Plant-Forward Diet: The Real Why Behind It

The food you eat will have a direct affect on your overall health and how fast you age.

One of the best ways to slow biological aging and maximize your health is to follow a plant-forward diet.

Below, we’ll explain what plant-forward eating means, outline the core principles of a plant-based diet, and describe the benefits of eating mostly plant-based foods.

We’ll also share practical tips to help you switch to a plant-based diet and highlight common challenges you might face during the transition. Finally, we’ll include a few simple, flavorful recipes you can start using today.

Get ready to change your diet—and doing so, change your life—for the better!

What Does Plant-Forward Mean?

The term “plant forward” refers to any diet that emphasizes plant based foods at the top of the priority list, but does not exclude animal products entirely.

With a plant-forward diet, you will eat primarily vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. However, you may also incorporate some meat, fish, eggs, and dairy foods into your diet.

Plant-Forward vs. Plant-Based

The term “plant forward” describes a slightly different diet than “plant based”.

Plant based means you eat only plants, and no animal products. With plant-forward, you may eat some animal products, but the primary focus will be on eating more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and other natural plant foods.

Why It’s Not Just About Being Vegetarian

The term “plant based” is often used to describe the vegetarian diet plan, but some people find that the vegetarian diet is a bit restrictive and may not provide the nutrients they need.

For example, athletes who require a great deal of protein may struggle to get enough through a plant-based vegetarian diet. The fact that a plant forward diet allows for animal products along with other plant-based foods offers more healthy eating options for meeting nutritional requirements.

What is a Plant Forward Diet? The Two Core Principles

The core principles of a plant-forward diet are very simple:

• Focus on whole, unprocessed foods. Food in its natural state, with no refining or bleaching or processing, is rich in macro and micronutrients and will provide your body with what it needs to function properly.
• Emphasize plant-based protein sources. While animal proteins are permitted on the plant forward diet, the majority of your protein will come from plant-based sources, such as legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

This combination of “mostly plants but with a small amount of animal products” provides the widest range of nutrients in the easiest-to-consume and most bioavailable forms possible.

Health Benefits of a Plant-Forward Diet

Why should you consider following a plant-forward eating plan? What is it about this diet that makes it worth the time and effort required to make the switch?

Let’s break the answers to these questions down in the paragraphs below.

Cardiovascular Benefits: Lowering TMAO Levels

For decades, scientists have been pointing to red meat as one of the primary causes of heart health conditions. Though most of the research has been focused on the high cholesterol and fat content of red meat, some have taken a more oblique approach to looking for other ways that red meat could harm your body.

According to a paper published by the AHA [1]¸ the higher risk of cardiovascular disease caused by red meat consumption may be largely the result of metabolites produced by your gut microbiome as it breaks down and digests meat.

When the bacteria in your gut digests red meat, there is a chemical byproduct produced called trimethylamine N-oxide, or TMAO. This chemical is produced in order for your gut bacteria to be able to digest the high L-carnitine content of the red meat.

Past studies have linked TMAO to Type 2 diabetes, kidney disease, and higher cardiovascular disease risks. However, in this particular study, the researchers examined the levels of TMAO in the blood of its participants to see exactly how it could contribute to a higher risk of heart problems.

After analyzing the blood samples, they found that blood sugar levels tended to be higher following red meat consumption (thanks to TMAO), as well as general inflammation in the body. Blood pressure and cholesterol levels proved far less important to the higher cardiovascular disease risks than high blood sugar and inflammation.

What does this mean? Simple: red meat (with all its saturated fat and cholesterol) itself may not be the problem. The real problem is the way that it affects your body.

Because your body has to produce TMAO to break down the high L-carnitine content of the red meat, the presence of these metabolites increases—and thus can contribute to higher rates of not only CVD, but also diabetes and chronic kidney disease.

Reducing red meat in your diet is a good way to prevent the production of TMAO metabolites, which in turn will reduce risk of heart disease. Adding heart-smart plant-based foods will not only decrease CVD risk further, but actually improve the health of your heart and brain.

Reducing Inflammation and Chronic Diseases

Research [2] proves that plant-forward and plant-based diets both can “influence circulating levels of inflammatory biomarkers, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases”.

Studies into the benefits of eating primarily plant-based foods showed that all biomarkers of inflammation were reduced, even in those with impaired kidney function. The more plants the participants consumed in their diet, the lower their inflammation.

Further research [3] has shown that following plant forward diets rich in plant-based ingredients will lower the risk of chronic disease like diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer. It can combat obesity, which is a predominant contributor to chronic disease, and both aid in weight loss and curb inflammation.

Gut Health and Microbiome Support

Plant based foods are the main source of nutrition for the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut. The fiber found in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, and nuts all act as prebiotics and feed your gut bacteria, encouraging them to flourish.

Research [4] shows that eating more plant-based foods can improve gut microbiome, which will aid in digestion and improve cognitive health. This happens thanks to the brain-gut axis, the two-way communication between your brain and your gut bacteria.

The high antioxidant content of plant-based foods will also curb inflammation in the intestines, increase the production of digestion-critical gut bacteria, and facilitate more effective gut function.

Key Foods to Include in a Plant-Forward Diet

As you saw above, plant-based foods are loaded in antioxidants and micronutrients that will protect your heart against “inflammaging” (inflammation-induced aging) and maintain healthy brain function. They can also improve your gut health and aid in digestion.

It’s clear to see this is a diet worth considering, so now it’s time to ask the question:

Which foods should be the core of your diet?

Nuts and Seeds for Healthy Fats

Nuts and seeds are rich in healthy fatty acids that serve as protectors for your skin and the cells in your brain, organs, and blood vessels.

Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, almonds, cashews, and walnuts are some of the best additions to a plant-forward diet.

Legumes for Protein and Fiber

Legumes like lentils, beans, and chickpeas are all healthy sources of the protein your body needs to build muscle mass, but contain no L-carnitine, and thus won’t trigger the production of TMAO.

They’re also rich in dietary fiber and can feed the bacteria in your gut, encouraging them to flourish and improving digestion overall.

Whole Grains for Energy and Nutrients

Whole grains are an amazing source of energy, as well as fiber (soluble and insoluble), minerals, and even some proteins.

Quinoa, brown rice, barley, millet, spelt, couscous, and buckwheat are all excellent additions to a healthy, plant-forward diet.

Vegetables and Fruits for Antioxidants

Fruits are the best source of antioxidants. Orange fruits contain Vitamin A, blueberries and red plums contain anthocyanins, watermelon contains lycopene, and citrus fruits are loaded with Vitamin C.

You don’t want to eat TOO MUCH fruit, as it’s high in sugar. But 2-3 servings of fruit per day can be an amazing way to get more of the heart-smart, neuroprotective antioxidants that will stave off premature aging.

Vegetables are the bedrock of a healthy diet. The more variety you eat—tubers, roots, cruciferous veggies, sprouts, leafy greens, etc.—the wider range of micro and macronutrients you’ll get.

Veggies are amazing for digestion and provide the dietary fiber that feeds your gut bacteria. The more you can add into your diet, the healthier you will be in the long run.

Tips for Transitioning to a Plant-Forward Diet

Making the change to a plant-forward diet may not be easy. After all, you’re probably accustomed to certain patterns of eating, and animal foods like meat, fish, dairy, and eggs have likely been a staple of your diet for years.

The good news is that you don’t have to totally overhaul your diet overnight. Making small, daily changes starting today will help you to gradually shift to a plant forward eating style that will be much easier to adapt to.

Here are the three simple steps to take today:

Gradually Reduce Red Meat Intake

Start off by making one meal each day a plant-only meatless meal. Switch out one animal protein for legumes and whole grains.

For the other meals when you do eat animal proteins, start scaling back on the amounts you eat. Try increasing your intake of nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains to help you feel full and consume enough protein. Shrink your portions of meat until they’re the smallest portion on your plate.

Easy Plant-Based Swaps

Start looking for ways to swap out animal products for plant-based options.

For example, instead of making cheese noodles with dairy, try cashew cheese. Instead of making your burgers using ground beef, try making it with Beyond Meat or Impossible, or just make yourself a juicy portobello steak burger.

Try eating non-dairy ice cream, avocado oil-based mayonnaise, and vegan protein powders. These swaps are all easy to make and will help you start replacing your animal products with plant based foods.

Meal Planning for a Balanced Diet

Start planning out your plant forward meals ahead of time, even cooking ahead of time if you need to.

Whole grains and legumes often take much longer to cook than animal products, so it’s better to cook them ahead of time so you always have a quick and easy plant-based meal ready to eat when you start getting hungry. Keep cooked or frozen veggies on hand at all times, and always have fruit standing by when you start feeling snacky or getting hungry.

Plan your meals to make sure you’re getting more than enough protein, carbohydrates, and fats from all the plant-based ingredients on your menu. Supplement with animal products as needed, but try your best to get as much as you can from plant based foods first.

Potential Challenges and Solutions

It may not be easy to change your dietary patterns and train your taste buds to enjoy plant based foods as much as you once enjoyed a good steak, a chicken breast, or a ham and cheese sandwich. However, it’s worth making that effort for the sake of maintaining optimal health.

There are a couple of other challenges you may encounter in this new eating plan:

• Nutrient Deficiencies – Animal products contain certain crucial vitamins and minerals (such as Vitamin B12 from red meat or choline in eggs) that are harder to find from plant-based foods. This is where a supplement can come in handy and provide those missing nutrients. However, you’ll find that most micronutrients can be obtained from plant sources, you may just need to eat more of certain foods to ensure you’re getting what your body needs.
• Limited Plant-Based Protein Options – This is a common problem for those who are accustomed to eating meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products as their primary protein source. Most legumes and whole grains contain some protein, but you need to combine them to get all the amino acids required for muscle growth. This often means eating large amounts of rice, quinoa, beans, and lentils. Other high-protein options include soybeans, algae, and plant-based meat alternatives.

However, the beauty of the plant-forward diet vs. plant based is that you can add animal products into your diet when necessary.

Plant Forward Meal Ideas and Recipes to Get Started

Here are three plant forward recipes to help you make healthy choices for your breakfast, lunch, and dinner using predominantly plant-based ingredients:

Breakfast: Oatmeal

Make yourself a delicious breakfast oatmeal using steel-cut whole oats, high-protein hemp milk, creamy cashew milk, a spoonful of chia seeds, and your favorite crushed nuts. Add in some dried fruits (like raisins or cranberries) for a bit of sweetness, and serve topped with cinnamon.

To really dial up the nutrition and yum factor, add a spoonful of your favorite nut butters (almond, peanut, pistachio, etc.).

It’s a carbohydrate- and protein-rich breakfast that will give you energy all day long.

Lunch: Buddha Bowl

Build a rich, hearty vegetarian Buddha Bowl with your choice of salad greens. Include antioxidant-rich microgreens, plus avocado for Omega-3s, roasted chickpeas for flavor and protein, and brown rice or quinoa for carbohydrates and protein.

Add roasted vegetables like Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes, and finish with either an olive oil dressing or a spicy Sriracha dressing made with avocado mayonnaise.

Dial up the protein even further by topping with edamame beans, corn, sesame seeds, and almonds.

Dinner: Chili

Make yourself a pot of hearty chili using onions, garlic, tomatoes, red bell peppers, and the fresh or canned beans of your choice.

Add in some ground beef to get more Vitamin B12, or use mushrooms and Impossible or Beyond Meat to add that meaty umami flavor you love.

Serve over brown rice or quinoa to make it a complete meal.

Embracing the Plant-Forward Lifestyle

Embracing the plant-forward lifestyle may seem like a challenge, and can feel like one at first. But once you try it, you’ll realize it’s nowhere near as hard as you expected.

Unlike vegan recipes or vegetarian diets, the plant-forward meal plan allows you to add some animal based foods if and when your body needs it. But the fact that you’re eating mostly or almost entirely plant based means you’ll curb inflammation, fight cardiovascular disease, and improve digestion.

It’s the definition of a “win-win”!

While eating more plant-based foods is a powerful way to support your health and reduce inflammation, you can take it a step further by actively supporting your body’s natural detoxification pathways.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do vegans get B12?

Vegans get Vitamin B12 from fortified foods like plant-based milks, nutritional yeast or yeast extract, breakfast cereals, and B12-fortified meat substitutes. Tempeh and some algae (such as spirulina) contain small doses of Vitamin B12. A Vitamin B12 supplement is often recommended, however.

Can I eat pasta on a plant forward diet?

Pasta is typically made with eggs and thus isn’t typically included in a vegan diet. With a plant forward diet, however, it’s perfectly acceptable because some animal products are permitted. It’s still worth looking into vegan pasta alternatives made without eggs if you want to curb animal product intake significantly.

What bread is OK on a plant-based diet?

Any bread made without eggs is acceptable for a plant-based diet: ciabatta, baguette, focaccia, sourdough, and pita. However, whole wheat bread is acceptable on a plant-forward diet.

Resources:

What is a plant-based diet and why should you try it?

How does Plant-Forward (Plant-Based) Eating Benefit Your Health?

How to Eat a Plant-Forward Diet

The health benefits of a whole foods, plant-forward diet