We’ve all heard the trendy term, “Plant Based” these days but trying to define exactly what it means seems to be somewhat of a mystery. The truth is if something is “plant based”, it could be vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, or even even include all animal products. The main pillar of the Plant Based Lifestyle has to do with the ratio of plant derived foods to animal derived foods. A plant based lifestyle simply means that the majority of the foods eaten are plants, the most important principle being the emphasis on whole, unprocessed foods that are closest to their natural state. Michael Pollen once said, “Don’t eat anything that won’t eventually rot.” Not only do processed foods like chips, crackers, cookies, sweets, processed meats like sausage, cured meats and bacon contain staggering amounts of refined sugars, fats and sodium but the amount of chemicals, artificial additives and preservatives in these processed foods mean these foods barely decompose outside the body, making you wonder what impact they have inside the body.

A recent study by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that processed foods make up 70% of the Standard American Diet of adults and children. 

BENEFITS OF PLANT BASED LIFESTYLE

Lowered risk of heart disease (the leading cause of death in the US): Eating a diet higher in healthy unsaturated fats and less saturated fats found in animal products, decreases cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease.

Weight Loss: Because whole fruits and vegetables contain less calories than meat focused foods, simply crowding out some of the animal products with more plant derived foods can help you trim down

Lower risk of chronic disease: Diets high in antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables reduce inflammation, the leading cause of chronic disease. 

Environmental Impact: Countless studies have shown that decreasing the consumption of meat can save vast amounts of water and reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS OF A COMPLETELY VEGAN/PLANT BASED DIET

Nutrient deficiencies of:

Vitamin B12

Iron

Zinc

Omega-3 fatty acids

Calcium

Vitamin D

SOLUTIONS

Vegan Sources of B12: Seaweed, sea vegetables, nutritional yeast

Vegan Sources of Iron: Soy, in its whole form, NOT PROCESSED 

Vegan Sources of Zinc: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans cashews, quinoa, peas, spinach, pumpkin seeds

Vegan Sources of Omega-3 fatty acids: Chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, walnuts

Vegan Sources of Calcium: Soybeans, navy beans, black beans, chickpeas, almonds, sesame seeds

Vegan Sources of Vitamin D: Mushrooms and sunshine!

SIMPLE SWAPS: You don’t have to completely eliminate animal products, but maybe starting with a meal a day or a day a week where you decrease or eliminate animal derived foods is an easy and impactful way to benefit your health.

• Instead of chicken, try tofu
• Instead of red meat (steak), try portobello mushrooms
• Instead of ground meat/poultry, try chickpeas or lentils
• Instead of bacon, try eggplant or zucchini chips

Plant Protein Sources - You can still get adequate protein from plants!

1 cup quinoa = 8g protein

1 cup soybeans = 30g protein

1 cup chickpeas = 40g protein

1 cup lentils = 18g protein

1 tablespoon chia seeds = 3g protein

1 tablespoon hemp seeds = 4g protein

1 tablespoon flax seeds = 2g protein