Plant-based eating, just like the name suggests, is a way of eating that includes plant foods and omits foods of animal origin. However, plant-based eating does not need to exclude animal products but rather focus on adding in more plant origin foods.
There is a lot of confusion around what plant-based eating is, which may be largely due to what plant-based traditionally stems from (vegetarian and vegan diets) and the many different variations of plant-based diets that are often referred to when talking about plant-based eating.
So to start, here’s a quick overview of these different plant-based or semi-plant-based diets that are often referred to under the common term “plant-based eating.”
Flexitarian: Consumes animal products in limited amounts on occasion, but primarily consumes plant-origin foods. May vary in terms of animal foods avoided and/or consumed.
Pescatarian: Excludes all forms of animal protein (beef, pork, chicken, etc.) but includes fish, eggs, and dairy products.
Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian: Excludes all forms of animal protein (excludes fish as well) but includes dairy and eggs. May also just be referred to as a vegetarian.
Lacto-Vegetarian: Excludes all forms of animal protein and eggs, but includes dairy.
Ovo-Vegetarian: Excludes all forms of animal protein and dairy, but includes eggs.
Vegan: Excludes all products of animal origin from meat, eggs, dairy, to products made by animals like honey or products containing animal ingredients in them like gelatin in Jello. Often may exclude non-food items like cosmetic products tested on animals or clothing and materials made from animals.
Raw Vegan: The most extreme plant-based diet that increases risk for nutrient and energy deficiencies. Follows a vegan diet, however, omits any processed foods and only consumes raw items like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds.
While there are many different plant-based diets, plant-based eating does not need to fall into one of the categories.
Plant-based eating can simply be about including more nutrient and antioxidant-rich foods into the diet like a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as including more plant-protein sources like beans, legumes, whole grains, as well as nuts, seeds, and oils.
Plant-based eating offers a lot of health benefits, as plant foods tend to be very nutrient-dense as opposed to energy-dense. This means that they offer more nutrients from vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytochemicals, as well as fibre for less calories than many animal-origin foods would. Therefore, inclusion of plant-based foods can offer protection against chronic illness, management of chronic illness, weight management, and optimize overall health. To learn more about energy balance, see our previous blog post on Understanding Calories and Energy Balance.
Like anything, moderation is key. Aim to add more plant-based foods into your current daily meals and experiment with the wide variety of plant-based foods out there!
If you want to include more plant-based options into your diet but you’re unsure how and would like tips, tricks and recipe ideas, our team of Registered Dietitians can help create a tailored meal plan that works for your lifestyle. Book a virtual session with one of them today!
