Healthy Living Lessons: Plant-Based Diets Explained

In the last few years, you have probably heard something about the health benefits of a vegan or plant-based diet. Because of this, it is no surprise that nearly one in four Americans have reported to be cutting back on their meat consumption.

But is there a difference between a vegan diet and a plant-based diet? The answer is “YES” and the difference is greater than you may think.

Let’s start by discussing what a vegan diet is. By definition a diet that omits all animal products is a vegan diet. On the surface this may seem like a diet that includes an abundance of fruits and vegetables, however, you can eat many highly processed foods like cookies, candy, potato chips, etc., and still be in compliance with a “vegan diet”.

Even Oreos are vegan! Here is one way to look at it, a vegan diet doesn’t tell me what you do eat, rather it tells me what you do not eat.

A plant-based diet on the other hand means that you are consuming a diet that is mostly plants. Now, this also leaves quite a bit of gray area. A plant-based diet does not mean that you must omit all animal products.

It also doesn’t really differentiate between eating whole plant foods or highly processed foods like refined sweeteners, bleached flours, white rice, and calorie-dense oils. So while it sounds great, labeling a diet as plant-based is also fairly vague.

This brings us to our next option which is a whole-food, plant-based diet (WFPB). This way of eating is much more specific while remaining flexible at the same time. A whole-food, plant-based diet is a diet that is focused on eating whole, minimally processed plant foods including, whole grains, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. A WFPB diet also tries to minimize or eliminate refined sugars, oils, and other processed foods. Unlike the vegan diet, a WFPB diet does a better job of explaining what you do eat instead of focusing on what you don’t eat.

People often ask if they can be both vegan and WFPB, that answer is “YES” and it is quite common.

Many people who are vegan choose to forgo the “vegan junk food” and instead enjoy the many benefits of practicing a WFPB diet that does not include any animal products. This goes both ways, just because you are WFPB does not mean animal products are off-limits but they are usually avoided or completely eliminated.

What is best for you? Well if we are asking what the healthiest diet is according to science, a Whole Food Plant-Based diet is time and time again proven to be the healthiest diet. In fact, a plant-based diet is the only diet scientifically proven to not only prevent but also reverse the number one killer in the United States: heart disease.

The beauty of following a WFPB diet is that it gives you flexibility while still promoting health. A good way to do this is to eat a WFPB diet while at home, where it is easy to control your food intake and then decide what works best for you while in social situations or traveling. This way, the bulk of your diet will come from whole, plant foods and you can enjoy the amazing benefits of this lifestyle without feeling too restricted. Bon appetit!