5 Powerful Habits To Stay Healthy And Plant-Based In A Junk Food World

In a world dominated by fast food chains and convenience snacks, sticking to a healthy, plant-based lifestyle is nothing short of revolutionary. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, known for its advocacy of animal-free diets, recently shared an inspiring and practical YouTube conversation with certified Food for Life instructor Brenda Workman, who offers five powerful tools to stick to healthy, plant-based diet, even when everyone around you is eating differently.

Workman’s own journey is what gives her advice such credibility. For most of her adult life, she struggled with yo-yo dieting, binge eating, and four sizes of clothes in her closet. “I always used excuses like birthdays and holidays and travel and vacation to go off my diet,” she says. But after years of health struggles, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and 25 years on statins, a doctor suggested she try a plant-based diet. That single decision changed everything.

Since adopting a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, Workman has reversed her chronic conditions, stayed off medication, and lost 60 pounds. More importantly, she’s finally broken free from diet culture and built a healthy, lasting relationship with food.

Here are the five habits she credits for her transformation.

1. Build your mindset around health, not weight

The first and most important habit, according to Workman, is shifting your mindset. “This time it was about my health. It was not about just weight loss and I think that made all the difference in the world,” she says.

One pivotal moment came just three weeks into her plant-based journey. After a stressful day, she felt tempted to visit Dairy Queen – an old coping mechanism. But she stopped herself. “I start[ed] talking to myself out loud,” she recalls. “I said to myself, Brenda, this is not about weight loss anymore. This is now about your health. You have high blood pressure. You have high cholesterol. This could very easily lead to heart disease. Is this what you want?”

Workman describes the immediate sadness she felt passing the drive-thru, but also a sense of empowerment. “That day my mindset changed…This is a lifestyle for me. This is my identity…This is what I’m going to do because my health is important.” Whether she’s at a hotel or on vacation with non-vegan family members, she reminds herself that her food choices are medicine – and they keep her healthy enough to enjoy more time with the people she loves.

2. Educate yourself constantly

Next on Workman’s list is education. “I had to educate myself,” she explains. Growing up in West Virginia, plant-based eating was entirely foreign. “We might eat some garden vegetables, but you better believe we throw fat in everything that we cook.”

Workman turned to free resources to fill the gap: YouTube lectures from Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Dr. Neal Barnard, The Exam Room podcast, Forks Over Knives magazine, and documentaries like The China Study. “There’s just so much free content out there that can really help somebody get going,” she says. “I watched hours, but it was so interesting.”

She especially found strength in success stories, particularly from women her age. “I would just read their story. Sometimes I would print it off and reread it.” These stories helped her stay motivated and believe in what was possible. Education didn’t just make her smarter – it gave her community, confidence, and a deeper sense of purpose.

3. Build a support system – even if it starts small

Workman emphasizes that support is essential – but it doesn’t always look perfect. Her husband isn’t fully plant-based, but he’s deeply respectful. “We go out to eat and he’ll say, you know, where do you want to go? What would be a good place for you?”

Her grown children also support her lifestyle. “They say, ‘Mom, what can we have in the house for you when you come?’” That support took time, though. Workman says consistency is the key to winning people over. “Eventually they’ll see that you’re serious.”

She shares a sweet story about her granddaughter introducing her to a fellow vegan castmate after a play. “You have to meet this lady. She’s a vegan,” her granddaughter said. For Workman, these small moments reinforce that her choices are both visible and valued.

4. Batch cook to stay prepared

Another strategy that’s helped Workman stay on track is batch cooking. “When you walk in the kitchen and you’re really, really hungry, you could make some bad choices,” she warns.

She doesn’t do it all in one day, but she keeps her fridge stocked with ready-to-eat staples like brown rice, quinoa, roasted vegetables, overnight oats, and fruit salad. “If you have those things in your refrigerator… you’ve got some choices there and that makes life a whole lot easier.”

Planning meals in advance also helps her create efficient grocery lists and avoid last-minute decisions that lead to poor choices. “You just kind of like, open your fridge, reheat, and eat,” she says.

5. Stock your kitchen like a plant-based pro

Workman’s final tip: transform your kitchen into a plant-based haven. She keeps dried beans, lentils, pasta, grains, nuts, seeds, in large glass jars in her pantry, and plenty of frozen veg. “I could probably feed an army for maybe a couple of months with all the food that I have,” she jokes.

This setup helps her whip up meals quickly and avoid impulse purchases. And it’s not just about the food – it’s about identity. “I don’t see [junk food] as my food,” she says. “I see it as something like dog food or somebody else’s food.”

Even while vacationing with 20 family members surrounded by candy and chips, she sticks to her plant-based staples. “I brought a couple of special things for me to snack on and that was my food,” she explains. “I like to eat food now that provides nourishment for my body and makes me feel good.”

For Workman, these five habits aren’t just strategies. They’re the building blocks of a healthier, freer life – one where food isn’t punishment or a reward, but a tool for joy, connection, and long-term well-being.

You can find more plant-based health and lifestyle videos on the Physicians Committee YouTube channel.