Plant-Based Diets

Plant-based diets are comprised of meals made predominately from a variety of vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, and nuts, with minimal amounts of processed foods . Many professional organizations recommend a plant-based diet to help prevent chronic diseases such as cancer , heart disease , and obesity . This is because such a diet is usually high in fiber and low in fat .

Many times, modest amounts of meat are included in a plant-based diet, so it is not synonymous with a vegetarian diet. However, the bulk of the diet consists of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

SEE ALSO Macrobiotic Diet ; Meat Analogs ; Vegan ; Vegetarianism .

Lenore Hodges

Internet Resources

American Dietetic Association, Vegetarian Nutrition Practice Group. "Articles on Vegetarian Nutrition." Available from <http://www.vegetariannutrition.net/articles/html>

Seventh-day Adventist Dietetic Association. "Plant-Based Diets: Fact and Fiction." Available from <http:/www.sdada.org/facts&fiction/htm>