Plant-based diet

Goal: to eat healthier and/or more sustainable

Be aware: this is only the goal of this diet, not necessarily its outcome. Results vary from person to person. Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any other) diet.

A Plant-based diet

A plant-based diet is based on plant products. Animal, synthetic and processed products are avoided completely or as much as possible.

You can compare this diet with other diets on the homepage.

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Plant-based products

A plant-based product is a product that comes from a plant. This includes all fruits and vegetables, but also legumes, nuts, seeds, cereals, tubers and so on.

Sometimes products which mainly contain ingredients that come from plants, but also contain synthetic or animal-based ingredients, are also called plant-based.

No animal products

If you follow a plant-based diet, you eat no, or less, animal products. These include not only meat and fish, but also products obtained from animals, like eggs, dairy products and honey.

When following a vegan diet, you do not eat any animal products at all.

No processed products

Besides animal products, you avoid processed products as much as possible too. This combination of eating plant-based and unprocessed products is also known as the "whole-foods" concept or the "whole-foods plant-based diet".

Not the same as a vegan diet

Following a plant-based diet is all about eating plant products (as the basis of your diet), but animal products do not have to be avoided completely.

The focus of the plant-based diet is mainly on health. Veganism focuses more on animal welfare. Here, the use of non-food animal products, like wool and leather clothing, are avoided too.

Another difference is that in a vegan diet synthetic (lab-created) substances can be eaten. With a plant-based diet these are avoided as much as possible.

Healthy and environmentally sustainable

According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, following a plant-based diet reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, because you eat less meat and more whole-grain cereals, legumes, vegetables, fruits and nuts.

The sustainable aspect is also mentioned as a reason to follow a plant-based diet. According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, food (production) accounts for 20-35% of total emissions, of which meat and dairy products account for half.

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Replacing meat and fish

Despite the fact that unprocessed meat is part of the Disk of 5, a Dutch nutritional guideline, the Dutch Nutrition Centre states that meat can be fully replaced with other products. In doing so, attention should be paid to the intake of protein, vitamins B1 and B12 and iron. 

According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, completely replacing (fatty) fish is more difficult, because it is not fully known where exactly the healthy aspects of (fatty) fish come from. The theory is that the fatty acids EPA and DHA are responsible for this, but other substances may also be involved. There are supplements and products to which these fatty acids have been added, that are used as a replacement for fish.

Be aware

Consult your doctor or dietician before starting this (or any) diet.

Books on the plant-based diet

Several books have been written on the plant-based diet. We've listed a selection of ad links from Amazon, Apple and Ebooks of such books for you:

Similar diets

A plant-based diet is comparable to (but not the same as) a vegan diet. You can also compare the diet with the flexitarian diet, the longevity diet and the Okinawa diet.

Other sustainable diets are, for example, the Nordic diet and PureHealth.

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Allowed

  • Whole foods
  • Plant-based foods

Not allowed

  • Animal-based products (less)
  • Synthetic products (less)
  • Processed products (less)

Goals

  • Sustainable diet
  • Eating healthier

Exercise

As you see fit

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Dietitians

With the professional help of a dietitian it should be easier to reach your goals. Please contact a dietician in your area or talk to a doctor before starting any diet.

General warnings

Please take note that most diets do not have a scientific basis.

Consult your doctor or dietician before starting a diet, especially if you have a chronic condition like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, lung disease or kidney disease.

Eating disorders

If you think you might have an eating disorder (like anorexia or bulimia), it is important to look for professional help. Contact your (house) doctor or find help elsewhere. Here you can find a list of several websites that can provide (online) help. These sites also provide information for people that know someone with an eating disorder.