Plant-based Diet

[Michael UK]

Until recently I had described my diet as plant-based, as opposed to being vegan. Because veganism is the whole lifestyle thing, including not wearing leather shoes, etc, and I hadn't reached that stage yet. I only consumed a diet of 100% plants, hence a plant-based diet. Simple enough I thought. but then up pops this article about a chap who has had amazing success losing weight on a plant-based diet which is described as 90% plants and 10% eggs and fish.

Although in other parts of the article it mistakenly refers to a vegan diet, but that's the Daily Mail for you

Man loses half his bodyweight by going vegan

Jacques Robinson, from Warkworth on New Zealand's North Island, suffered daily seizures and debilitating headaches before losing 94 kilos in 18 months by overhauling his lifestyle.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I perhaps should have described myself as having a vegan diet instead. Ironically I had originally described myself as having a plant-based diet so as not to confuse the holistic approach that is veganism.

I have noticed that we do tend to tie ourselves up in knots with various labels.

 

[Nekodaiden]

As I understand it, the term "plant based" was adopted primarily for people in the science fields doing/reporting research to describe basically a vegan diet and isolating it as such without the added confusion that people sometimes attach to what it means to be vegan. Because of the wording chosen, it is sometimes likened to some sort of greater percentage of (chosen substances) rather than 100%. Like one might say " the base of this recipe is fruit" - without it being completely fruit.

The term "plant based" has (more recently) been taken up by certain vegans as a sort of slur for other vegans who may have different motives for abstaining (from animal foods), don't feel the same way/as strongly with regards to certain things (like animal rights, for instance) or any other number of factors. Of course, there are those people who use it as a "percentage type" label as well - which basically makes them omnivores or flexitarians who have merely reduced the amount of animal products in their diet.

"Vegan" - a term coined and defined by Donald Watson - was originally a play on "Vegetarian", but had the added restriction of eggs and dairy, which is common among those who self label vegetarian (although not always). He defined it as a diet. This has of course changed over the years multiple times with different leadership in the UK Vegan Society, but originally it was defined as a diet.

 

[Urban Gardener]

I described myself as, "plant based," in my first post here. Then I read more of the threads and realized it's a loaded term!

Labels tend to be misleading.

I made the decision to give up animal products 28 years ago. It was hard at first, partly because I was 13 and didn't have a lot of control over it. I couldn't do my own shopping, so getting the nutrition right was hard. But it started to work a year later. Since then, I've been, "as close to vegan as possible," ranging from vegan to omnivore but with very little animal products. Mostly, I've been the kind of vegetarian who eats some cheese once a day but is otherwise vegan.

I also make choices like buying clothes second hand and just having a small wardrobe so I'm not supporting the textile industry, reducing waste as much as possible, recycling, buying cruelty-free products, etc.

I don't identify strongly with any one label. For me, the impact of my choices is the point. I don't care about the identity side of it. Labels are just a succinct way to explain things like why I'm turning down meat that someone is offering me. "Thank you so much, but I don't eat meat!"

"Are you a vegetarian? Or vegan?"

"Yes. Somewhere in between."

I just do what I do without talking about it very much.

I think it would be good to have a word for people who eat less meat than the average omnivore but are not vegetarian or vegan.

On the other hand, labels are so divisive! There's gotta be room to, say, choose a vegan meal at a restaurant without having to explain your whole diet to the people you're having dinner with.

I think the real problem is the SAD's unhealthy focus on animal products and the fact that all healthier options are positioned as an antithesis to the norm.