters With Dr. B
• #76: Fiber 101 With the Gut Doctor