A plant-based diet for beginners might be a good start if you’ve been tempted to eat less meat or want to include more fruits and vegetables in your diet. Going plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean giving us meat or animal products entirely, but it does mean concentrating more on plant-based foods, including whole grains, nuts, legumes, and beans.
A plant-based diet for beginners is also beneficial if you want to lead a healthier lifestyle or lose weight. Studies have shown that people on a plant-based diet tend to have lower BMIs and are at lower risk of heart disease or developing chronic health conditions.
Switching to a plant-based diet can be difficult to navigate, so we’ll take a look at what foods you can eat, along with the best vegan protein powders to give you a helping hand. We also chat with a nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert (opens in a new tab) about how transitioning to a plant-based diet can be beneficial for the environment and our health.
What is a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet is one that focuses on eating foods derived from plants, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. Whether you choose to follow a plant-based diet for just a few months, or you want to cut out meat and eat more plant-based foods to feel healthier, this way of eating is different than a vegan diet. Plant-based diets typically eliminate processed foods and focus on whole, plant-based foods, but you also have the option to eat some animal-based foods. Vegans eliminate everything that comes from an animal, including meat, poultry, and dairy, though they don’t necessarily eliminate processed foods from their diets.
“A plant-based diet focuses on primarily plant foods,” says Lambert. “This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes and beans. It does not mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are choosing proportionately more foods from plant sources.”
Of course, one plant-based diet may differ from the other, depending on what your food preferences are. However, Lambert says to take it easy if you’re switching to a plant-based diet. “A small, gradual change is often the best way to avoid nutritional deficiencies or digestive upset from a possible increase in fiber,” he says. “Try swapping animal products for plant-based protein alternatives like beans, legumes, and tofu, and gradually introduce different types of vegetables at each meal.”
Why consider a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet can have many benefits for our overall health. According to the US Dietary Guidelines, eating a plant-based diet and eating lean meats from time to time can help you lose or maintain weight. If losing weight is a concern, A study (opens in a new tab) showed that those who did not eat meat had a lower Body Mass Index (BMI) than those who ate meat.
“A well-balanced, plant-based diet that is low in saturated fat can contribute to healthy weight management,” adds Lambert. “This can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even some types of cancer.”
Saturated fats are found not only in meats like bacon and sausage, but also in dairy products like cheese and butter. Many studies have been done in recent years on how saturated fat affects our health, but the results are mixed. Some say that eating too much saturated fat can raise cholesterol, which could lead to heart problems, but others studies (opens in a new tab) states that when saturated fat is consumed in moderation, such as in a plant-based diet, it can greatly reduce health risks.
“There is also a lot of evidence pointing to a reduction in blood pressure by omitting animal products from our diet,” adds Lambert. One study 2018 (opens in a new tab) found that plant-based diets, which included some animal products, were the most effective in lowering blood pressure, while another similar study saw blood pressure drop significantly within two weeks when participants followed a plant-based diet.
Of course, removing animal products from our diet and switching to a plant-based diet can also be good for our environment. “These diets are also beneficial for the planet, suggesting that a reduction in animal products will help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” says Lambert.
In fact, a 2019 report (opens in a new tab) by the United Nations suggested that our obsession with meat and dairy was fueling global warming. The research, prepared by 107 scientists for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, said that if we used land more efficiently, rather than for livestock, we could store more carbon emitted by humans.
