Chapter 1

What Is a Plant-Based Diet?

IN THIS CHAPTER

Defining a plant-based diet

Getting familiar with the core of a plant-based diet

Answering common questions about a plant-based diet

Using simple ideas to start your plant-based diet today

The goal of a plant-based diet is to eat more plants. Sounds simple enough - or maybe it doesn't. Eating nothing but plant-based foods is intimidating for a lot of people. Most people are comfortable with their current way of eating and are unsure about what to do with plants: Which ones should you eat and when? Can you get full on plants alone? All kinds of questions and concerns come up, and we address some of the common ones in this chapter.

In this chapter, we also give you an overview of life on a plant-based diet and outline what you will and won't eat. We explain how eating this way can benefit so many aspects of your life - mainly your health. At the end of the day, it's all about feeling better, looking better, and just being better, and this way of eating can help you do just that.

What Does Plant-Based Mean?

Eating a plant-based diet simply means the majority of your diet is made up of plants. No matter where you are or what you eat right now, you can eat more plants (everyone can). Of course, our goal and the goal of this book is to get you to eat predominantly (and, ideally, exclusively) plant-based all the time, but you'll likely have a transitional phase, and it starts with eating more of the stuff that the earth has so deliciously and naturally provided.

We get to the "meat" of eating plant-based later in this chapter and explain what this really looks like on your plate on a day-to-day basis, but first we want to compare this approach to some other popular veggie-minded trends.

There are other diets that are similar to the plant-based diet, which focus on different food choices. That doesn't mean you have to label yourself and stick with only one way of eating; these diets include different ways of eating and help you understand what kinds of food choices fall within a certain category. The following breakdown can help you understand how a plant-based diet fits into the bigger picture:

• Plant-based: A way of eating based on fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds with few or no animal products. Ideally, a plant-based diet is a vegan diet with a bit of flexibility in the transitional phases, with the goal of becoming 100 percent plant-based over time.
• Vegan: A way of eating that doesn't include anything that comes from an animal, be it fish, fowl, mammal, or insect. Vegans refrain from consuming not only animal meats but also any foods made by animals (such as dairy milk and honey). They also abstain from purchasing, wearing, or using animal products of any kind (for example, leather). Veganism is a lifestyle, not just a diet. The vegan way of eating includes the following subsets:
  • Fruitarian: A vegan diet that consists mainly of fruit.
  • Raw vegan: A vegan diet that is uncooked and often includes dehydrated foods.
• Vegetarian: A plant-based diet that may include animal products like dairy and eggs but doesn't include animal meat. The vegetarian diet includes the following subsets:
  • Lacto-vegetarian: A vegetarian diet that includes dairy products (for example, milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt) but not eggs.
  • Ovo-vegetarian: A vegetarian diet that includes eggs but not dairy.
  • Lacto-ovo vegetarian: A vegetarian diet that includes dairy and eggs.
  • Pescatarian: A vegetarian diet that includes dairy, eggs, and fish.
• Flexitarian: A plant-based diet that includes the occasional consumption of meat or fish.

PLANT-BASED VERSUS WHOLE-FOODS PLANT-BASED

A plant-based diet tends to rely on minimally processed whole foods, but you can find plenty of prepackaged, processed vegan items that aren't necessarily healthy but are technically made from plants and are, therefore, considered plant-based. Items like vegan burgers, vegan sausages, vegan cheese slices or shreds, vegan mayonnaise, vegan butter, and vegan ice cream can mimic the tastes and textures you're familiar with. We don't recommend relying on these foods for the majority of your meals, but they can make the transition to a plant-based diet easier and more convenient. In Part 3, we include a handful of recipes using these plant-based meat and dairy alternatives for those times when you're craving those familiar flavors.

If you choose to follow a whole-foods plant-based diet, on the other hand, you won't be indulging in any of those store-bought packaged items. Most people following a whole-foods plant-based diet don't consume oils, refined flours (like all-purpose flour), or refined sugars (like white sugar). A whole-foods plant-based diet is one of the healthiest ways of eating, and we recommend sticking to it the majority of the time. But we don't want you to stress about enjoying a store-bought vegan burger or indulging in a scoop of creamy vegan ice cream on occasion. Just don't make a habit of it.

Getting to the Root of a Plant-Based Diet

A core group of foods makes up a plant-based diet. When you really understand these foods, you have a strong foundation that you can continuously build upon. You'll find so many wonderful foods to explore and try, but in this section, we introduce you to the basics and tell you what foods to avoid.

What's included

The big question is, "If I'm not eating anything from an animal, what is there to eat?" We begin this section by exploring the wonderful plants that we hope you get to know quite well on this journey. You'll find all sorts of diverse foods to enjoy. If you're new to this way of eating, prepare to be pleasantly surprised by what you find!

Valuable vegetables

You'll discover a whole array of veggies that you'll likely get to know quite well while eating plant-based. If you're new to this diet, you'll probably stick to tried-and-true, familiar veggies in the beginning because they'll feel safe - and that's okay! But over time, we encourage you to expand into new areas and pick up that funny-looking squash or try that wild, leafy bunch of something. You'll find a vibrant world of valuable vegetables, but for now, here's our starter kit:

• Beets
• Carrots
• Herbs, including basil and parsley
• Kale
• Peppers
• Spinach
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes

Fantastic fruits

Ahhh, the sweet juiciness of fresh fruit. We all love it! If you don't, you need to get on this train, because fruits are delicious; sweet; full of fiber, color, and wonderful vitamins; and so, so good for you. Throughout this book, we encourage you to try new ones, but here are some of our top picks to start with:

• Apples
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Blueberries
• Coconuts
• Mangos
• Pears
• Pineapples
• Raspberries
• Strawberries

Wonderful whole grains

Consuming good-quality whole grains is a healthy part of a plant-based diet. Don't worry - you can still have your breads and pastas, but whole is the key word here. You don't want refined or processed - you want the real thing. When you buy these items, make sure the grain itself is the only ingredient. Although it's possible to buy proper whole grains off the shelf in packaging, double-check the label to confirm that it is, indeed, a whole grain (and only a whole grain). Here are some of our favorites (more in Chapter 3):

• Brown rice
• Quinoa (technically a seed, but classified as a grain)
• Rolled oats
• Sprouted-grain spelt bread

Lovable legumes

Learning to love beans on a plant-based diet is key, because they're a great source of sustenance, protein, and fuel. It may take you and your body a little while to get used to them, but soon enough, they'll be your friends - especially when you discover how great it is to eat them in soups, salads, burgers, and more. Here are some of the best to start with:

• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Edamame
• Kidney beans
• Lentils
• Split peas
• Tempeh
• Tofu

Notable nuts and seeds

Most people love a good handful of nuts! But the thing about eating them on a plant-based diet is making sure that they're unsalted, unoiled, and raw. As long as you enjoy them in their natural state, feel free to eat them in moderation alongside your other wonderful plant-based foods. Here are the best ones to start with:

• Almonds
• Cashews
• Chia seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Hempseeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Walnuts

Try munching on a few nuts or seeds straight up or adding them to salads or other recipes. And if you can't decide which one you have a taste for, toss them all in a trail mix!

The extras

This group of foods isn't really a category per se, but...