The green movement has gained steam in recent years, with more and more people turning to eco-friendly lifestyles, buildings, and diets. However, there is a bit of a difference between an environmentally friendly diet and a plant-based diet. Both options are green diets, but they focus on various aspects. An eco-friendly diet will offer more food groups and options for meals than a more strict plant-based diet. Plant-based diets are not bad or significantly more complex than environmentally friendly diets, but there are some extra steps and potential pitfalls to watch out for. As the trend continues to grow, it is worth taking the time to ensure you are jumping on the trend as safely as possible. Changing your diet is still a significant change for your body, so ensure any new diet is something you want to try and can handle. However, you should always talk to a medical professional if you have specific medical questions about how a new diet will affect your unique body. Below are just a few tips and tricks to help you get started with the plant-based diet trend in 2021, so you can enjoy a variety of benefits ranging from protection against yeast overgrowth to improved energy throughout the day.
What Does A Planet-Based Diet Mean
When you first hear about a plant-based diet, you likely imagine eating nothing but fruits and vegetables all day, but there is more to plant-based diets than just leafy greens. Sticking to a plant-based diet leaves you more room for varied meals than you might initially imagine, as you can make more out of plants than you might expect. Of course, plant-based diets include natural fruits and vegetables, but you can still make dairy-free pizza using all plant-based ingredients. The people who enjoy plant-based diets primarily have gluten-free diets to thank for all the modern progress as none of these specialty foods like cauliflower-based bread, impossible meats, or sunflower seed ice cream bases were available less than ten years ago. Nowadays, if you want to switch diets, there is likely an alternative food aisle in your everyday grocery store that will show you how to replace your favorite foods with plant-based alternatives.
Know The Right Plant-Based Options
Sadly, one of the downsides of switching to a plant-based diet is that you must pay more attention to food labels and credentials. Too many brands are more than happy to cash in on trendy words like all-natural and organic without putting in the effort to back up those claims. Just because an item is in the aisle with a green leaf on the sign doesn’t mean it is as equally green and plant-based as items that actually belong in that area. Try to avoid items with added sugars, fats, and colorants. Some colors, like basic dyes approved by the FDA, are safe to eat and can help get kids excited about fresh foods, but try to avoid added food colors when possible as some people have an allergic reaction to red and yellow dyes. Look at labels to ensure you are buying exactly what you think and that the credentials on the front are accurate.
