FOOD+NUTRITION By Kate Lyman
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Things To Know About Plant-Based Diets
The goal of a plant-based diet is to focus on filling your diet with whole plantbased foods: vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean vegan; a plant-based diet may contain occasional meat or dairy. The pushed towards whole, real foods instead of processed ones with artificial ingredients is also great for the planet. Transitioning to a plant-based diet is more than just simple swaps or eating ready-made vegan products you find at the store. It begins with a solid foundation of nutritional knowledge. This means starting with a diet focused on mostly well-rounded meals of whole foods before cutting right to eliminating meat and just replacing animal-based proteins with plant-based alternatives.
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As with any diet, it’s still all about a calorie deficit
If you lose weight after switching to a plantbased diet, it is not just because you’re not eating meat. By cutting out meat and dairy, you could be eliminating additional calories to create a calorie deficit (or eating fewer calories than you’re burning on average).
While a plant-based diet can be incredibly healthy and can help improve health markers and weight loss, there are some important things to remember:
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Kate Lyman, MPH, CHES is a nutrition coach who believes in ditching restrictive diet rules and building flexible eating habits so that you can eat the foods you enjoy while still working towards your aesthetic, performance, and health-related goals. She provides individual and corporate nutrition coaching and creates resources that can help anyone improve their diet. Find her cookbooks, nutrition guides, and other resources at katelymannutrition.com or on follow along at @klnutrition.
