What is a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet is a diet composed of fresh produce, including vegetables and fruits, whole grains, pulses, legumes, nuts and seeds. All these ingredients are very healthy and are a great source of nutrients, including protein, fibre, minerals and vitamins. Those who follow a vegan diet avoid all kinds of animal products such as meat, seafood, eggs, dairy and honey. Many animal products can be easily replaced with animal-free alternatives; for example, you can replace dairy with plant-based milk, meat can be replaced with plant-based meat alternatives or other protein sources from plants like legumes.
What is the difference between vegan, vegetarian, and flexitarian diets?
Vegan and vegetarian are different ways of eating. Unlike a vegan diet, where no animals are consumed at all, a vegetarian diet typically incorporates some animal products, such as milk, cheese or eggs. A flexitarian diet, which is very popular now, is a mix of vegan and vegetarian diets, with the consumption of mainly plant-based products. However, it may include some animal products from time to time. There is also a pescatarian diet, which does not include meat but includes fish and seafood as main protein sources.
What should you avoid on a vegan diet?
If you follow a vegan diet, all animal products and byproducts like meat, eggs, milk, honey, cheese, yoghurt, gelatine, carmine and casein – are eliminated from your meals. Veganism is a lifestyle rather than a diet, so it also means avoiding non-food animal products such as leather, personal care and cosmetics. Look for cosmetics and beauty products that are not tested on animals.
What can you eat on a plant-based diet?
- Vegetables and fruits - all of them, including dried fruits.
- Grains: rice, oats, wheat, barley, quinoa
- Legumes and pulses: beans, chickpeas, lentils.
- Nuts and seeds: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed, hemp seeds and more!
- Plant-based milk: soy milk, oat milk, rice milk, coconut milk, almond milk
- Fermented food: kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tofu
- Plant-based oils: olive oil, sunflower oil
- Other plant-based protein sources: tofu, tempeh, seitan
- Seasonings: herbs, spices, soy sauce, nutritional yeast etc.
Benefits of a plant-based diet
