5 Reasons to Adopt a Plant-Based Diet

A plant-based diet focuses on eating foods grown from the land, including fiber-rich vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and legumes, with a minimal amount of nutrients coming from animal-derived foods. There are tons of reasons to adopt a plant-based diet including saving money, improving health, and preserving our planet!

In this article, we’ll provide a summary of reasons to adopt a plant-based diet. We will also discuss Eating Animals, a full-length documentary debuting nationwide this month, that inspires plant-based eating. Finally, we’ll leave you with a nutrient-packed, plant-based recipe to try, and some additional resources to explore to help guide you to choose plant-based food choices.

#1: A Plant-Based Diet Saves Money

Think green in more ways than one! One of the most convincing reasons to adopt a more plant-based diet is that it saves money! That’s right! According to Money magazine, vegetarians can save at least $750 per year over carnivores! The average cost of meat is $3 to as much as $6 per pound while the average cost for beans is only $1.20 per pound.

When fruits and vegetables are in season, you can get them at the best prices! Explore summer fruits such as peaches and watermelon with recipes like the one below to heartier options such as butternut squash and sweet potatoes in yummy casseroles and crockpot meals during the cold winter.

#2: A Plant-Based Diet Protects Against Cancer & Other Health Risks

There is evidence that eating fruits and vegetables protect against cancer while eating meat increases risk of cancer. David A. Rosenbaum, MD, a UCHealth cardiologist at Memorial Hospital North, athlete and meat-eater turned vegan, feels a plant-based diet can reduce “risk for plaque build-up in your arteries”, which is a leading contributor to heart attacks and strokes.

In addition, the World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has reported a definite link to carcinogens in processed meats and a probable link in red meat. Further, the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) offers numerous statistics and findings of how plant-based diets reduce the risk of disease and improve existing health conditions, and can improve life expectancy.

#3: A Plant-Based Diet Keeps You Looking Young

Who doesn’t want to look younger?! Fruits and vegetables are powerful antioxidants. NCBI cites that Vitamin C and E top the list of plant-based miracle workers that defend against free radicals that contribute to the aging process.

Dr. Mark Percival, a naturopath and international wellness expert reports that free radicals “play a central role in the aging process and in disease progression”. Eating a rainbow of fruits and vegetables will help ward of not only wrinkles, but may also protect against diseases, infection, and inflammation.

#4: A Plant-Based Diet Protects Our Environment

Livestock production contributes to greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming. In fact, meat production is a major factor wrecking havoc on our ecosystem!

A study published by the National Academy of Sciences found that plant-based diets could reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 70%! The Purple Carrot reports that it takes almost 2,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef versus only 39 gallons for one pound of vegetables! By just reducing the amount of meat we eat a little bit each week can even have an impact on improving our environment.

#5: All the Cool Kids Are Doing It 

Tons of celebrities are adopting the vegan lifestyle. Beyonce and Jay-Z have partnered with a celebrity trainer to share their plan, 22 Days Nutrition, to make it easy for people to learn how to prepare vegan meals.

Natalie Portman has been a long-time vegetarian and turned vegan a few years ago. She credits her diet as the reason why she has such clear skin. She is also a driving force behind the Eating Animals documentary.

Even former President Bill Clinton is on the plant-based bandwagon! He adopted the vegetarian diet for health reasons so he could stay healthy for his family, but it has grown on him!

Even top sports stars swear by a vegetarian lifestyle! Tom Brady is still a top NFL quarterback in his 40s and credits his success to a minimally processed plant-based regimen. Both Serena and Venus Williams credit plant-based eating to their successful tennis careers. The vegan athelete list goes on to include successful NBA players, Olympic weightlifters, MMA fighters, famed runners, and more!

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Eating Animals: A Compelling Reason for a Plant-Based Lifestyle

My main inspiration for writing this article has been the New York Times and Amazon best-selling book Eating Animals that was written by Jonathan Safran Foer. The book was recently turned into a documentary that premieres nationwide in June 2018. Produced and narrated by Natalie Portman, this compelling feature-length documentary provides an in-depth, and sometimes graphic, look into the world of commercial farming, mistreatment of animals, and a plea for responsible, sustainable agricultural practices.

I have always preferred to eat vegetables over meat, but modern society has convinced me that meat protein is king. Further, I am a huge fitness fanatic. Animal protein is a big focus for preserving lean muscle mass. However, after reading up on the benefits of a plant-based diet and realizing how many non-animal protein sources are out there, I am rethinking the way I eat! Going vegan can be difficult, but the purpose of this article is to adopt a healthier lifestyle and minimize “eating animals”.

“Eating Animals carefully, deliberately, takes you through every relevant dimension of factory farming….One sees it from the inside, the outside, the moral high ground, the dithering consumer level, through Foer’s family stories, from slaughterhouse workers, animal behaviorists, even from defenders of the system….Foer’s aim is not to make your choice, but to inform it. He has done us all a great service, and we, and the animals, owe him our thanks.”―Andrew Weil, MD

Plant-Based Power Recipe  – Summer Watermelon Salad

Here is a great example of a plant-based recipe packed with nutrients — Summer Watermelon Salad The rundown on the key ingredients in this fantastic recipe:

• Watermelon: 1 cup of watermelon contains just 46 calories. It Is high in Vitamin A and Vitamin C plus it is full of water to keep you hydrated on hot summer days.
• Walnuts: 1 ounce of walnuts contains a healthy dose of unsaturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein,
•  and it is rich in Vitamin B-6.
• Hemp Seeds: 1 ounce of these seeds is high in Vitamin E and Omega-3s. It contains over 10 grams of protein too!
• Chia Seeds: 1 ounce of these seeds provides another 4 grams of protein, 11 grams of daily fiber, a healthy amount of Omega-3s, plus calcium and a host of minerals.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Considered the healthiest fat around, EVOO is high in Omega-6, Vitamin E, and Vitamin K.

Plant-Based Wonder Noodles – Explore Cuisine Edamame & Mung Bean Fettucini

Another great plant-based staple when you are in a hurry is edamame and mung bean pasta! While these look a little different from your average noddle, they are packed with a ton of potassium, iron, and fiber. They offer 22 grams of protein per serving and only 21 grams of carbs. This super noodle is fantastic, especially for endurance athletes!

I welcome your thoughts and experiences with plant-based eating!

Disclosure: We worked with Allied Integrated Marketing to offer free passes to our blog readers and social followers, but this is not a sponsored post.