What is a Plant-Based Diet?

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a plant-based diet consists of all minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices and excludes all animal products, including red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.

Just to clarify any confusion. There are a variety of vegetarian diets that fall under the “plant-based diet.”  

Vegetarians exclude animal products such as poultry red meat, fish and seafood.  

Lacto-ovo vegetarians exclude animal products but consume eggs and dairy. 

Lacto-vegetarians exclude animal products and eggs but consume dairy. 

Ovo-vegetariansexcluded animal products except eggs. 

Vegans do not eat or use any animal products.  

A whole foods plant-based diet consists of consuming whole foods instead of highly process foods and eating mostly plant foods. That means 90% or more of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, herbs, and spices, and 10% of animal products such as poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, and dairy. 

There isn’t a one size fits all diet. Everyone is different and requires their own personalized nutritional needs. The most important thing to understand is that food is your medicine. You are what you eat.