What’s the big deal about plant-based foods?

There are so many reasons why a plant-based diet is recommended by nutritionists, scientists and individuals.

Some people's priorities lie in the protection of animals, some people come at it from an environmental perspective and many simply from a health perspective. It doesn't really matter which way you look at it, eating more plants in your diet is not only good for you but it's also better for animals and the planet. It's a win-win! 

Below are some examples of studies showing the positive impacts of a plant-based diet: 

• Plant-based diets help people to lose weight and have protective effects against coronary artery disease. 

• A plant-based lifestyle intervention reduces inflammation in the body. 

• An emphasis on eating fruit and vegetables reduces the risks of several common forms of cancer. 

Finally, and I think probably the most powerful study of all, followed over 130 000 people across 26 years. It showed that:  

“Substitution of plant protein for animal protein, especially that from processed red meat, was associated with lower mortality, suggesting the importance of protein source.”

In this study, lifestyle risk factors were defined to be heavy smoking, alcohol intake, being overweight or obese and physical inactivity. 

These lifestyle factors were interesting to me, given that so many of us fit into these categories! But the advice is also very clear: -

Substituting red or processed meat for plant-based protein is the easiest way to make the biggest difference to your health in the long-term. 

Which red/processed meat can you substitute and what plant-based proteins will you swap them for? 

How about trying puy lentils instead of minced beef in your shepherd’s pie or Peanut Protein Crisps instead of pork scratchings or beef jerky? 

We'd love to hear your ideas for substituting animal proteins for plant-based ones. What will you be swapping out?