When you become a parent, you might have a fresh perspective on the food you eat as a family. Before, you might have eaten whatever you liked; now you might pay more attention to whether you’re choosing healthy foods for your family.
For many, dieting is a constant companion in the quest for a healthier lifestyle. Some people change their diet significantly during pregnancy; others wait until their baby starts on solid foods before they take stock of the family’s eating habits.
Plant-based or vegan diets have gained popularity in recent years, with many people choosing to change their diets or include more plant-based foods.
As a result, supermarkets and restaurants are offering more vegan options, making it easier than ever to make the switch from animal protein sources to plant protein.
Plant-based diets and animal-based eating explained
Plant-based diets are made up entirely of plant foods. Somebody on a vegan diet won’t consume any animal proteins at all. They will get all their nutrients from plant foods, such as vegetables, nuts and legumes.
On the other hand, meat eaters rely on a combination of plant and animal sources. When you picture the average Westerner, this diet comes to mind: a mix of animal proteins and plant foods.
Both diets can vary hugely depending on the individual. Whereas some vegans eat a strictly whole foods, plant-based diet, rich in whole grains and low in ultra-processed foods, there’s an increasing number of ‘junk food vegans’ who eat whatever they fancy.
Some omnivores combine their animal protein with plant foods and plenty of fresh vegetables, whereas others might struggle to eat enough fibre.
What are the positives of an animal-based diet?
- Animal foods are good sources of protein
- Seafood, eggs, low-fat dairy products, lean meat and poultry are nutrient-dense foods
- Animal foods are a great source of iron, vitamins, and minerals
- Meat is a good source of B vitamins, including B12
- Beef, poultry, and eggs are good sources of essential amino acids.
What are the negatives of an animal-based diet?
- The World Health Organization categorizes processed meat as a known carcinogen – that is, a substance known to cause cancer. Red meat is classified as a category two carcinogen, which means it is believed to cause cancer
- Some meats are high in fat, which can raise your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol increases your risk of coronary heart disease
- Animal foods are low in fibre, so bulking out your diet with animal foods could leave you low in fibre, which can cause constipation and increase your risk of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and some cancers
- Many people consume too much meat. According to the USDA, adults who eat 2,000 calories per day should aim for 26 ounces (740 gms) of meat, eggs and poultry per week. Most people consume more than their recommended intake of animal foods. Two sausages and two rashers of bacon equate to around 4.5 ounces (125 gms), which makes it easy to see how so many people exceed the recommended weekly intake
- According to Professor Martin Wiseman from the World Cancer Research Fund International, ‘The evidence on processed meat and cancer is clear-cut. The data show that no level of intake can confidently be associated with a lack of risk. Processed meats are often high in salt, which can also increase the risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease’.
What are the positives of a plant-based diet?
- A carefully planned vegan diet can provide everything you need. A 2021 study found that vegan children had higher levels of vitamin E, vitamin B1, folate, vitamin C, magnesium, iron and zinc
- Plant-based foods are often high in fibre, which maintains bowel health, lowers cholesterol and helps maintain a healthy weight
- According to a 2022 research review, ‘The existing evidence indicates that a vegan diet might be beneficial for weight reduction among the general healthy population’
- A plant-based diet lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome
- According to a 2022 review, plant-based diets reduce the risk of various cancers.
What are the negatives of a plant-based diet?
- Some essential nutrients might be less readily available from a vegan diet, so you’ll need to make sure you get everything you need from the foods you eat
- A 2022 study found vegan children had lower bone density than their peers. Bone density is essential for healthy bones. The same study found vegan children were 3 cm shorter than their peers. It’s essential to make sure vegan children get enough calcium and vitamin D, which aids calcium absorption
- If you don’t eat a well-planned vegan diet and you don’t take supplements, you could suffer from nutritional deficiencies
- Vegan alternatives can sometimes be more expensive. Opt for low-cost whole foods as much as possible, to keep your shopping bill down
- Being vegan might sometimes make eating on the go more difficult. Depending on where you are, you might not have as many options as somebody who can choose from the entire menu.
Plant-based vs animal-based dieting
In our binary world, it’s common to view this matter as an ‘either/or’ situation. Although these two diets are often pinned against each other, most people don’t adhere strictly to one or the other. It’s possible to eat flexibly and include a variety of food sources in your family’s diet.
We know that most people in the US eating too much meat and not enough fibre. You can avoid this problem in your family by removing some meat from your diet and replacing it with plant-based alternatives. Reduce some of the animal protein you consume and switch to plant foods.
It doesn’t have to be ‘all or nothing’. Set a realistic goal – that is, don’t eat meat as part of your meals for a couple of evenings per week. Experiment with new meals until you find foods the whole family enjoys. The more meals you discover, the easier it will be to make ongoing changes.
You don’t have to change everything today; instead, make a few manageable switches and take it one day at a time.
Why do people choose a plant-based diet?
Although the emphasis here is on health, that’s not usually a primary factor in people’s decision to become vegan. For most vegans, the motivation comes from a concern for animal welfare or an environmental perspective. As our understanding of the causes of climate change grows, many people are opting to reduce their animal product intake ‘for the planet’.
For others, animal welfare concerns lead them to adopt a vegan lifestyle. For those wanting to reduce their impact on the animal world, a vegan diet is an obvious step. Some people choose to go vegan for their health. Perhaps a health scare has left them searching for a better alternative to their previous diet.
For many, it will be a combination of reasons that leads them to change their diet. Some people might go vegan overnight, giving up their previous diet ‘cold turkey’. For others, it’s a slow process of reducing meat consumption and cutting out other animal products, bit by bit, until they eventually realize they might as well be vegan.
Plant-based substitutes vs. ‘whole good’ diets
It’s important to note that the vegan landscape has changed drastically in recent years. Whereas a typical vegan diet once relied heavily upon ‘whole food’ sources, there is now plenty of vegan junk food on the market.
Although many see a vegan diet as healthier, it’s essential to pay attention to the specifics of your diet. Try to eat plenty of whole foods and a range of protein sources and keep junk foods to a minimum.
Don’t assume something is healthier simply because it’s vegan; it’s always worth investigating further and figuring out exactly what is in the food you’re about to eat.
Vegetarian and vegan diets differ wildly. Vegetarian diets still include animal protein from eggs and dairy but offer a more extensive variety of ultra-processed foods.
Can you get protein from plants?
Although protein intake is a hot topic in veganism, getting all the protein you need from plants is more than possible. Plant foods contain all nine essential amino acids and essential nutrients. Vegan foods high in plant protein include tofu, beans, seitan, lentils, nutritional yeast, meat alternatives, nuts and whole grains.
If you need to eat a high protein diet, pay close attention to the food you’re consuming. It might be worth keeping a detailed food diary for a week, to see which meals are hitting your protein targets. It’s always possible to add more plant proteins to your meals, so figure out which plant-based foods are high in protein.
How do food choices affect the environment?
Some people develop a heightened awareness of their environmental impact when they have children. Suddenly, the future of the planet seems more critical than ever. Some people follow a vegan diet for environmental reasons, as this is an easy switch to reduce their environmental impact. Plant proteins put less of a strain on the planet than animal based diets.
According to a 2023 study investigating how different diets fared environmentally:
‘There is a strong relationship between the amount of animal-based foods in a diet and its environmental impact, including GHG emissions, land use, water use, eutrophication and biodiversity’.
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:
‘In addition to climate mitigation gains, a transition towards more plant-based consumption and reduced consumption of animal-based foods, particularly from ruminant animals, could reduce pressure on forests and land used for feed, support the preservation of biodiversity and planetary health, and contribute to preventing forms of malnutrition (i.e. undernutrition, micronutrient deficiency, and obesity) in developing countries’.
What is the difference between plant-based and vegan?
Veganism is a lifestyle choice that excludes the use of all animal products, including things like leather, beeswax and wool. If a person describes themselves as having a plant based diet, they will probably choose to eat a plant-based diet but might not consider themselves fully vegan. They might, for example, still use cosmetics tested on animals and containing animal products.