Over the last few decades, processed foods and fast foods have become an integral part of the American diet. However, in recent years we’ve started to see a shift—more and more people are paying attention to the food they’re eating. They have realized that these convenient, highly-processed foods are doing more harm than good. Because of this, they are eating less processed foods and adding more fruits and vegetables to their plate. So much so that the plant-based foods industry saw a 27% increase in sales in 2020!
If you haven’t made the switch yourself, we’d bet that you know at least one person who has gone “vegan” or follows a “plant-based diet.” While these two terms seem like they can be used interchangeably, and often are, they do in fact have two different meanings; although they do overlap some. So what exactly is the difference between a vegan diet and a plant-based one? Let us break it down for you.
The Vegan Diet
The term “vegan” was first coined in 1944 by Donald Watson, who was an animal rights activist and co-founder of The Vegan Society. He was the first to declare that vegan means abstaining from all animal products on the grounds of ethics.
Today, the definition of vegan is virtually the same as the one Donald Watson coined. Living a vegan lifestyle means you don’t include any animal products in your diet. This requires cutting out foods like eggs, fish, poultry, pork, beef, and even honey. When adopting a vegan lifestyle, you are free to eat meals and snacks that are vegan-based, which leaves many processed and even highly processed options on the table.
Although the concept of the vegan diet was originally formed with animal welfare in mind, as time has passed people have begun to go vegan for a variety of different reasons. Some may be vegan because their religion doesn’t allow them to eat animal products. Others may choose this diet as a way to live a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly lifestyle. And still, others may choose the vegan lifestyle to help improve their overall health. Today, the term “vegan” is used to describe those who have cut animal products out of their diets, regardless of their reasons for doing so.
One thing to consider before going vegan is that animal products contain some of the highest amounts of certain nutrients, especially protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and calcium. This means you will need to carefully plan your meals in order to make sure your body is getting enough of the various nutrients it needs. You’ll need to spend time finding vegan alternatives that contain these nutrients, such as nuts, seeds, legumes, and tofu so that your body will have everything it needs to remain in tip-top shape.
The Plant-Based Diet
A plant-based diet is exactly what its name suggests: a diet where your meals consist mostly of plants. In contrast to a vegan diet, a plant-based diet doesn't exclude all animal products, which means that as long as your meals are mostly plant-based, you can include some meat or dairy as well.
One of the great things about following this diet is that it is less restrictive than most other diet plans. You can maintain a healthy balanced diet without having to cut anything out completely. Instead, you would make small changes that allow you to enjoy animal products in moderation while still fueling your body with healthy fruits and vegetables.
If you choose to include meat in your plant-based diet, you'll want to be mindful of what type you choose. Generally speaking, you'll want to choose lean cuts of meat that have less fat content. While it is important to include healthy fats in your diet, not all the fats that are in meat products are healthy. To help ensure your body is getting plenty of healthy fats, you can add foods like avocados, almonds, and oatmeal to your dishes.
Whole Foods Plant-Based Diet
Now that we've covered the differences between vegan diets and plant-based ones, there is one more type of diet you should know about the whole foods plant-based diet. Simply put, following a whole foods plant-based diet means you've taken the plant-based diet one step further to make it even healthier. The only difference here is that you are now cutting out foods that have been processed and replacing them with healthier, whole food options.
There are many health benefits to following this diet, and they all stem from choosing to fuel your body with whole foods. Unlike highly processed foods that come in a bag or box, whole foods contain all their natural nutrients, with no extra salt, sugar, or fats added in. This means that including a large variety of whole foods in your diet will provide your body with those much-needed nutrients like minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants. At first, it may seem like your food options are limited while on a whole foods plant-based diet, but let us reassure you that it's not as restrictive as you may think. Fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds are only the beginning of the list of healthy foods that are considered plant-based whole foods. You can also have whole-grain bread and pasta, plant-based milk like almond milk, herbs and spices, lean meat like fish and poultry, and plant-based proteins like tofu and tempeh.
You Can Have It All—They Aren’t Mutually Exclusive
One common misconception that people have about these three diets is that once you choose one of them, you can’t partake in any other. But life is about balance and moderation. You always have the option of finding a balance that works for you. You can choose to follow a vegan diet most of the time and still allow yourself to enjoy a meal with meat or eggs on occasion. You have the freedom to have a few french fries when you go out to eat even though you typically only eat plant-based whole foods.
It's your body, your life. You have the power to choose the foods you consume to fuel your body. So whether you choose to go vegan, plant-based, or some combination of the two, adding in plenty of healthy, whole foods will help you achieve even better results. Now, that is what we call living the #NewEarthLife!