What’s a plant-based diet? Here’s what you need to know to eat less meat

One thing much of the country seems to agree on is eating more plants. More than half of Americans (63%, regardless of political affiliation, according to a 2021 study by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication) are actively trying to eat less red meat. In the United States, plant-based products grew into an $8 billion industry in 2022, with a growth rate of 7% since the year before.

This phrase comes up more and more as we see the effects of climate change — extreme heat, more powerful storms and the like. You may have questions, so here’s a look at what this means.

What is a plant-based diet?

The exact definition of a plant-based diet can vary, and the term is often used interchangeably with vegan. Yet they are not the same thing.

Any food labeled vegan will be plant-based — but the reverse is not always true.

Generally speaking, a plant-based diet consists largely of vegetables, fruit, beans, legumes, grains and nuts, with little or no meat, dairy or fish. People who follow plant-based diets do so for reasons of health, animal welfare concerns or environmental consciousness.

Veganism is a moral philosophy based on animal rights that abstains from all animal products, including meat, dairy, eggs, honey and products containing leather, silk or wool, or that have been tested on animals.

This distinction matters, because while many people are not interested in giving up animal products entirely, any reduction in our consumption of those foods will help the planet.

Are plant-based and vegan diets better for you?

Not necessarily. Vegan, plant-based and omnivorous diets (and pescatarian and vegetarian diets for that matter) can all be made up of whole, fresh ingredients (called whole-food diets, which are good for you) or highly processed ones (which are not). The more processed foods you include in your diet, the worse it is for your health, whether your chicken nuggets are made up of real or vegan chicken.

Because the term “plant-based” is not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it’s become a widely used marketing tool. You’ll find it on products of dubious healthfulness, like ultraprocessed instant noodles, chips and energy bars.

However, eating a plant-based diet based on whole foods has been shown to have myriad health benefits, including reducing diabetes risk, improving your gut microbiome and generally helping you live longer.

Do I have to give up animal products entirely to follow a plant-based diet?

Most experts (Harvard Medical School, for example) define plant-based as a diet primarily made up of plants, with small amounts of meat, fish and dairy consumed occasionally — anywhere from a few times a week to a few times per month.

Limiting your consumption of meat and dairy has been shown to have significant positive effects for planetary health and can also be beneficial for your health — as long as you replace meat and dairy with whole and minimally processed foods such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains — and not diet sodas and vegan doughnuts.

So no, you don’t necessarily need to go cold turkey on the turkey.

Are plant-based and vegan diets better for the environment?

Yes, and the body of evidence supporting this is growing. Another major study has recently been published, showing that eating a plant-based diet is significantly better for the environment than eating a meat-based diet.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.