We looked at 700 plant-based foods to see how healthy they really are. Here’s what we found (2024)

FAQs

Why is a plant-based diet bad for you? ›

Some studies have shown that those on a plant-based diet are found to have lower plasma vitamin B12 levels and higher levels of vitamin B12 deficiency than those who consume animal products. Vitamin B12 is an important cofactor in DNA synthesis, and deficiency can lead to anemia and severe neurological dysfunction.

Plants are high in fiber.

Eating a plant-based diet improves the health of your gut so you are better able to absorb the nutrients from food that support your immune system and reduce inflammation. Fiber can lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar and it's great for good bowel management.

Some meats are high in fat, especially saturated fat. Eating a lot of saturated fat can raise cholesterol levels in the blood, and having high cholesterol raises your risk of coronary heart disease. The type of meat product you choose and how you cook it can make a big difference to the saturated fat content.

Due to insufficient time spent on the subject of nutrition, many doctors believe that you cannot get enough protein on a plant-based diet, and that you are at risk of becoming iron and calcium deficient.

Eggs can and should be part of a plant-based diet, and these five suggestions showcase how easy it is to incorporate the incredible egg into your plant-forward dishes.

Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, pears, peaches, pineapple, bananas, etc. Vegetables: kale, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, peppers, etc. Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc. Whole grains: brown rice, rolled oats, farro, quinoa, brown rice pasta, barley, etc.

For example, vegans eat no animal products of any kind. This means no meat, dairy, eggs, or even honey. Flexitarians, on the other hand, occasionally eat those animal products. The building block of both diets, though, are the same: the majority of consumed food should be plants.

Oats are a cereal grain derived from a plant, meaning anyone who follows a vegan diet should be safe to eat them as in their natural form as they're plant-based. However, when it comes to getting creative with the flavours, you'll need to start keeping an eye out for the added ingredients that might trip you up!

What foods should you avoid on a plant-based diet? ›

You'll restrict grains and foods made with them, such as bread and pasta. You also limit starchy vegetables like potatoes and corn, as well as beans and legumes. And you'll cut high-sugar tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango, and bananas, as well as fruit juices and sweets.

The health factor

And people who don't eat meat, called vegetarians, generally eat fewer calories and less fat. They also tend to weigh less. And they have a lower risk of heart disease than nonvegetarians do.

Hot dogs, bacon, sausage, and regular ground beef should be avoided or consumed sparingly due to their high fat, calorie, and sodium content, and potential health risks. By using this ranking system, you can make informed choices about the meats you eat and maintain a healthy diet.

Most healthy people can eat up to seven eggs a week without increasing their risk of heart disease. Some studies have shown that this level of egg consumption might even help prevent certain types of stroke and a serious eye condition called macular degeneration that can lead to blindness.

People with high blood pressure, diabetes, blood fat People with blood fat, high blood pressure need to be careful when using beef regularly. This is because beef contains a high protein content and a high amount of saturated fat, which can have an adverse effect on the treatment of the disease.

Plant-based diets can sometimes lead to nutritional deficiencies such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids. Therefore, make such a diet plan, so that you can get all these nutrients.

In fact, plant-based foods may be contaminated by many risk factors from the plant raw material itself to the processing and storage of final products. These risk factors can cause serious harm to human health once they are ingested by humans, thus affecting the safe consumption of plant-based foods.

“Some of those products, even though they contain high amounts of plant-based protein, may also contain unhealthy ingredients, such as high amounts of sodium or unhealthy fats,” he said. “Being plant-based doesn't necessarily mean it's healthier.”

Plant proteins are often incomplete proteins, and therefore should be consumed in combination in order to serve as a complete protein. Some plant-based proteins are high in carbohydrates not ideal for anyone following a low-carb diet. Plant protein powders are typically more expensive than whey protein.