What Foods Can I Eat on a Plant-Based Diet? | Green Chef (2024)

FAQs

What Foods Can I Eat on a Plant-Based Diet? | Green Chef? ›

It is a way of eating that is focused primarily on plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. That being said, the term “plant-based diet” is quite broad. From pescatarians, flexitarians and traditional vegetarians, to more strict vegans, the options are numerous.

Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans.

Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

While it may seem ambitious, Rossi recommends aiming for 30 different plants a week from the super six: whole grains (think: quinoa, rolled oats, and sourdough bread), nuts and seeds (walnuts, pistachios, and pecans), vegetables, fruits, legumes (think: beans), and herbs and spices (cumin, cinnamon, and paprika).

Pasta dishes make an excellent option for those adhering to a plant-based diet for several reasons. To start, pasta is a natural plant-based food made simply from grain, and it is also and easy food to incorporate other plant-based foods into, like veggies and beans.

You may think that because cheese is not vegan, those who don't eat meat or animal products cannot enjoy a good pizza. But, this simply isn't true! There are many vegan options at restaurants these days, including pizzerias. If you follow a vegan diet, here's what you should know about finding your new favorite pizza.

Foods like olive oil, bleached flour, refined sugar and white rice, even though they are plant-based, are all processed foods and are not included in a WFPB diet. Plant-based means that the food you eat comes from plants, including: Fruits – apples, strawberries, grapes, pineapple, bananas, mango.

While a well-balanced plant-based diet can provide a wide range of nutrients, certain essential nutrients are more abundant in animal-derived foods. Plant-based diets can sometimes lead to nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Following a plant-based diet means saying goodbye to all animal products — including lean meat and dairy products such as milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream.

Living a Whole Food, Plant-Based Life

This includes whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), nuts, and seeds. Many eventually give up the diet label in favor of lifestyle. Perhaps that's because the popular notion of dieting has become so confusing. A WFPB lifestyle should be simpler.

Does coffee count as a plant? ›

Coffee beans are also seeds. So, your morning coffee counts as a plant, too.

Here are some tips to get started with a plant-based diet: Fill half your plate for meals and snacks with non-starchy vegetables and fresh fruits, such as leafy greens, carrots, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, berries, grapes, apples, pears and melons.

As with many food items, in its simplest form, peanut butter should always be vegan. The vast majority of peanut butters you find in grocery stores will therefore be fully plant-based. Traditional peanut butter is made from peanuts and often a small amount of salt or oil.

Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, apricots, sweet potatoes, peaches, plums, melons, eggplant, lemons, lettuce, green beans, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, spinach, corn, Swiss chard, celery, beets, onions, cauliflower, cherries, bananas, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, ...

Potatoes are loaded with Vitamin C, most B vitamins, potassium, fiber, and more. Potatoes absolutely can be part of a healthy plant-based diet! We love to enjoy potatoes in plenty of plant-based recipes from pizza to lasagna to soups, and more!

At its core, a bread recipe contains four simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and yeast — a type of microscopic fungus used to help bread rise. Therefore, the simplest form of bread is vegan. However, some types include additional ingredients like sweeteners or fats — both of which can be of animal origin.