Many of us like meat, and the reason is simple – meat comes with its own “sauce.” Animal meats are high in nitrogen, a compound that translates onto our tongue with flavor-filled complexity. Plants, however are mostly carbohydrate, which lacks the flavor-punch of nitrogen.

Can we learn to cook in a way that heightens the effect of carbohydrates and makes plant-forward meals more flavorful and satisfying?

The answer is yes, and it starts with a secret. The secret of vegetables, to be exact; the science behind enhancing vegetable flavor. Vegetables have sweetness hiding inside, and eaters can learn how to bring it out using heat. To understand this more, consider a raw onion – not very sweet. But dice that onion up, start to sauté, and what happens? It starts to turn brown, and flavors deepen, making the allium naturally sweeter. Science explains the reason. When cooking temperatures reach 330° Fahrenheit or higher (166°-ish C), chemical reactions allow carbohydrates to caramelize and enrich. And since all vegetables are made of carbohydrates, all vegetables can caramelize and develop more complexity, just like an onion.

Q: So, are you smarter than a 5th grader? What temperature does water boil at?

A: 212°F / 100°C

This means if you boil and steam all your vegetables, your temperature just doesn’t get hot enough to bring out their secrets. You don’t boil and steam all your meats, do you? So why do you boil and steam all your vegetables?

Transition to Plant-Forward Diet – Step One: Successful reduction of meat consumption begins by learning how to “beef-up” vegetables’ caramelization. Everyone is attracted to sweets; this is an especially good technique when cooking for children and people who say they “don’t like vegetables.”

Step Two: What is Umami?

iStock / PeterHermesFurian

Considered the 5th taste along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter, umami offers eaters a rich savory taste sensation that vegetarians and vegans should pay special attention to. Most commonly found in animal meats, umami is a result of glutamic amino acids. Because our tongue is especially tuned for it, umami is a key to culinary satisfaction The graphic above illustrates where the tongue perceives each flavor; notice umami has the greatest impact. Luckily there are plant foods that offer up umami, including soy sauce, tomato, miso, parmesan cheese, roasted peppers, eggplant, and nutritional yeast. When removing meat from a dish, we still want to ensure that plant foods high in glutamic acid / umami are included as a way to build layers of flavor.

Step Three: What do I eat?

When starting a more plant-based diet, a common question is “What will I eat?” Look to Myplate.com for a breakdown of your plate and build your meals with four categories in mind:

1. Protein

Examples of plant-based proteins include tofu, tempeh, seitan, dried beans, nuts and nut butters, some grains and vegetables. Depending on age and weight, aim for approximately 15 – 25 grams per meal.

2. Whole Grains

Whole grains remain intact with all their parts: bran, germ and the endosperm.

Examples include brown rice, farro, quinoa, millet, barley and buckwheat which can be steeped, boiled, baked or pressure cooked.

3. Fresh Vegetables and Fruits

Try to consume 30 different kinds of vegetables per week and aim to include all the colors of the rainbow.

4. Good fats

Plants have good fats like the poly and monounsaturated fats found in avocados, extra virgin olive oil, other plant oils, nuts and seeds. Make sure you are getting enough good fats in your meals, which help us feel full and stay satisfied longer.

Finally, you don’t have to give up animal products completely to start experimenting with vegetarian or vegan diets. That’s where the term plant-forward originates, offering an opportunity to feature vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans as the main part of your plate, while still leaving an option for meat as a side dish or condiment.

For more ideas, click here for a list of favorite vegetarian and vegan cookbooks.