Come and discover the benefits of the plant-based diet, how to make it sustainable and why you still need some animal protein.
1. The Plant-based Diet is not Just Vegetables
First of all, I’d like to start with something that maybe is not obvious to everyone. The plant-based diet is not just fruit & vegetables. It is a diet – as in, a way of eating, not a way to lose weight – that includes all plants.
These plants are of course fruits and vegetables, but not only. You will also find everything that comes from the mother nature AND that is edible. Keep in mind that not everything that is natural is edible – arsenic is natural, and I highly recommend against it.
You have a multitude of legumes like chickpeas, lentils, any kind of beans, peas, peanuts, alfalfa, lupins, carob, clover. When it is used as dry seed, they’re also called pulses. On top of that, you have all the foods that are made from grains you may be familiar with. Wheat, rice, oat, barley, cornmeal.
In the plant-based diet, there is also soy beans that can be transformed into tofu or tempeh, and seitan.
And of course there is all the seeds and nuts that I love. My favourite are walnuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts and chia seeds. I love almonds when turned into almond butter, and using cashew nuts to make healthy cheesecakes.
2. Emphasis on Health, Not Just Veganism
One thing that is important to note about the plant-based diet is that the focal point is not on veganism. It’s not about not eating animal protein. Rather it’s on promoting your health by eating as many natural foods as possible, and not processed and harmful foods.
Adding more plants to your diet is highly beneficial on so many levels. Fruits and vegetables are actual powerhouses. They each have at least one benefit for your health.
For example, take red peppers (or yellow, or green). They have a bright colour, which indicates that they’re high in anti-oxidants, which is good to fight toxins. They are also great to boost your immune system, and to reduce inflammation.
Brussels sprouts boost immunity and aid digestion. They might also contain a compound that helps with your weight loss. A boring onion promotes your heart health and may help reduce the risk of cancer.
You get the idea, humble vegetables have a purpose, and you should eat more of them. We know the slogan, we need our five a day. Well, research shows that what we need is not the same five every day, but rather thirty different plants a week.
Now that might sound like a challenge, but that can be done, when you see all the plants that exist. Variety is key so you get a maximum of nutrients and benefits every week.
3. It’s Mostly Plants, But Not Only
It’s tempting to think that you only plants, but the plant-based diet is basically 80% plants, and the rest is whatever you want. The aim is for you to eat more plants because it’s so good for you. But you can’t – and shouldn’t – eat only plants.
You also diversity for your microbiome. That’s why people on a plant-based diet sometimes eat meat, fish, or eggs, cheese, and “fake” foods.
When we eat very “clean”, or eat only good things, it might turn to an obsession. And that is definitely something we want to avoid here. Food is here to be your friend, to nourish you, you don’t want to see it as potentially harmful, when it’s not organic for example.
And yes, there are foods that we shouldn’t eat regularly like processed foods. But one processed item from time to time is not going to undo all the good work you have been doing. Focus on the good, focus on adding more real foods that nourish your body, and sometimes eat for your soul.
I totally live by that. I nourish my body and when cake presents itself, if I want it, I’m going to embrace the moment. I’m not thinking about the calories, or the “bad” foods in it. I just enjoy it.
4. Your Tastebuds Change
When you eat more plants, you eat more natural foods, and maybe you tend to eat less processed foods. As a result, you will eat less processed sugars and syrups that numb your tastebuds.
When you eat more plants, you re-discover certain tastes and your tastebuds change. It’s a fact that your tastebuds renew themselves every 28 days. So when you include more plants in your diet, you will observe an improvement as a cascading effect.
5. The Plant-Based Diet is Better for the Planet
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have heard that switching to a plant-based diet is a good thing for the planet. Some see it as the only salvation for our planet, but the main idea is that it’s beneficial for everyone: you and the planet.
More plants will for most people mean less meat. And the meat industry is greedy in resources like water and feeding. The animals also emit methane which is harmful for the planet.
Also, the food industry is always trying to cut costs and when you buy cheap meat, know that someone in the equation is losing. That is the animal. If you are sensitive to the animals’ cause, that can usually be a big reason why people consume less meat. But then consuming cheap meat means you are probably consuming meat that was raised with cheap feeding or antibiotics.
There is evidence now that what the animals are producing is not as harmful as we once thought, but the bottom line is, less meat is still good for the planet, and for you.
6. You Can Still Eat Enough Protein on a Plant-based Diet
One of the concerns when switching to a plant-based diet can be the amount of protein you’re eating. And you do not have to worry, because some vegetables are high in protein. Did you know that a 100g of broccoli had more protein than 100g of steak?
The problem here, is that you might not want to eat 100g broccoli every day. Neither do I. But there is protein in almost all the vegetables. And of course nuts, seeds, legumes, are high in protein too !
Let’s roughly estimate your protein needs: officially you need 0.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight. So if you weigh 60kg, you will need 0.8 x 60 = 48g of protein per day. I’ll be honest, I don’t weigh my food, never have, and I don’t track macros. But if you’re worried about your protein intake, you can start by Googling or measuring your food items. Once you get the idea, carry on by roughly estimating.
The point is that if you eat a variety of plants, you should largely get your daily protein. Of course this will also depend on the amount of exercise you do, your body weight, your personal needs. What I mentioned are guidelines but if you’re in doubt, you can consult with your practitioner.
7. You Might Still Need the Animal Protein
I have studied the plant-based diet with Cornell University and the amount of information I got from there was tremendous and fascinating. From athletes to paediatricians, from scientists to people recovering from chronic illnesses, the data showed – not proved – that you could thrive on a plant-based diet.
But let’s be clear on something. We are all different, we have our own bio-chemistry that means that sometimes you will need other foods.
However, I am currently reading a book “The Great Plant-Based Con” by Jane Buxton. She reveals how the data we have for all the benefits of the PB diet – being exclusively vegan and healthy – can actually be harmful. I will report once I have finished it but it promises to be interesting, and she is trusted by people I trust in the health industry so let’s see !
Wrapping Up
A lot of things to be said about the plant-based diet, but I want to remind you that we’re all different. We all have different needs, so a particular diet might work for your sister or your bestie but not for you. And that’s ok. Find what works for you.
The biggest take-away is that we need to include more plants in our diet, for overall health. And that is for everyone.
Let me know in the comments if you have anything to add to that !
For plant-based recipes, check out My Vegan Chocolate Mousses, Cauliflower Tacos with Cashew Sauce, Rocket and Sweet Potato Salad, Banana Bread Recipe.
