A plant-based diet is any diet that focuses
around foods derived from plant sources. This can include fruit,
vegetables, grains, pulses, legumes, nuts and meat substitutes such as
soy products.
People often have different interpretations of what ‘plant-based’ eating
looks like. Some people still include small amounts of animal products
such as meat and fish, while focusing mainly on vegetarian foods – this
is referred to as a
semi-vegetarian or flexitarian diet.
Plans that cut out meat but still include fish are referred to as
pescatarian diets. People who don’t eat meat or fish
but still include dairy and eggs are referred to as
vegetarian, while those who cut out any animal derived
products, including dairy, eggs, honey and gelatin are referred to as
vegan.
People following plant-based diets and consuming a wide variety of
fruits, vegetables and pulses are likely to find it easier to meet their
five-a-day target. Due to this, they are also likely to have good
intakes of fibre and the vitamins and minerals that are present in fruit
and vegetables, including folate, vitamin C and potassium, all of which
are important for good health.