A Plant-Based Dietary Approach

By Florencia Tagliavini, Nutritionist

So what are plant-based diets exactly? It seems as though everyone has their own definition. While some say it consists mostly of plants but can include some animal products, some say it should include no animal products whatsoever. Others go further to define that this dietary approach avoids processed foods. There is no exact definition for this new trendy term. In nutrition studies, other terms are used to describe types of diets such as vegan, ovo-lacto vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian, raw diet and so on. But it doesn't really matter what exact definition everyone uses in this case, I think we can all agree that this dietary approach focuses on plants over animals. It's not so much about what you don't eat but more about what you do eat.

We have learned a lot over the years about the unhealthy eating patterns of Americans and the costs to their health. Cardiovascular disease remains the world