Majority of the Indian population is vegetarian and since the evolution of diets and eating behaviour has introduced us to Vegan and Plant based diets. There is still a little confusion between vegetarian, vegan and Plant-Based diets.
What is a plant based diet?
A plant-based diet has no official definition in place.
When taken literally, a plant-based diet is one that is composed primarily of plant foods like grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and seeds.
Diets based on plants can also contain items originating from animals, such as fish, meat, and dairy, according to nutritionists. An illustration of this kind of plant-based diet is the well-known Mediterranean diet. It is commonly accepted to be an excellent diet for health and longevity that is strongly centred on plants and contains just trace amounts of other animal items. A flexitarian or semi-vegetarian diet could also be used to describe this kind of plant-based diet. Pescatarians, who abstain from meat yet consume fish, are also likely following a plant-based diet.
It is also said that other diets are plant-based. They consist of all-vegetarian diets like veganism and vegetarianism, which include certain animal products but no meat.
What is a vegetarian diet?
A vegetarian diet is based on plant foods and excludes meat, poultry and fish. Vegetarian diets include:
Vegetables
Fruit
Nuts
Seeds
Grains
Legumes
They may also include:
Eggs
Dairy foods
Ovo-vegetarian refers to a vegetarian diet that includes eggs, whereas lacto-vegetarian refers to a vegetarian diet that includes dairy. These can be combined (that is, made up of both dairy and eggs) to make lacto-ovo vegetarian food.
According to experts, a well-planned vegetarian diet can provide a good variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, whether it includes eggs and dairy products or not.
To ensure they get enough, vegetarians must substitute alternative sources of protein for the protein found in meat. This is crucial for elderly vegans to preserve mobility and muscle power. Among the foods that can help you reach your daily protein goals include tofu, beans, almonds, seeds, eggs, yoghurt, and wholegrain bread.
Additionally, iron from plant sources can be more difficult to absorb than iron from animal sources, therefore vegetarian women and kids should monitor this mineral and eat foods high in vitamin C at meals to promote the absorption of non-haem iron.
What is a Vegan Diet?
A vegan diet is another plant-based eating pattern that, like vegetarianism, forbids the consumption of meat, poultry, and fish. However, it goes a step farther and bans all other animal products. Many vegans also refrain from using clothing, shoes, and beauty goods that contain animal products.
According to experts, a well-planned vegan diet can also be a healthy eating strategy. However, extra care must be made to ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you require, including protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and iron. These are things we usually receive from eating animal products like meat, fish, dairy, and eggs, so acquiring them from other sources in the diet can be trickier but not impossible.
Vegans may want to think about taking vitamin B12 as a supplement. Since this can only be found in animal products, including it in your diet without them can be challenging. Some foods that have been fortified, like cereals and plant milks, may include vitamin B12.
A vegan diet includes:
Vegetables
Fruit
Nuts
Seeds
Grains
Legumes
A vegan diet excludes:
Meat
Poultry
Fish
Eggs
Dairy
Insects
Insect foods such as honey