Is this Meal Vegan, Plant-Based, or Whole-Food, Plant-Based?
What's the difference between vegan,
plant-based, and whole-food, plant-based?
Veganism is an ethical stance. Vegans support animal welfare as their main motivation. They don't eat any animal products, including honey, and they don't wear leather or use other animal-derived materials. Vegan diets may or may not be healthy. Oreos are vegan, as are Fritos and Nutter Butters. You can easily be a junk food vegan, which is still great for the animals, but not so great for your health.
Similarly, plant-based just means that the diet comes from plants and is often free of animal products. This diet could be filled with real whole plant foods, or it could be made entirely of processed foods, such as imitation meats and faux ice cream. Although this way of eating is so much better for the animals and the planet, it isn't necessarily optimal for your health. Many plant-based options are highly processed and some may actually be worse for your health, with higher fat and sodium levels than the traditional foods.
A whole-food, plant-based diet consists primarily of minimally processed foods, in their most unrefined form. Whole-food, plant-based eaters consume the majority of their calories from plants that that grow in, on, and above the ground. These foods generally have one ingredient (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains), although they may be minimally processed, such as rolled oats or tofu. The focus of this way of eating is optimizing nutrition.
I consider myself a mostly whole-foods, plant-based eater. That said, I really enjoy sriracha (which has preservatives), tortillas (because this girl likes a taco), the occasional beyond burger (which is what is shown in the photo), and vodka (which is clearly processed). On a typical day, I try to eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, and then I don't sweat the small stuff. I don't eat animals, but I do occasionally consume animal products, such has dairy, especially when traveling. If I want to make plant-based brownies with processed chocolate chips, I absolutely will.
Just know that you'll get zero judgement from me, no matter how you eat.
Hopefully, we can continue to learn and thrive together. No labels needed.
🌱💕