Embracing Plant-Based Eating: A Path to Sustainable Health and Wellness

While we do love our steaks, we believe that plants should really be the main part of every meal. We suggest our clients make two-thirds of their meals consist of vegetables and fruits. This approach helps reduce calorie intake while keeping you full. Sharon Palmer dives into why eating more plants is important both for our bodies and the planet.

So, what’s the best way to eat for our health and the environment? We’re starting to see that less meat and more whole plants is the answer. Across the board, from authors like Michael Pollan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, everyone is saying we should eat more plants. Even top nutritionists and researchers agree that focusing on whole plants is best for our health.

The science is piling up on how beneficial a plant-based diet is. It can lower risks of heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, cancer, and obesity. Plus, eating more plants lessens the environmental resources needed for food production. This makes plant-based eating a front-runner for the ideal diet.

A plant-based diet, like veganism, is getting popular thanks to celebrities like Oprah, Alicia Silverstone, and Ellen Degeneres. However, plant-based eating is personal and can look different for everyone. It includes veganism, vegetarianism, pescatarianism, and even just reducing meat intake.

The Meatless Monday movement pushes everyone to consider eating less meat. Their message is: eating less meat is good for you and the planet, so why not skip it one day a week? Many organizations and places have adopted this idea.

Though vegans and vegetarians are still a minority (about 5% in the U.S.), interest is growing, with 16% eating no meat in more than half their meals. Many people worldwide rely on plants, which used to be our main diet partners, from wild seeds to fruits. As both we and plants have evolved, plants developed phytochemicals for their defense, which also benefit us.

Scientists now grasp how these plant compounds, like resveratrol in grapes and anthocyanins in blueberries, support our health. These compounds provide antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, shielding us from modern diseases, like heart disease and cancer.

Eating whole plant foods in their natural form is key. Supplements don’t match the benefits of consuming plants in their entirety, including fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, our modern diet often favors processed foods far removed from their plant origins. This isn’t true for all plant-based diets though—most global traditional diets center around plants.

In many countries where traditional, plant-centric diets are the norm, chronic disease rates are low. But moving to Western diets, high in meats and low in whole plants, spikes those disease rates. This pattern is evident among groups like the Pima Indians, whose health deteriorates with Western diets.

Americans love meat, but portion sizes have increased over time. The U.S. eats more than three times the global average of meat, which wasn’t always the case. Historically, meat was reserved for special occasions or to enhance other dishes. Meat consumption has doubled from 1909 to 2007, reflecting economic shifts.

High meat diets, especially those rich in red and processed meats, are linked to health issues like heart disease and diabetes. The absence of health-protective plants in such diets compounds these risks. Bringing down meat consumption could help mitigate these risks.

Vegetarian diets offer many health perks, from lower cholesterol to reduced cancer rates, as noted by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Historically, early humans relied on gathering plants with some animal consumption, but today’s mass meat production is different from the past. Factory farms often raise animals in poor conditions, contributing to environmental harm.

A shift towards plant-based diets can lessen our carbon footprint. Studies show that producing plant foods requires far fewer resources than meat, especially beef, which is highly resource-intensive.

Eating less meat can significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions. If everyone in the U.S. skipped meat and cheese for just one day a week, it would be like taking millions of cars off the road.

Our excessive consumption of resources for animal agriculture is unsustainable, especially with future population growth. We’d do better dedicating farmland to human food production, which could dramatically increase the available calories per person.

In sum, the trend should be toward a plate filled with diverse plant foods—grains, legumes, nuts, vegetables, and fruits. This shift could promote healthier lives and a healthier planet in the long run.