The Rise In Plant Nutrition

Why Plant-Based Is The Way Forward!

         Written by Shani Kaplan

It's increasingly hard to avoid a conversation (or a heated debate) based around vegan/ vegetarian vs. meat-eating diets right now. 

The number of vegans in Great Britain has quadrupled between 2014 and 2018 [1]. It seems like there's an inundation of some-what conflicting information circulating everywhere you look - newspapers, magazines, Netflix documentaries, podcasts, social media, cookbooks; it really is everywhere. 


Science and research are continually evolving with new studies being released on a frequent basis. This has only fueled the diet industry throughout the years; with many diet trends and fads emerging as experts try to find the “ultimate diet” for longevity and health, some being- low carb, keto, low fat, paleo, vegan, and juicing just to name a few. 

 

The current consensus though is that plant-based foods are at the forefront of health. Plant-based is a term that refers to a diet high in plant-derived whole foods, with animal products treated more like a garnish. It's the non-restrictive, environmentally-conscious, and overall healthy way forward.

It's increasingly hard to avoid a conversation (or a heated debate) based around vegan/ vegetarian vs. meat-eating diets right now. 

The number of vegans in Great Britain has quadrupled between 2014 and 2018 [1]. It seems like there's an inundation of some-what conflicting information circulating everywhere you look - newspapers, magazines, Netflix documentaries, podcasts, social media, cookbooks; it really is everywhere. 


Science and research are continually evolving with new studies being released on a frequent basis. This has only fuelled the diet industry throughout the years; with many diet trends and fads emerging as experts try to find the “ultimate diet” for longevity and health, some being- low carb, keto, low fat, paleo, vegan, and juicing just to name a few. 

 

The current consensus though is that plant-based foods are at the forefront of health. Plant-based is a term that refers to a diet high in plant-derived whole foods, with animal products treated more like a garnish. It's the non-restrictive, environmentally-conscious, and overall healthy way forward.

Let’s Talk About Plants

What’s so great about them?


Medical studies published by the Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy journal, have concluded that consumption of vegetarian diets is associated with improved glycaemic control in type 2 diabetes [2] and furthermore diets higher in plant foods and lower in animal foods have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in a general population.[3] 

 

FYI - A plant-based diet is one made up of predominately of wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes; which are nutrient-dense powerhouses. And the reason these food groups are essential for a healthy, functioning body is because they contain a combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals that nourish and protect your body. 

An example of just one of these is vitamin C, which is full of antioxidants (which boost your immune system), and also stimulates collagen production (a protein needed to build and maintain bones, joints, and skin) Rich sources of vitamin C include oranges, papaya, strawberries, bell peppers, kiwis, and broccoli. 

 

With the above in mind, it is easy to see why you should be adding lots of sources of plant-based foods into your diet!

An example of just one of these is vitamin C, which is full of antioxidants (which boost your immune system), and also stimulates collagen production (a protein needed to build and maintain bones, joints, and skin) Rich sources of vitamin C include oranges, papaya, strawberries, bell peppers, kiwis, and broccoli. 


With the above in mind, it is easy to see why you should be adding lots of sources of plant-based foods into your diet!

How Is The UK Evolving?

Vegan Society reported that between 2016-2018 orders of vegan meals grew 388%, becoming the UK’s fastest-growing takeaway choice.[4]


Pret A Manger -the coffee and sandwich shop with a healthy twist, has 500+ stores worldwide and, as of 2018, was valued at a whopping £1.5 billion. They are one noteworthy company that noticed this shift in behaviour and followed suit accordingly. CEO, Clive Schlee, cleverly reached out to customers in a blog titled, ‘The Great Vegetarian Debate’ in July 2015 asking “How can Pret help people to enjoy more vegetarian food without being preachy, or worse still, alienating our customers?”.[5]


Just a year later they opened their first Veggie Pret pop-up shop, and clearly this plunge was a very successful one as, despite taking the risk in being the first ever vegetarian-only shop opened by a major food-chain company, sales surged by 70%[6], and 3 months later the shop was made permanent, with plans for a huge expansion after buying out their competitor ‘Eat’. 

How Can YOU Become More Plant-Based?

#MEATFREEMONDAY

If you haven't heard of it, look it up and get on board!  Or, take it one step further and utilise the overload of vegetarian/vegan recipes on Instagram, Pinterest, or in cookbooks to make your weekday office lunches

EAT THE RAINBOW!

Fill half your plate with plants and make it colourful! Make sure you are varying your sources of legumes, wholegrains, and vegetables. The more types of veg you can add, the more nutritients added

VEGGIE SNACKS

Keep your snacks high in plant-based ingredients. Think guacamole or hummus with vegetable sticks, smoothies with fruit, nut butter/milk, and spinach/kale or just a nut and seed mix with a piece of fruit

SEASONAL

Experiment with foods in-season. In colder months, think slow-cooked meals/soups that you can add legumes and veg into, or roast up a big batch of root veg. In warmer months make big salads filled with roasted nuts/ seeds and fruits

#MEATFREEMONDAY

If you haven't heard of it, look it up and get on board!  Or, take it one step further and utilise the overload of vegetarian/vegan recipes on Instagram, Pinterest, or in cookbooks to make your weekday office lunches

EAT THE RAINBOW!

Fill half your plate with plants and make it colourful! Make sure you are varying your sources of legumes, wholegrains, and vegetables. The more types of veg you can add, the more nutritients added

VEGGIE SNACKS

Keep your snacks high in plant-based ingredients. Think guacamole or hummus with vegetable sticks, smoothies with fruit, nut butter/milk, and spinach/kale or just a nut and seed mix with a piece of fruit

SEASONAL

Experiment with foods in-season. In colder months, think slow-cooked meals/soups that you can add legumes and veg into, or roast up a big batch of root veg. In warmer months make big salads filled with roasted nuts/ seeds and fruits

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Shani Kaplan 

Shani Kaplan is a contributing writer for Truth Origins. She combines her knowledge gained from working within the fitness/wellness industry in Sydney and London for the last seven years as a Personal Trainer, and class instructor, with her addiction to research due to her BA in Business Marketing. Shani loves martial arts, resistance training, dance and yoga, nutrition, travel, design, photography, and art.

References

[1]  “Statistics”, The Vegan Society, 2019. Available at <https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics.> Date accessed: 28 September 2019

[2] Yokoyama, Y., Barnard, N., Levin, S., Watanabe, M.. Vegetarian diets and glycemic control in diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy, North America, 4, nov. 2014. Available at: <http://cdt.amegroups.com/article/view/4977>. Date accessed: 27 Sep. 2019

[3] Hyunju, Kim, Laura E. Caulfield, Vanessa Garcia‐Larsen, Lyn M. Steffen, Josef Coresh, Casey M. Rebholz. Plant‐Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults. Journal of the American Heart Association, 2019; 8 (16) DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012865Available at: <https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.119.012865>. Date accessed: 27 Sep 2019


[4] “Statistics”, The Vegan Society, 2019. Available at  <https://www.vegansociety.com/news/media/statistics. > Date accessed: 28 September 2019


[5] Schlee, C. (2019). How Can Pret Create More Delicious Vegetarian Food?. [Blog] Available at: <https://www.pret.co.uk/en-gb/the-great-vegetarian-debate> Date accessed: 29 Sep. 2019


[6] "About Pret", Pret.Co.Uk, 2019 <https://www.pret.co.uk/en-gb/about-pret> Date accessed: 29 Sep 2019

 

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Shani Kaplan