If you are reading this then you are either leading a plant-based lifestyle or are curious about what it is. Either way, you have reached the right place!!
We at VEG-HUB are very passionate about going green and we welcome all to our tribe.
While going green can include a lot of things.. Like using green personal care products, cruelty-free cosmetics, sustainable merchandise, etc.,.. the journey of going green for us and many like us begins with food.
Here are some common questions that we generally encounter from people around us.
A plant-based diet is a way of eating where the focus is on filling up your plate with plant foods.
Some examples of plant foods include:
Vegetables | Fruit | Legumes (like lentils and chickpeas) | Whole grains | Nuts | Seeds
The closer these foods resemble how they’re found in nature (i.e. the less processing) and the more of them on your plate – the better for your body.
This way of eating isn’t about being restrictive. People who eat a mainly plant-based diet may still choose to eat small amounts of meat, poultry, fish, seafood and dairy (also known as semi-vegetarian, flexitarian or pescatarian). The beauty is that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ approach.
Some people eating a plant-based diet may choose not to eat meat and animal products for various reasons. A vegan diet excludes all meat and animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy and eggs), whereas a vegetarian diet excludes meat, poultry, fish and seafood. However, there are a few variations of a vegetarian diet that depend on whether you eat or exclude eggs, dairy and fish (see image on below).
Take a look at this image created using data from Meatless Mondays that shows the food distribution for the different diets!
Switching to a plant-based diet has multiple health and environmental benefits. Here is a short list from the Office of Sustainability at Chapman University
To begin, you just need to adjust your shopping list. Start prioritising plants and whole foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds—you don’t need to cut meats immediately, they should be eaten in much smaller quantities compared to plant foods.
Secondly, avoid processed and preserved foods such as fast food, added sugar foods, packaged convenience foods, and artificially sweetened foods. Start substituting your desserts for fruits and substitute your small meat portions for free-range pasture-raised products.
Thirdly, plan your meals around your greens—instead of the conventional meat meal.
