05/06/2022
Did you know that while a plant-based diet and a vegan diet might appear to be the same thing, this might not necessarily be true! While both diets do not contain any animal products, the approach can be different when it comes to other food types. A vegan diet does not include any animal products or animal by-products. However, this means that a vegan could technically live off chips and soft drinks and still be considered a vegan! As vegan diets become increasingly popular, the range of fake ‘meat’ products available nowadays is greater than ever before. While these products do not have any animal products in them, many are just as high in calories, fat and salt as their animal-based original. A whole-food, plant-based diet is one that centres on the whole, unrefined and unprocessed foods. It’s made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Like a vegan diet, a whole-food, plant-based diet excludes all meats, fish, dairy products, and eggs, however, it also steers clear of most refined and processed foods like refined white flours and grains, refined sugars and processed oils.‘Whole food’ and ‘plant-based’ are terms typically used to describe something that is made from whole, plant foods that have not been refined in any way. We have been eating a whole-food, plant-based diet for the past 16 years and we really feel the benefits! By basing your diet around plant-based whole foods, you are automatically upping your fibre intake, as fibre is only found in plant-based foods, you are also increasing the nutritional content of your diet, as whole foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and goodness!