The hardest (and easiest) thing about the WFPB lifestyle is that you're going to be cooking unfamiliar foods. It can seem daunting, but really, it's easy because so much of the cooking is done during a few hours of preparation. So, let's say you pick Sunday to be your preparation day... you will prepare green steamed vegetables, pickles, lentils and beans, seed biscuits, hummus and a salad mix....and a great vegetable stock from all the bits that's you'd normally throw away.

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Being prepared is key to a sustainable WFPB lifestyle. 

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Stock - fill a big pot 3/4 full of water and put onto the stove on low heat. As you prepare the rest of your foods, put the vegetables ends and other scraps into this pot (you can use everything, including onion skins in this stock). Do not boil the stock, just keep it at a simmer for about an hour. Strain the bits out and use the stock throughout the week.

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Lentils - the basic lentil recipe is so versatile. Breakfast with spinach and yoghurt, mix with mushrooms and flax meal to make patties or have as a side dish with dinner. Click here for the recipe. 

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Foundation Salad - chop all salad ingredients into a big container in the fridge and then portion out and add extra ingredients to make a meal (a can of 4 bean mix, seed mix, roasted vegetables, nuts - all elevate a salad to an awesome, crunchy, satisfying and wholesome meal

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Mixed Greens - (Spinach, Chinese greens, kale, Swiss chard, beetroot tops etc). Wash thoroughly, chop and steam in a pot with 1/2 inch of water for 3-4 minutes (mixing up a couple of times during cooking). Strain and put into a container. Greens can be eaten cold, microwaved, stir-fried in a pan or added into other cooked dishes. Just lift out a handful and chuck them into a whatever you're cooking.

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Cereals - cook your chosen grain (according to instructions on the packet) and keep in the fridge for easy meals. Alternate between grains such as quinoa, buckwheat, brown rice, millet. Can be used as a base for patties, mixed through salad, as a side dish etc.

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Beans - cook one bag of your chosen beans (rinse beans before cooking) on the stovetop or in the slow cooker. Use your stock for extra flavour and add spices or curry powder for something interesting. NOTE: If you are using any red beans such as kidney beans, you MUST boil for 20 minutes and discard the boiling liquid to get rid of the lectins.

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Mixed Berries - if using frozen, empty some into a container and put into the fridge to defrost.

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Root Vegetables - steam or oil on the stovetop, or put in with your beans while they are cooking, or chop into pieces and bake in the oven. Serve as a side dish, add to salads or just nibble as a snack.

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Seed Crackers - an easy way to get lots of good seeds into your diet. Great for nibbling with hummus or dips along with lots of chopped crunchy vegetables, or as a lunch with spinach, sliced tomato and avocado. Click here for the recipe. 

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Hummus - a tasty snack that you can customise with lots of different flavours. Thin down with more tahini and vinegar to make salad dressing. Click here for the recipe. 

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Seed Mix - mix up flax seeds, chia, pepitas, sesame seeds and sunflower seeds in a jar or airtight container, and sprinkle on top of pretty much anything for extra texture and flavour. Use them liberally on your morning porridge or in salads, or mixed into your bean/lentil patties.

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Pickles - having pickled onions, carrots and beetroot always on hand is brilliant – the pickled onions give a piquancy to any curry (learnt that from the Nepalese who always have pickled vegetables with their Takali). Pickled beetroot is great straight from the fridge. Click here for the recipe.