Eating a more plant-based diet means including more meals based on vegetables, fruit, pulses, nuts, grains and seeds, and relying less on meat, fish, dairy and eggs. You don’t have to become vegan overnight to do this. Every meal you replace counts. Below, we’ve listed four reasons to choose a plant-based diet more often: the environment, your diet, animal welfare and living more mindfully. Plus some practical tips to get you started.
What exactly is a plant-based diet?
A plant-based diet is a way of eating that consists largely or entirely of plant-based products. With a fully plant-based (vegan) diet, you avoid all animal products; with a flexitarian diet, you simply eat plant-based meals more often, without cutting out meat and dairy entirely.
The basis consists of vegetables, fruit, pulses (such as beans, chickpeas and lentils), whole grains, nuts and seeds. If you combine this with as few processed products as possible, you’re following what’s also known as a whole-food, plant-based diet: lots of fresh ingredients, very few ready-made meals.
Why is eating a plant-based diet more often better for the environment?
On average, growing crops for direct human consumption requires less agricultural land and produces fewer greenhouse gases than rearing livestock for meat and dairy. According to organisations such as Milieu Centraal and the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, the environmental impact of plant-based protein sources is therefore lower than that of animal-based sources.
This is mainly because a large proportion of agricultural land is currently used to grow animal feed rather than food for people. Livestock also emit methane, a greenhouse gas. You don’t have to be perfect to make a difference: by replacing meat with pulses or nuts a few times a week, you can reduce the environmental impact of your diet.
What are the benefits of eating more plant-based foods?
Plant-based foods such as vegetables, pulses, whole grains and nuts are naturally rich in fibre and add variety to your plate. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises shifting the balance on your plate towards more plant-based foods and fewer animal-based foods, in line with the ‘Schijf van Vijf’ (Five Food Groups).
More variety also means paying closer attention to what you’re eating. With a largely plant-based diet, you should consciously pay attention to a few nutrients that you would normally get mainly from animal products, such as protein, vitamin B12 and omega-3. These needs can easily be met with the right combinations and, where necessary, targeted supplementation. Further on in the FAQ, we explain what to look out for with each nutrient.
It’s important to note, however, that plant-based isn’t automatically better or healthier. Crisps, biscuits and many meat substitutes are also plant-based, but highly processed. It’s about your overall diet, not the ‘plant-based’ label in itself. If you mainly choose unprocessed plant-based products, you’ll get the most out of them.
Is eating plant-based food more often better for animals?
Yes. Lower demand for meat and dairy means, in the long term, fewer animals in intensive livestock farming. For many people, animal welfare is the main reason for choosing a plant-based diet more often.
Animals in intensive livestock farming often live in cramped conditions so that cheap food can be produced. If you want to help reduce this, you can easily alternate meat with plant-based alternatives. Think of nuts, pulses, vegetables, wholegrain products or ready-made meat substitutes. You’ll find that you miss meat less than you might think at first.
How does a plant-based diet help you eat more mindfully?
If you cook for yourself more often using fresh, plant-based ingredients, you’ll naturally start to look more critically at what’s in ready-made products. You’ll start reading labels and spot unnecessary additives more quickly.
After all, eating differently starts with looking at things differently. Pre-packaged products often contain long lists of ingredients with additives that you simply wouldn’t use when cooking for yourself. Eating more plant-based foods and preparing more meals yourself often go hand in hand with eating more mindfully. Want to explore this further? Read ‘What is clean eating and how do you practise it?’ or our guide to the benefits of organic food.
Frequently asked questions about plant-based eating
Do I have to give up meat and dairy completely straight away?
No. Eating a plant-based diet more often isn’t an all-or-nothing choice. A flexitarian approach, where you eat plant-based meals a few days a week and include animal products on other days, counts just as much. Start with a few meals a week and gradually build it up to what suits you.
Will I get enough protein if I eat a plant-based diet?
With a varied diet, you’ll be fine. Combine vegan protein sources like pulses, tofu, tempeh, nuts, seeds and whole grains, and you’ll get all the building blocks you need, whether they come from animal or plant sources. Protein contributes to a growth in muscle mass. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass. If you want to supplement your diet specifically, you can add our vegan protein powders. You can find out exactly how much protein you need in ‘How much protein do you need per day?’.
What should I bear in mind when following a plant-based diet?
There are a few nutrients that are mainly found in animal products. Vitamin B12 is rarely found naturally in plant-based foods, so those who follow a largely plant-based diet often opt for fortified products or a B12 supplement. Omega-3 fatty acids are normally obtained from oily fish; a plant-based alternative is omega-3 derived from algae. You can read more about this in ‘What is omega-3 good for?’.
Where do I start if I want to eat a plant-based diet more often?
Start with a dish you already enjoy. Replace the minced meat in your pasta sauce with lentils, add chickpeas to your curry, or have one fully plant-based day a week. Small, achievable steps make it easier to stick to than a radical change.
Want to add plant-based protein to your diet? Check out our vegan protein powders: a clean-label source with a high protein content, free from unnecessary additives. This way, you can supplement a plant-based diet in a targeted way wherever it suits you best.
