Why Eat Whole Plants?

Most people don’t need to pay much attention to calories in the way that other weight-loss programs advise. Because whole food, plant-based nutrition is about more than weight, we try to keep things simple. When you eat a diet rich with whole plant foods, without added fats from oils, the main thing to keep an eye on is the quantity of high-fat plant foods you’re eating. Those are avocados, nuts, seeds, and especially coconut-based foods. We suggest minimizing coconut foods altogether because coconut has the highest amount of saturated fat of all the plant foods. Avocados, nuts, and seeds are nutritious, but overdoing them can get in the way of weight-loss goals and may keep certain markers of cardiovascular disease elevated.

The short answer is that each person may need a slightly different breakdown of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. But a whole food, plant-based diet is generally high in carbs (the good ones). We suggest that you transition to a low-fat plant-based diet and make macronutrient adjustments from there, based on how your health goals change with better nutrition.

Getting the calcium you need to support bone health is possible with a plant-based lifestyle. By replacing dairy with greens, beans, and vegetables, you can meet your daily calcium requirements, and calcium-fortified foods or supplements can sometimes help make up the difference. Many people believe that dairy is the best source of calcium, but the evidence shows that countries with high dairy intake often have the highest rate of long bone fractures. Green leafy vegetables, fortified plant milks, whole sesame seeds, almonds, and legumes are all great plant-based sources of calcium.

Learn more about how to get calcium without dairy.

Soybeans are absolutely part of a healthy plant-based diet! Healthy sources of soy are mature soybeans (which look like chickpeas), young soybeans in the pod known as edamame, fermented soy products like tempeh and miso, and minimally processed soybeans like tofu, soy curls, and soy milk. 

Many people believe that soy causes cancer, but this is a myth based on the idea that soy contains a plant form of estrogens called isoflavones. However, research shows that isoflavones fight cancer growth by preventing animal-based estrogens from connecting to cancer cells — so eating soy can actually prevent cancer. This is why East Asian populations eating soy-rich diets traditionally had lower cancer rates than other Western cultures. 

Learn more about the health benefits of soy.

Yes, kids can thrive eating whole plant foods. Just as with adults, we need to construct a healthy plant-based diet for children at different ages. 

The biggest difference between optimal nutrition for kids and adults is that kids need more fat in their diet — but still from whole food sources like nuts and nut butters, avocados, seeds, and soybeans. (Along with chia, hemp, and flaxseeds, soy has some essential omega-3 fats). 

If you have a child going through a picky eating phase, don’t give up. Consider a multivitamin and be persistent in encouraging them to try new flavors, participate in making meals, and help create menus. Go for minimally processed snacks, plenty of fruit and beans, and green smoothies — and plan ahead. Modeling healthy plant-based eating will rub off, even if the struggle feels intense now! 

Learn some tips to transition children to a healthy plant-based diet.