What does a mostly plant based diet look like?

I’ve been eating a mostly plant based diet for about three years. I go through phases of eating only plant based foods for weeks or sometimes months at a time. Then occasionally I will eat animal products. Very rarely do I eat meat or dairy products. I occasionally enjoy fish and other seafood and I will also eat eggs from time to time. The majority of my diet comes from plants. I put plants at center stage in almost all of my meals and I absolutely love it.

Click here to read more about the unexpected positives that came along with changing my diet.

For those who are wondering why I don’t go fully 100% plant based, there are a couple of reasons for that. They are as follows;

*The most beautiful and delicious Avocado toast ever – Taken in a restaurant in Cusco, Peru*.

It makes finding your next meal less stressful while travelling.

Food is a huge part of culture, so for me it’s also a big part of travelling. One of the best parts of visiting new places is the opportunity to discover new flavors by trying the local cuisine.

Unfortunately some countries and cultures don’t have much available in terms of 100% plant based foods. There are many cuisines that tend to be centered around animal products.

I also like to be respectful of other cultures, so sometimes feel it’s inappropriate to ask if a meal is ‘suitable for vegans’. This isn’t always the case, but I think it is important to be mindful of the people that are serving you and their culture when you are a guest in their country. Sometimes there is also a language barrier, which makes asking about the contents of a meal very difficult.

I have accepted all the above as part of the travelling experience. Having a mindset of acceptance and self-forgiveness makes travelling much less stressful when it comes to food. I take comfort in knowing that the majority of the choices I make around food do fit with my values whenever possible.

It helps take away the stress of accidentally eating animal products if I were to go ‘vegan’.

One of my favourite Thai curries – Massaman, contains shrimp paste. I didn’t actually know this until recently. I had been ordering it in restaurants thinking it was suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Since I allow myself a little bit of breathing space, it doesn’t upset me when I make mistakes like this. I tried to be fully vegan a couple of years ago and would get upset when items like crackers would contain milk powder. It still annoys me that there is milk in products when there is absolutely no need for it, but if I buy these products accidentally, I forgive myself and move on with my life.

It makes eating out with friends and family so much easier.

I love going out for dinner, but I’m not always in control of where we go to eat. A friend or family member may choose the restaurant and if there are no plant based options, that’s fine. I will allow myself some flexibility around eating plant based to be sociable without making things awkward. In situations like this I will always aim to choose something that is at least vegetarian. If it happens to contain cheese for example, then no worries.

Most of my friends do not eat the way that I do, which makes it particularly difficult to always guarantee there will be something plant based on the menu. I also don’t want to put any pressure on people who cook meals for me at dinner parties or family homes when I visit. I could never tell someone that I can’t eat the food they have made for me because it contains, for example, Worcester sauce (which contains anchovies).

*Vegetarian Thali at Kutis Brasserie, Southampton.*

We need B12 in our diet.

B12 is really important, because if you don’t get enough and become deficient, it can cause anemia and nervous system damage. The most abundant B12 source is animal products. A lot of plant based foods are fortified with vitamin B12, such as Marmite and nutritional yeast.

There are also a number of plant based foods that, according to recent studies, may contain significant amounts of B12. These include Tempeh, certain forms of algae, some types of seaweed and some types of mushrooms. However, there is not yet enough science to support this and there is some evidence to suggest that it may not be active B12. This means our bodies wouldn’t be able to use it. It will be super interesting to see how these studies progress over time, as this could be groundbreaking for many people who do follow a strict 100% plant based diet.

I am not particularly keen on taking vitamin supplements. Something feels unnatural about getting an essential vitamin from a supplement if we can obtain it through our diet. Since the best source of B12 is animal products, I do still see an argument there that suggests being 100% plant based isn’t entirely natural to humans. We are omnivores after all. A really important fact though, is that our bodies can store B12 for between 3 and 5 years. You absolutely do not need to eat animal products every day to get enough B12. This is why I believe adopting a diet that is between 95% and 99% plant based is absolutely fine, when it comes to getting enough B12. There are a small number of people who cannot absorb B12 from food at all. They are exceptional cases and will receive treatment as advised by a doctor.

*‘Vegan Tonkotsu Ramen’ from Hakata Ramen, Bermondsey, London.*

I like supporting good farming practices.

Even though I am not ‘Vegan’, I care deeply about animal welfare. I never ever support farms that use intensive methods. Unfortunately, we live in a world where we eat far too much meat and dairy, particularly in the UK, across Europe and in the USA.

The USA in particular will often put meat at centre stage and the portion sizes are gigantic! We’ve all seen TV shows like ‘Man Vs Food’ where they head to ‘smokehouse’ restaurants, and are served up steaks bigger than their head. This is EXACTLY what is wrong with the meat industry. It is not OK, or healthy to eat this much meat, ever. Due to the huge demand for meat in America and other western countries, we have the disgraceful intensive farming industry. This is where animals are crammed into small, unsanitary spaces and ‘grown’ as if they were crops, only to be slaughtered in bulk for our greedy western nations. It’s also the shipping of live animals, often to other countries to be slaughtered that sickens me and breaks my heart. I am 100% against this in every way.

If I do ever choose to buy meat, which is rarely, it is always free-range and/or organic at the least. I always try to buy from a local butcher or farm shop, not the supermarket. This way I know that I am supporting local farms that care for their animals all the way up until their final hours of life. In the UK we are very lucky to have some of the best farming practices in the world. I’m super proud of my country for this. Click here to learn more about where you can buy better meat and dairy in the UK.

There are now a growing number of farmers turning their backs on intensive farming and instead looking to regenerative methods, which help to restore soil health and bring back biodiversity. Regenerative farming is sustainable and it can even help in the fight against climate change. By restoring soil health, you are essentially taking Carbon dioxide out of the air and putting it into the soil. You can read more about that via some of the sources I have included at the end of this post. I like to support farms that work with nature, and one way to support them is by purchasing their products. I’m planning on writing a whole post about regenerative, organic and proper free-range farming later on. Look out for that if you’re interested.

So what does a mostly whole foods plant based diet look like?

In a nutshell, when you eat a whole foods plant based diet, you’re putting whole plant foods at centre stage. Your diet will be mostly made up of fresh fruits and vegetables along with legumes, nuts and seeds and grains and they will be as unprocessed as possible, in other words, as close to their whole form as possible. Eating minimally processed foods maximises the nutritional value of your food and also helps you to eliminate additives and preservatives.

As I previously mentioned, my diet is mostly plant based, which means that although most of the food I eat comes from plants, I do also occasionally eat animal products. I found myself recently contemplating what this actually means and how you could calculate a diet that was mostly plants by percentage of calories. Below I have outlined what it actually looks like to eat a 95% plant based diet. I think you may be surprised at how many animal products that actually allows! I’ve discovered that I actually eat closer to 98-99% plants, even though I often tell people I eat a 95% plant based diet.

The aim of this is to show you how easy it is to reduce the amount of animal products you eat. Eating between 95-99% plants may sound extreme to many meat lovers out there. It’s actually not as restrictive as you may think. In fact I find that eating this way has significantly increased the variety of foods I eat. Ultimately the goal is to eat 100% plant based as much as you possibly can, however using the 95-99% approach, allows more flexibility, making it easier, particularly for those new to the idea of a plant based diet. I really believe that anyone can do this.

Using myself as an example:

I eat about 1800 calories a day. This is all I need in order to maintain my weight. (If it helps, I am 5ft 7” tall and I weigh about 9st 10 pounds). This will be different for everyone, so you will need to adjust the numbers shown below to suit you. Note that if you need / eat more calories than me, the amount of animal products ‘allowed’ will also be more. Bear this in mind, as you may want to increase or decrease the percentage of calories from animal products depending on your personal calorie goals.

1,800 calories a day = 54,000 calories a month (30 days):

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1% animal products = 540 calories a month = Approx 120 calories a week

2% animal products = 1080 calories a month = Approx 240 calories a week

5% animal products = 2,700 calories a month = Approx 642 calories a week

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99% plant based diet = 53,460 calories a month from plants

98% plant based diet = 52,920 calories a month from plants

95% plant based diet = 51,300 calories a month from plants

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If you eat a 95% plant based diet with 5% coming from animal products, a typical month could look like this:

Week 1 – One meal including one (140g) fillet of cod (approx 100 calories). One meal including two (60g) servings of Halloumi (approx 188 calories). One meal including one (125g) chicken breast (approx 130 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 2 – One meal including two medium eggs (approx 132 calories). One meal including a portion (225g) of Lamb Shoulder (approx 599 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 3 – One meal including one (250g) beef steak (approx 634 calories). One meal including two servings (60g) of mozzarella cheese (approx 142 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 4 – One meal including one (120g) fillet of Salmon (approx 188 calories). One meal including a serving (30g) of cheddar cheese (approx 114 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 5 – One meal including two servings (60g) of halloumi cheese (approx 188 calories). One meal including a fillet (120g) Salmon (approx 188 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Aim: Max 2,700 calories from animals – Total: 2,603 calories from animals.*

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If you eat a 98% plant based diet with 2% coming from animal products, a typical month could look like this:

Week 1 – One meal including one (140g) fillet of cod (approx 100 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 2 – All meals 100% plant based.

Week 3 – One meal including a portion (225g) of Lamb shoulder (approx 599 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 4 – One meal including 2 medium eggs (approx 132 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Week 5 – One meal including one (120g) fillet of salmon (approx 188 calories). All other meals that week will be 100% plant based.

Aim: Max 1080 calories from animals – Total: 1019 calories from animals.*

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*You’re essentially setting yourself a maximum for the amount of animal products you will allow yourself to eat per month. It is OK to be under your calorie goal. The main goal, as mentioned above is to be as close to 100% plant based as possible. You may wish to eat just plant based foods for a whole week or month if you wish.

A couple more things to mention

Some of you who are new to the idea of eating a plant based diet will probably have questions around how healthy it is to significantly reduce your intake of animal products. These are valid questions to have, as unfortunately our modern world doesn’t teach us what real nutritional food looks like. If I think back to what I was taught in school about nutrition it is almost the complete opposite of the truth! It’s no wonder then that so many of us are confused! I’ve added a quick FAQ below. These are questions that I’ve personally been asked when talking about diet with friends, colleagues and family members.

Where do you get your protein?

News flash – you actually don’t need to eat any meat at all to get enough protein in your diet. Meat is an excellent source of complete protein, but there are also many plant based alternatives (I’m not talking about fake meats here). A complete protein is one that contains all nine of the essential amino acids necessary in a human diet. While all animal products contain these, so does Quinoa and Tofu. All plants contain some forms of protein. When you eat a varied wholefoods plant based diet, you will be getting more than enough protein. Other excellent sources of plant based protein, although they are not ‘complete’ proteins, are beans, peas, nuts and seeds. If you eat a variety of different types, you will get all your essential amino acids.

But don’t you need milk for calcium?

The short answer is absolutely not. Although humans have consumed dairy products for millennia, we do not need it in our diets. In fact many people are actually lactose intolerant without even knowing it. Those who eat a typical western diet that is particularly rich in meat and dairy are often getting far too much calcium. This can lead to kidney stones and believe it or not, weaker bones! The best sources of calcium are dark green leafy vegetables such as kale and spinach and legumes like chickpeas and beans.

What about Iron?

Iron is super important because it helps the body make red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. Lack of iron can deplete the amount of red blood cells in the body, causing anemia. It is important to remember that there are two types of iron that we can get from our food – heme iron and non-heme iron. The body absorbs both types at different rates with heme iron being more easily absorbed and non-heme iron. Animal products contain both types of iron, whereas plants only contain non-heme iron. However, non-heme iron is more easily absorbed when vitamin C is also present. With that in mind, some of the best plant based sources of iron are dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale. They contain both iron and vitamin C.

There is also lots of iron in Tofu, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, and some fruits. A diet rich in green vegetables, accompanied by the foods just mentioned will be sufficient in iron without the presence of animal products. If you eat a balanced whole foods plant based diet and are still suffering from anemia, there is probably another underlying health condition at play. You should never take iron supplements without the advice of a qualified health professional. Too much iron can build up in tissues and organs and lead to arthritis, cancer and other serious illnesses if left untreated. The body can’t easily remove excess iron. This puts those who consume large amounts of heme iron at a higher risk of iron related illnesses. All the more reason to reduce your intake of animal products, particularly red meat.

*Photo by Monika Grabkowska on Unsplash*

Don’t fruits contain lots of sugar?

Yes fruits are high in sugar, but with an active lifestyle, sugar will be burned as energy. The sugar in fruit isn’t a problem for those who do not live a sedentary lifestyle. The only sugar you should try and avoid is added sugar, especially the overly processed white kind. Fruits are packed full of antioxidants and flavonoids, which are extremely good for supporting your immune system, healthy skin and a healthy gut. Eat fruits. They are nature’s most perfect dessert. I will also add that it is best to eat more vegetables than fruits overall, but never cut fruits out because of sugar worries (unless advised by a qualified health professional).

Isn’t it bad to eat loads of carbs?

Absolutely not! Carbohydrates are so important given you are eating the good kind. They give our bodies energy to go about our day. The important thing to remember is that there are good and bad carbohydrates. You want to eliminate as many of the bad ones as possible on a whole foods plant based diet. This means little to no white bread, white pasta, white rice, pasty or white sugar. These carbohydrates will turn straight into sugar when you digest them and have little to no nutritional value. Instead focus on eating the good kind of carbohydrates. These are wholemeal and whole grain breads and cereals, whole fruits instead of juices, beans, seeds, nuts, brown and wild rices, quinoa etc.

I’m not a fan of low carb diets. The keto diet can even be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you don’t eat enough carbs, your body will turn to dietary fat for energy instead. If you don’t eat carbs you instead have to eat a high fat diet and this can lead to problems when you want to return to eating carbs again. Many people may find they lose weight on a keto diet, only to gain it all back when they start eating carbs again. This is essentially because their body essentially forgets how to use carbs for energy temporarily.

There is even evidence to suggest that even those with diabetes can enjoy the good kind of carbs if they also take part in daily exercise. I am not a qualified nutritionist, so please don’t take my word for it, but I have put some resources below, where you can find out more about carbs and diabetes if you’re interested.

Will I need to take supplements?

It depends on whether you’re going 100% plant based or aiming for between 95-99% plants. The only supplement you might need to consider taking is vitamin B12. This is only if you are eating no animal products at all. If you eat between 95-99% plants with 5-1% of your diet coming from animal products you will be getting more than enough B12 in your diet. There is some evidence that you can get some B12 from plant based sources – mentioned towards the top of this post. It is also possible to get B12 from food grown in healthy soil, in other words, organically grown produce. However, this unfortunately cannot be guaranteed in our modern world, where soil depletion is common. So it is probably worth taking a B12 supplement if you are 100% plant based to be safe.

I hope this has helped to clarify what it means to eat a 95-99% wholefoods plant based diet when based on calories. I can almost guarantee that by including more fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet, along with beans, nuts, seeds and grains, your health will significantly improve. Eating less meat allows more room for more variety, more balance, and more abundance in your diet. You will feel your body thanking you every day.

You’ll also have the added bonus of reducing your carbon footprint as well as playing a part in reducing the demand for meat. You’ll be able to afford to buy better quality meat from good farms when you do choose to have it less frequently. Doing so will help local farmers who look after their animals and their land. I hope it feels easier and less daunting for you to try this out for yourself.

I wish you health and happiness going forward on your plant based journey.

Click here to see 7 essential resources that I recommend for plant based living.

Have a beautiful day.