More plants, less meat

A common goal for many clients is to shift their current diet to a plant-based diet. For one person it means they’re ready to eliminate meat and go vegan. For someone else it’s all about eating less beef and pork and eating “clean”. Another would like to be vegetarian most of the time, with an occasional slice or two of bacon on the menu.

And that is the issue with vague nutrition terms like clean eating, plant-forward, and plant-based…they mean different things to different folks! Let’s do a quick review of a few of the more well defined eating patterns - do any resonate with you?

• Vegan - no animals and no animal byproducts (dairy eggs, etc.), not even ingredients like honey or gelatin

• Vegetarian - no animal meat (beef, pork, chicken, turkey, seafood, etc.) but will eat animal byproducts (dairy, eggs, honey, etc.)

• Pescatarian - vegetarian plus seafood, resembles a Mediterranean diet (though a Mediterranean diet allows for other animal protein in small amounts)

• Omnivore - eats a variety of plants and meat, based on their personal preferences

Which eating pattern is best? The one that you can stick with! A good rule of thumb is that eating more plants and less meat is an excellent choice for the average American. Your dietitian can help you to decide what diet changes to make to help you reap the benefits of eating more plants, less meat.

Benefits of an eating pattern plentiful in plants:

• Helps with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight

• Lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes

• Possible reduction in cognitive decline

• Beneficial to the environment

Get inspired with our free 7-day meal plan that gently moves you towards a “plant-forward” diet. If you’re ready to get serious about healthy eating, schedule an initial session today!