Going ‘plant-forward’ is all about prioritising plant-based foods in your everyday diet (1-3). Health experts agree that eating more plants (that’s nuts, fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, soy and whole grains) is vital for good health.

But how do you best pair such foods for nutritionally-rounded and tasty meals? We’ve broken down the steps to plant-forward pairings, to make it easy for you to create your own balanced meals at home!

What is plant-forward pairing?

Plant-forward pairing is all about using ingredients that complement each other, in terms of their colours, flavours, aromas and textures, as well as their nutrients.

Whole, plant-based foods typically each contain a unique and diverse combination of nutrients, making them perfect for pairing! For instance: 

Include nuts in your meals for a boost in plant protein, gut-loving fibre and healthy unsaturated fats, leaving you feeling fuller for longer.

Three simple rules of thumb

1. Include a diverse range of plant-based foods. These include nuts, fruits, vegetables, seeds, legumes, soy and whole grains (1-3).
2. When plating up a meal, aim for a quarter to be filled with protein-rich foods, such as nuts or legumes, a quarter high fibre or whole grain carbohydrate-containing foods, like brown rice or wholegrain pasta, and the rest (1/2 your plate) vegetables and fruit. And remember to also incorporate healthy, unsaturated fats (4-5), such as olive oil, nut oil or avocado.
3. The more colours the better. Eating an array of different coloured plant-based foods (think: orange, green and purple vegetables, for instance) will give you a wider variety of nutrients.

Tick the criteria above and you’re well on the way to a balanced dish of appropriately-paired plant-forward ingredients!

You don’t have to go meat-free to be more plant-forward. Instead, aim to put more plants on your plate – make them the ‘star’ of the dish, with meat the side!

Plant-forward pairings with nuts

Need some inspiration? Here’s some simple, easy and delicious pairings for your favourite nuts.

Article written by Olivia Moore and the Nuts for Life team.