Enjoying various plant-based foods is encouraged to be part of a balanced diet. In fact, research shows that a plant-based foods are associated with lower total cholesterol levels and may reduce the risk of colon cancer. (Source 1, Source 2, Source 3, Source 4, Source 5).

Plant-based foods are foods derived from plants and include a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, beans and oils. Minimally processed plant-based foods are often cheaper than meat and can be very nutritious, including a wide range of vitamins and minerals such as B vitamins, iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium, along with protein and fiber (Source).

Eating more plant-based proteins and fats may be worth considering over more animal proteins and fats. A study looking at a low carbohydrate diet (e.g. keto) found that replacing carbohydrates with animal protein fats increased the risk of death while replacing carbohydrates with plant-based proteins and fats decreased the risk of death (Source).

Canada’s Food Guide and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we choose to add a variety of plant-based protein to our diet in place of some animal protein to increase fiber and reduce saturated fat (Source).

If you are interested in including more plant-based foods into your diet, you can speak to your clinician about setting a goal that is right for you! An easy way to start consuming more plant-based foods is to aim for half your plate or meal to be fruit and vegetables, one quarter of your plate to be whole grains, and to incorporate more plant-based proteins such as black beans, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and nuts at meals to make up one quarter of your plate/meal.

You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to enjoy the benefits of including more plant-based foods! You can start with small changes, such as swapping half the meat from a chili or a meat sauce with lentils, trying a veggie burger instead of a hamburger, and enjoying tofu instead of chicken in a stir-fry.