HealthInfo West Coast-Te Tai Poutini
Plant-based eating
Te kaimanga
Plant-based eating is a way of eating where you focus on filling up your plate with minimally processed plant foods such as:
- vegetables
- fruit
- legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and soybeans
- wholegrains such as oats, quinoa and barley
- nuts
- seeds
- products made from legumes, nuts or seeds such as falafel, tofu, tempeh, nut butters and tahini.
You may choose plant-base eating for a variety of reasons. These could include concern about animal welfare, health benefits, environmental concerns or personal preference.
Plant-based eating can help to reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and some cancers. It may also help you manage your weight.
Styles of plant-based eating
There are many different styles of plant-based eating:
- semi-vegetarian (or flexitarian) – includes dairy and eggs and may include small amounts of meat, chicken and seafood
- pescatarian – includes seafood, dairy and eggs but avoids meat and chicken
- lacto-ovo vegetarian – includes dairy and eggs but avoids meat, chicken and seafood
- ovo-vegetarian – includes eggs but avoids all other animal foods including dairy
- lacto-vegetarian – includes dairy but avoids eggs, meat, chicken and seafood
- vegan – avoids all animal products including eggs, dairy and honey.
Tips for eating more plant-based foods
To eat more plant-based foods, you do not have to completely switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet. The following tips will help you have more plant-based foods.
- At lunch and dinner, fill half your plate with vegetables.
- Try eating at least one meatless main meal a week and gradually increase from there.
- Replace meat with a plant-based protein in recipes you already make. For example, you could replace the meat in bolognese with extra vegetables and kidney beans or you could try falafel in burgers instead of beef patties.
- Switch cow's milk for a plant milk such as soy, almond or oat milk. Soy is a good option as it has a lot more protein than almond or other plant milks.
- Add unsalted nuts (almonds, cashews or walnuts) or seeds (sunflower, sesame or pumpkin seeds) to salads, breakfast cereal or stir-fries.
- Have a plant-based snack such as fruit, a small handful of nuts or peanut butter or hummus on wholegrain crackers.
Getting the best out of plant-based eating
Plant-based eating can be very nutritious and good for you. But just like other eating patterns, it can also be unhealthy and low in nutrition. It's just as possible to have a poor quality plant-based diet as it is to have a poor quality meat-based diet. For example, fruit juice, potato chips and biscuits are plant-based foods but they're highly processed and not good options to have regularly.
Whichever plant-based way of eating you choose, stick to the following principles:
- choose whole foods over highly processed foods
- eat a wide variety of plant-based foods
- eat a rainbow – choose a variety of different coloured vegetables and fruit.
Getting enough nutrients
If you have less animal foods or cut them out altogether, there are a few nutrients that you need to pay attention to. These include protein, iron, zinc, calcium (if you exclude dairy) and vitamin B12 (if you avoid all animal products). Follow the links for guidance on plant-based eating for adults or infants and children.
If you're concerned that you or your child aren't getting all the nutrients you need, talk to your GP or practice nurse. They can refer you to a dietitian.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- Canterbury DHB – Vegetables and fruit
A short video with advice about eating more vegetables and fruit.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Canterbury DHB – Vegan diets in infants and children
Information about ways to ensure vegan infants and children get all the nutrients they need. It also includes a sample menu for a 12-month-old vegan infant.
- Healthy Food Guide – Vegetarian recipes
A selection of nutritious and tasty recipes and meal ideas (the first few views of the Healthy food Guide are free, but then you'll need to register for a small fee).
- New Zealand Vegetarian Society
A website supporting vegetarians and vegans. It includes food and nutrition information, lists of approved food products and vegetarian recipes.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created March 2022.
Sources
See also:
Review key: HIHEI-34305
