Author: be well™ with Big Y^® Registered Dietitian Team

Going plant-forward for a better you and environment.

According to a position statement from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics,¹ “appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”

Not only are plant-based meal plans appropriate for all ages, they are “more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage” according to The Academy.

If you have been considering dabbling in a vegetarian or vegan pattern of eating, there are plenty of benefits in doing so. That said, here is how vegetarian and vegan meal plans compare:

Vegetarian Meal Plan

Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Dried beans, peas lentils and chickpeas
Nuts and nut butter
Seeds and seed butter
May include egg
May include dairy
Does not include meat, poultry, wild game, seafood or their products

Vegan Meal Plan

Vegetables
Fruits
Whole grains
Dried beans, peas lentils and chickpeas
Nuts and nut butter
Seeds and seed butter
May include honey
Does not include egg
Does not include dairy
Does not include meat, poultry, wild game, seafood or their products

Know someone who considers themselves a vegetarian, but also includes eggs, dairy or both? An ovo-vegetarian meal plan includes eggs, a lacto-vegetarian meal plan includes dairy and a lacto-ovo-vegetarian meal plan includes both.

Following a vegetarian or vegan meal plan may feel different for someone raised, or familiar with, eating meat, but being different doesn’t mean nutritionally inadequate. If you are new to following a vegetarian or vegan meal plan, be mindful that you may need a bit of additional meal planning time up front. Once you get into the swing, though, you won’t miss a beat (or beet!).

To learn more about shifting to a more plant-based eating style, visit the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of The Academy’s resource page at: https://www.vndpg.org/resources/vegetarian-dietitian-resources.

¹ Melina V, Craig W, Levin S. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Dec;116(12):1970-1980. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025. PMID: 27886704.

For more health & wellness tips, contact our be well^™ with Big Y^® Registered Dietitian Team.

Published 9/1/2021