Plant Based vs Vegan

When you think about plant based vs. vegan…do you consider them to be one in the same?  For a long time, I used the terms interchangeably, but there are important differences. 

My take on what is considered plant based, is a food grown from the earth or soil.  Whole foods that are unaltered and in as intact of their natural form as possible. This could mean just about any edible fruit, vegetable, grain, bean/legume, nut, or seed.  Many can be transformed in flavor, texture, and consistency when combined, blended or heated.  At the end of the day though, they remain a plant at their core with little to no processing, no artificial additives, and retain most if not all their nutritional profiles.  Ideally, they are still identifiable as actual plants.

Vegan on the other hand, is any edible food or “food like” product that lacks animals, derivatives from animals, or animal byproducts.  This opens up much larger marketing opportunities for companies looking to grab the attention of those seeking alternative options to animal foods, but not necessarily with the intent of offering something healthier.  Afterall, Fritos, Oreos, Twizzlers, soda pop, many chips and French fries, vegan burgers, and dairy free cheese and ice creams all are engineered without animal products…but are arguably, not the best choice if health is the goal.

And to further complicate things, the definitions vary based on who you ask.

Many companies have started labeling manufactured foods as “plant based” when a certain percentage of the ingredients are originally derived from plants. By originally, I mean that by the time they end up in the product you grab off the shelf, they are usually very far removed from the original source and contain little to no benefits to your health anymore. In addition, many of these products are really misleading, because some even still contain animal products.  

The best advice I could give is to pay attention. Look at the labels of the foods you are purchasing.  If you can’t read the ingredients, if there are things like casein or whey snuck in, or there are more than 10 things listed…put it back.  Better yet…purchase foods that don’t have labels.  Foods that just are, what they are…like broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms…bananas, pears, cherries. Rice, beans, almonds, chia seeds. You get the idea!

When I am walking through the grocery store or otherwise making food choices, I always keep this question in my mind…

How do I want to feel?

Nourished. Energized. Satisfied. 

That’s my overall goal!

These things are only achieved when I consistently choose wellness through true plant based foods.  Choosing wellness means choosing myself.  Choosing myself means embodying wellness. 

In a recent episode at What’s On Your Plate Podcast, Kelley Gilberry of One Determined Vegan digs in deep to the conversation of plant based foods.  

It’s one you need to hear if you are someone who is suffering from one of the many diseases or conditions that are almost entirely preventable. Things like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even many cancers…colitis or Crohn’s, arthritis, fatigue, or even behavioral or emotional issues…these and so many others can be directly related to, treated, or even reversed simply by changing what’s at the end of your fork.