Types of Plant-Based Diets
Choosing a plant-based diet isn’t as straightforward as it may seem.
While the vegan and vegetarian diets are the most commonly talked about, the category of plant-based is much broader than that.
Understanding the Foundation
The reason is that when you talk about a plant-based diet, the key is in thinking about what foods make up the foundation of your diet.
In other words, what do you eat the most of?
On any plant-based diet, plants will make up the majority of your diet. That means that while some people make plants 100% of their diet, for many others, plants are the majority of their diet, and they also eat small amounts of animal products.
That’s why the percentage of plant-based eaters is as high as 23% of the population.
If plant-based meant plants ONLY, then the percentage would be much lower. Only 2% of people consider themselves vegan or only eat plants at all times. Below are some of the most common plant-based options out there, plus the pros and cons of choosing them.
Vegan Diet
The vegan diet is one that only allows for plants.
The Challenge of Sustainability
Many people find it unsustainable in the long term.
While restaurants and our culture as a whole grow more accommodating to a vegan diet, it’s still not easy to find balanced vegan options everywhere.
It’s also a restrictive diet. While there are many plant-based foods to choose from for a varied diet, you also have to cut out a lot of foods that are staples in diets all over the world.
What’s Excluded:
You can count out things like:
- Honey
- Eggs
- Cheese
- Yogurt
- Ice cream
- Anything with gelatin in the ingredient list
- Any meat
While for some removing all of this from the diet is possible, for others it’s a challenge that makes a vegan diet too difficult to maintain.
But there are less restrictive plant-based diets out there.
Vegetarian Diet
The vegetarian diet is the less strict version of the vegan diet.
You primarily eat plants but can eat some animal-based foods.
The Key Distinction
The deciding factor on a vegetarian diet is whether an animal was killed to get the product. So you can still eat eggs, honey, cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. But gelatin and any meat, like chicken, pork, or fish, would still be off the list.
This option gives a bit more flexibility than the vegan diet. But to be done right, like the vegan diet, the vegetarian diet requires focusing on adding non-processed foods to your diet.
A Word of Caution
It’s easy to find highly processed vegetarian options and think it’s good for your health because it’s plant-based. But remember that whether you’re choosing vegan or vegetarian, the emphasis should be on choosing a wide variety of whole foods.
Through work at Valley Medical Weight Loss, we help individuals understand that “plant-based” doesn’t automatically mean “healthy” the quality of the food matters just as much as the source.
Flexitarian Diet
A flexitarian diet is what it sounds like: a flexible diet.
The Origin
The term was coined and written about by Dawn Jackson Blatner in her 2009 book, The Flexitarian Diet: The Mostly Vegetarian Way to Lose Weight, Be Healthier, Prevent Disease and Add Years to Your Life.
It’s a diet where someone will primarily eat plants and veg-based protein sources. But they will not say no to the occasional animal-based product or meat.
How It Works
They may choose to rarely cook it themselves or just save their meat-based meal for the rare special occasion. The purpose of the diet is to make eating more plants a consistent habit without the restrictions of a vegan or vegetarian diet.
The flexitarian meal plan, as put forward in the book, also helps with weight loss by keeping calorie count around 1,500 each day. This is within a reasonable window to make weight loss progress over time. As a result, this diet is one that’s good for weight loss and for overall health as you reap the benefits of going primarily plant-based.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet doesn’t get talked about much in plant-based circles because it still includes meat in moderation.
But the diet is plant-based and predominantly made up of whole fruits, vegetables, and legumes. But you can still consume dairy and some meat.
Why It’s So Effective
Not only have studies shown that it’s good for heart health, managing diabetes, and weight loss. It’s also one of the most sustainable diets.
These more flexible plant-based diets are sustainable because the foundation is whole foods and plants. But there’s still room to enjoy the foods you enjoy in moderation.
What You Can Eat:
For example, with the Mediterranean diet, you can have:
- Red meat once a month
- Fish or chicken a few times a week
- Dairy in the form of Greek yogurt or low-fat cheese daily
- Wine in moderation
The Long-Term Perspective
The thing about dieting is that losing weight fast is only one piece of the plan.
You also need a plan for how to keep that weight off in the long run.
And that’s why flexible diets, like the Mediterranean diet, that allow you to eat a variety of foods win across the board for weight loss and overall health. They’re both healthy and sustainable.
Through experience helping individuals at Valley Medical Weight Loss, we’ve found that those who adopt flexible, sustainable eating patterns rather than restrictive diets achieve the best long-term results.
