Don’t trap yourself into thinking that going plant-based means eating all plants all the time. And, no, plant-based eating doesn’t mean you have to give up meat. From the Mediterranean diet to a flexitarian one, more and more people are going plant-based these days. The Good Food Institute regularly submits expert comments to state and federal agencies, making the case for plant-based meat and other alternative proteins. Discover resources and research on the latest technological developments and key scientific questions. The plant-based meat market has expanded significantly in the past several years, as companies produce plant-based burgers and other products that are virtually indistinguishable from conventional meat.

In one of the studies, the term “plant-based diet” was used interchangeably with a vegan diet [25], whereas, in the other trial, the usage of the term “plant-based diet” implied the regular consumption of fish and chicken [34]. Although both diets were very different with regard to their food composition, the results were published under the same umbrella term. You may have heard people complaining that plant-based products are more expensive than their omnivorous diet counterparts. Oat milk or almond milk tend to be pricier than cow’s milk, and you may pay a slight premium for vegan cheese over dairy cheeses as well.

Helps Maintain Healthy Weight

There are many other plant-based diets that individuals may choose to follow. Plant-based eating plans can work for everyone, and individuals have the choice of what they want to include or exclude. Pescatarian diets are also primarily vegetarian but include shellfish and fish. WHO’s work to improve diets and nutrition is rooted in mandates from its Member States through resolutions of the World Health Assembly (WHA) and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

• The authors found that weight loss was equal with both diets and concluded in their abstract that weight loss “occurred equally with the meat-based and plant-based diet” [34].
• The list below includes some animal products you might choose to eat in moderation.
• A 2024 review in PLOS One found that plant-based diets may help reduce cardiometabolic risk factors—including obesity.
• A vegan diet, for example, cuts out natural food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are good sources of calcium.
• The latest edition of the Dietary Guidelines includes a Healthy Vegetarian Dietary Pattern variation, which provides recommendations to meet vegetarians’ nutritional needs within the different food groups.
• What are the benefits of eating a plant-based diet, and how can you make sure it’s healthy and balanced?

Will I lose weight following a plant-based diet?

The same balanced diet you follow during pregnancy will provide the nutrients you need while nursing. One review study found no difference in the nutritional quality of breast milk among nonvegetarians, vegetarians, and vegans. Some vegans do it to improve their health, as research shows that a plant-based diet could lower the risk of certain diseases.

Public health concern

Explore sales data for plant-based meat, egg, and dairy products in the U.S. retail market. Find key category insights, size, sales growth, and purchase dynamics for the plant-based industry. Analyses of the environmental impact of plant-based meat show that plant-based meat production uses up to 96 percent less water and up to 91 percent less land.

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When following a plant-based diet, there are some nutrients that you may need to focus on. These include protein, vitamin B12, the vitamins and minerals needed for bone health, including calcium and vitamin D, and the essential omega-3 fatty acids. These nutrients are not found easily in plant foods, so you may need to source them from fortified foods such as plant milks, spreads and cereals. Intake of selenium was lower or similar from PB diets (25–66 μg) compared to omnivorous diets (39–71 μg)(Reference Allès, Baudry and Mejean44,Reference Sobiecki, Appleby and Bradbury45,Reference Rogerson, Macas and Milner69,Reference Kristensen, Madsen and Hansen79) . While animal-derived foods are a good source of selenium, the content of selenium in plant foods depends on the content of the soil in which it is grown and therefore varies significantly but is generally lower(Reference Trumbo, Yates and Schlicker95).

Types of Plant-Based Diets

While some plant-based eaters do follow a strict vegan, vegetarian or another type of diet, only a small population of consumers never eats chicken, beef, pork, fish or shellfish. There is no formal definition of a plant-based diet — plant-based diets can eliminate meat and dairy products or add whole foods and non-processed ingredients to create more nutritious and delicious meals. Either way, you can develop a plant-based diet that’s meaningful to you and your lifestyle. Saturated fat and trans fat—found in dairy products, meat, and fried foods—can increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive conditions. A plant-based diet avoids these foods and is rich in antioxidants, folate, and vitamin E, which may offer a protective effect. Plant-based diets lead to weight loss, even without exercise or calorie counting.

How to promote healthy diets

Like iron, zinc is not as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products. Fish, including crab and shrimp, are sources of zinc for pescatarians. Cheese and yogurt are sources of zinc if you eat dairy products.

Vitamin B-12 is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. Anemia a condition in which the body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Vitamin B-12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough B-12 on a vegan diet. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet. This is because the vegan diet is rich in a vitamin called folate that can mask vitamin B-12 deficiency.

Omega-3 fatty acids keep your cells healthy and protect your heart by shielding against heart disease and stroke. Finally, we assigned the prescribed diet in each study to one of five pre-defined dietary groups (including the vegan diet, the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet, the pesco-vegetarian diet, the semi-vegetarian diet and the omnivorous diet). For example, a diet focusing on whole grains, legumes and vegetables but also containing dairy products was assigned to the lacto-ovo-vegetarian group.

WHO guidance on healthy diets

“Research shows that people who follow a Mediterranean-style eating pattern have a lower risk of developing certain chronic diseases than those who eat the standard American diet,” says Snyder. This helps address the broad overuse /trustpilot/ of antibiotics in meat production. According to the New York Times, in the United States, between 70 and 80 percent of antibiotics sold are consumed by farm animals.

Q&A with an Internist and Nutrition Specialist

High-fiber diets can help improve bowel movements by adding bulk to your poop, which means softer, healthier bowel movements. Plant-based diets are generally beneficial, but consider these potential risks and caveats before diving unimeal-review trustpilot in. If so, again, don’t feel like you need to overhaul how you eat all at once — you may have a better chance of success making small changes over time. Learn what eating a plant-based diet entails, along with the pros and cons of this on-trend diet.

Plant-based meat needs a level playing field & public funding

Following a plant-based diet means saying goodbye to all animal products — including lean meat and dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream. Sodium intake was lower or similar from PB diets (839–2701 mg) compared to omnivorous diets (1569–4226 mg); however, intake of sodium in both the PB and omnivorous diets exceeded population recommendations (UK DOH and NNR)(Reference Sobiecki, Appleby and Bradbury45,Reference Kristensen, Madsen and Hansen79) . This is not unexpected as it is widely reported that sodium intake worldwide is well in excess of recommendations(Reference Brown, Tzoulaki and Candeias96). While there is a general consensus that consuming a PB diet confers health and environmental benefits, there remains a significant challenge in understanding the nutritional role of PB diets due to the variations in definitions and the paucity of studies reporting nutrient intake from PB diets. This review aims to summarise the definitions of PB diets globally and to investigate the nutritional role of PB diets in adults. Does the idea of a vegan diet interest you, but you’re not sure how to start?

By taking animals out of the equation, plant-based meat also significantly lowers the risk of future pandemics. Plant-based meat is the cornerstone of alternative proteins in the United States and around the world.Alternatives to meat like tofu and tempeh have been around for thousands of years. The plant-based meat industry in the United States dates back to the 19th century, and several of today’s leading plant-based meat companies were established in the 1970s–90s.