What is a plant-based diet?

“Plant-based” is one of the latest and greatest buzzwords out there in the health & wellness world.

Like many trends, it started with its origin (food in this case) and has since become a trendy marketing term attached to a wide variety of products from food to makeup to diapers, and more.

But what does plant-based mean exactly? And what is the plant-based diet?

In the simplest terms, plant-based means coming from plants, and to follow a plant-based diet means to eat a diet that is primarily made up of foods that come from plants.

What do you eat on a Plant-Based Diet?

If a plant-based diet means eating a diet primarily made up of plant foods, what foods are considered plant foods?

Plant-based foods

Plant-based foods generally consist of the following categories:

Fruits
Vegetables
Beans and Legumes
Whole Grains and Cereals
Nuts and Seeds

A plant-based diet generally does not include the following foods:

Dairy
Eggs
Poultry
Meat
Fish
Shellfish

Different Types of Plant-Based Diets

“So isn’t plant-based the same as vegan?” you might be wondering, and the answer is actually, no - they’re not quite the same.

This is where it gets a little tricky, so let’s identify a few of the different types of plant-based diets:

Plant-Based Diet - primarily plant foods, may eat some non-plant foods on occasion
Whole Food Plant-Based Diet - primarily whole, unrefined, and minimally processed plant foods
Plant-Based Vegan Diet - fully plant foods, no animal-based foods. Processed foods okay.

For an in-depth look at eight different types of plant-based diets and to determine which one is right for you, check out this post here.

Why should you care about the plant-based diet?

There are many reasons to consider adopting a more plant-based diet. The top 3 to highlight are health, environment, and animal welfare.

Health

Typically, the first and foremost reason people turn to a plant-based diet or whole food plant-based diet is for health reasons.

According to the CDC, only about 1 in 10 American adults meet the recommended daily requirement for fruit and vegetable intake.

At the same time, 7 out of 10 of the leading causes of death in the U.S. are due to chronic diseases, the risks of which can be greatly reduced by consuming a healthy diet that includes enough fruits and vegetables.

The benefits of eating a diet high in whole plant-based foods do not stop at reducing the risk of chronic disease. Other potential benefits may include:

lower blood pressure
improved cholesterol
improved heart health
reduced risk of dementia
healthy weight maintenance
improved gut health
improved digestion
improved mental health
strengthened immune system
and more

And in less official terms, many people seem to just feel “better” overall after adding more fruits, vegetables, and whole plant-based foods into their diets.

This may be due to the benefits listed, as well as better energy, better sleep, improved mood, and more.

Now that’s not to say that the plant-based diet is right for everyone. Be sure to speak to your doctor before making significant changes to your diet.

Environment

Another major consideration for switching to a plant-based diet is environmental impact. Eating a plant-based diet might significantly reduce your environmental footprint.

According to this study on the environmental impact of the livestock industry, the livestock industry is:

The second highest responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, just after electricity
The main cause of forest clearing (deforestation)
Responsible for over half of the freshwater consumption in the U.S.
Responsible for 1/3 of the world’s total land use and 2/3 of its agricultural land use
The greatest agricultural cause of water pollution
Responsible for producing 116,000 lb of waste per second in the U.S.

Animal agriculture is also one of the leading causes of ocean dead zones.

Animal Welfare

The third major consideration for transitioning to a plant-based diet is concern for animal welfare and animal rights.

For some, just the idea of eating animals is enough to move them toward a plant-based diet. For others, it goes much deeper. Here are some factors to consider:

Sentient Beings - Animals, like you and I, are sentient beings. They are thinking, breathing, and feeling beings. They have a central nervous system that allows them to feel pain, form bonds, feel and express emotions, and more. Knowing this information poses a challenge to the morality of animal consumption and animal use for human purposes as a whole.
Factory Farming - Another issue to consider is factory farming. It is estimated that 99% of the meat, dairy, and eggs consumed in the U.S. comes from factory farms. In factory farms, the main priority is the rate and quantity of food production, which comes at the cost of animal well-being. The animals are confined to extremely small spaces and/or packed in tightly with other animals, they are prone to infections and disease due to the poor living conditions, and they are bred and fed for consumption, rather than quality of life. Chickens, for example, are bred so much larger and heavier that their legs can no longer withstand the weight of their bodies, leading them to collapse and not be able to get back up.
Animal transportation - Similar to factory farms, the conditions for animals in transportation from place to place are also quite poor. Not only is it emotionally stressful for the animals, but the access to water, food, fresh air, sunlight, and space to lay or move comfortably is very limited.
Slaughtering practices - Unfortunately, the practices used in the slaughtering of animals for food production is not always humane. Dragging, prodding, stunning, use of excessive force, and slaughtering of still-conscious animals are some practices to be aware of.

While these issues and many other animal rights and welfare issues are very much at the core of veganism, they may also be considered when choosing a more plant-based diet as well.

In Sum

So, to sum things, up:

Eating a plant-based diet means eating a diet mostly or entirely made up of plant foods
Plant foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, cereals, beans, and legumes
On a plant-based diet, animal-based foods are either mostly or entirely eliminated
There are many reasons to care about plant-based eating and to consider going plant-based yourself.
The primary consideration for going plant-based tends to be health. The plant-based diet has a wide variety of potential health benefits.
Two other major considerations are environmental impact and animal welfare.

That’s all! Please let me know if you found this post helpful in the comments below.