What is a plant-based diet?
Learn about the basics of a plant-based diet, its various definitions, and what foods people eat on a plant-based diet.
What does plant-based mean?
What is a plant based diet?
A plant-based diet is one where you prioritize eating plant-based food such as fruits and vegetables, grains and legumes, and limit or avoid animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs.
Sources: Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canada Food Guide, Harvard Medical School, Columbia University.
It’s important to note that the term plant-based can mean different things to different people. It can mean a plant forward diet, a whole foods plants only diet, a vegan diet, or a vegetarian diet depending on who you’re asking.
For myself specifically, a plant-based diet works for me because I both enjoy and thrive on a diet that includes a lot of vegetables and whole grains. I love most vegetables and fruits, beans, and grains. I don’t eat meat, but I do choose fish, eggs, and cheese occasionally. These animal ingredients make up a small and casual part of my diet and my body feels the best when eating this way.
The word diet just describes a ‘way of eating’ and everyone is different, so different diets work for and appeal to different people.
The one thing that stays true for all variations on a plant-based diet, is that plants make up the majority of food consumed.
You will find vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, and plant-based recipes on my website. I welcome all eaters.
What foods are plant-based?
Plant-based foods include fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, oil, whole grains, legumes, and beans. A plan based-diet proportionately chooses more food from plant sources. It doesn’t have to omit meat, dairy, or eggs, but limits them.
The following is a list of some common foods eaten on a plant-based diet. This doesn’t include all foods.
For more details check out my grocery lists and meal plans (coming soon).
Fruits + Vegetables
- Avocado
- Apples
- Asparagus
- Bananas
- Bell peppers
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Brussels Sprouts
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Grapes
- Greens
- Mushrooms
- Onions
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
- Zucchini
Legumes
- Black Beans
- Chickpeas
- Pinto Beans
- Lima Beans
- Navy Beans
- Kidney Beans
- Peanuts
- Peas
Grains
- Amaranth
- Bulgur
- Couscous
- Millet
- Oats
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice (brown rice, wild rice, jasmine, basmati, sushi, arborio, etc)
- Spelt
- Wheat (flour, bread, crackers, etc)
Nuts and Seeds
- Almonds
- Brazil Nuts
- Cashews
- Chia Seeds
- Flax Seeds
- Hemp Seeds
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Sunflower Seeds
- Walnuts
Other foods
- Non-dairy milk/plant milk (almond, cashew, oat, coconut, etc)
- Non-dairy cheese products
- Non-dairy butter
- Non-dairy yogurt
- Beyond Beef
- Big Mountain Meat Substitutes
Note: I am allergic to soy (through allergy testing) and don’t consume it, so I don’t include any soy products on this website for that reason.
What is a vegan diet?
A vegan diet is one where fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are prioritized and no animal products are ever consumed, including meat, dairy, eggs, stock, or honey.
What is a vegetarian diet?
A vegetarian diet is one where fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains are prioritized, but some animal products like dairy and eggs (but not meat) are consumed.
What is the difference between a vegan diet, vegetarian diet, and a plant-based diet?
Here is a chart I made to visually show the difference between these three diets.
What diet is right for you?
Only you can answer this question with guidance from your health care provider, just as only I can answer it for myself. Good luck on your food journey.
Browse my Recipe Index for recipes to fit into your weekly meal plan.
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