Plant-Based?
- graceplantbased
- Feb 13, 2022
- 3 min read
The term plant-based has become more popular over the last couple of years. It generates a large number of discussions. It's a bit trendy, maybe over used. Some people will tell you it means someone follows a vegan diet, but not the rest of the lifestyle. Others say its a diet is mostly vegetarian or vegan- but can include meat, dairy, eggs and other animal derivatives.
It's a mind field! Supermarkets in particular seem to have been keep over the last year or so, to jump on the 'plant-based wagon.' Step into any of the big chains, and you can now find sections dedicated to plant-based products and meals. And this is where much of the confusion seems to stem from- you can now buy plant-based microwave meals. And they're not necessarily vegan.
So what does it actually mean? The British Nutrition Foundation's definition of a plant-based diet is as follows:
There you have it! (And the Oxford English Dictionary agrees!)
Plant-Based does not mean vegan, or vegetarian, because a veg*n diet does not necessarily revolve around plants. That might sound a little bizarre because these diets remove animal products- but just consider Oreos, potato waffles and bourbon biscuits- they're typically vegan, but certainly not based on plants. The same goes for a lot of vegetarian products- cheesecake, mozzarella sticks, and profiteroles are all vegetarian, but again, they're not derived from plants.
You can however, follow a plant-based vegan or vegetarian diet: these diets omit the relevant animal products, and focus largely on wholegrains, fruits and vegetables. That's not to say these diets completely omit other types of food- a plant-based diet doesn't mean you can never roast marshmallows over a campfire, or grab something for the microwave when you're late finishing up at work. Of course you can.
It simply means. THE MAJORITY OF YOUR DIET IS FOCUSED ON PLANTS. It means that most of the time, the food on your plate is made from things that grew out of the ground.
So where does that leave my diet?
My diet has been primarily vegetarian for 26 years. That's not to say there's not been the odd phase where I've eaten a bit of this or that, but on the whole its been pretty consistent. Its been more vegan over the last 4/5 years. I stopped drinking cow's milk for the most part at university, and I've had this weird thing about eggs for a long time. Since I broke my ankle, my diet has been a bit less balanced- which is a natural response to feeling miserable about something- we tend to turn to comfort food. (Hello Oreos!). But I'm pulling it back.
The majority of my diet is plant-based, I rarely buy meat or cheese replacements, but I do use a lot of oat milk! Breakfast would typically be overnight oats (oat milk and soya/coconut based yoghurt if used) or tomatoes/ mushrooms on toast. Lunch varies- maybe a bagel, a salad, a pasta or rice dish, but its often leftovers because I cannot for the life of me cook appropriate portion sizes for 1.5 people! And dinner? Well that varies. Vegetable fajitas, Quinoa and tofu salad, Jacket Potatoes, Pasta and Chickpea curry are firm favourites at the moment.
As is pizza with a glass on wine on Saturday night!
If you're looking to bring more balance to your diet, and are looking for the tools you need to turn your diet more plant-based, check out my Bring Back Balance mini course starting near the end of the month. Aside from nutrition advice, and delving into lifestyle change and habit formation, it also includes a simple exercise program, making it perfect for people who are looking for real change and sustainable solutions.
Want in? You can book your place here now.
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