Plant-based, vegan, vegetarian – which diet means what
As we become more aware of the detrimental effects that eating excessive amounts of meat has on our bodies and the environment, many of us are choosing to reduce how much meat we eat or forego it altogether.
While most of us are familiar with what it means to be a vegetarian or vegan, there’s a whole branch of nutritional nomenclature that’s dedicated to describe veggie-first diets. These are three of the most popular.
Vegetarian
Probably the most widely known fruit-and-veg-focused diet, vegetarianism involves cutting all meat from your eating plan. While there are a few variations of this diet that restrict the intake of animal products, run-of-the-mill vegetarianism allows you to eat things like eggs, cheese and gelatin. Pescetarian is a popular type of vegetarianism that allows the consumption of fish meat.
Vegan
Veganism has been having a major moment in the spotlight over the past few years. The choice to avoid eating animals – for both health and ethical reasons – has led to a bizarre backlash. The diet excludes all meat, dairy and other animal products. If a food comes from an animal, is made using an animal or by an animal, or if an animal was harmed in the process of making it, you’re precluded from eating it. Items like honey, eggs and milk are easily identifiable foods that you can’t touch. While palm oil, vitamin D3 and isinglass can prove trickier to spot.
Plant-based
Also known as semi-vegetarianism or flexitarianism, a plant-based diet is centred around fruits and vegetables but allows a bit of meat on the odd occasion. While it is allowed, flexitarians generally avoid red meat altogether, opting for chicken and fish instead. The more flexible approach to eating meat makes this diet the easiest of all the meat-free options. It also gives you the freedom to dine out with ease while still making conscious food decisions.
Which is best?
Each of these eating approaches has their own advantages and disadvantages. While the choice to become a vegan is usually strongly ethically driven, flexitarians escape any of the ‘crazy’ connotations that plant-based diets can carry.
Regardless of which you choose, research has shown that cutting back on meat and increasing our intake of fruits and vegetables is almost always a good thing. Plant-based diets have been shown to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, diabetes and obesity. However, this requires you to ensure that your diet is based on whole foods with as few processed items as possible.
There is a danger of developing vitamin and mineral deficiencies when cutting out meat, as animal products are the only source of macronutrients like heme iron and vitamins B12 and D3. In this regard, plant-based and vegetarian diets have the edge on veganism, as it’s possible to incorporate animal proteins.
It’s important to consider your lifestyle when deciding on which diet to follow. While you might want to be vegan for ethical or moral reasons, it will be very hard to maintain this lifestyle and be well nourished if you’re not keen on home cooking. To be successful with any plant-first eating plan, it’s best to choose a diet that resonates with you and fine tune it to suit your exact needs.
5 plant-based dinners that even carnivores will enjoy – Nicole Forrest says:
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