Ideally you are starting with a diet that is already well-rounded and focused on whole foods, then reducing/eliminating meat consumption and replacing animal based proteins with plant-based alternatives. The unfortunate side effect of a plant-based diet being a fad right now is that many people skip this part and move right to just cutting out meat and dairy.

With the surge of popularity of plant-based diets has also come the increase in plant-based marketing. Walking around the grocery store, you’ll find “plant based” whole wheat pasta, donuts, and chips - all foods that are generally free of animal products anyway, and foods that don’t become automatically healthy just because of a plant-based label.

The goal of a plant-based diet is to focus on filling your diet with whole plant-based foods: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. Plant-based doesn’t necessarily mean vegan, as a plant-based diet may contain occasional meat or dairy.