VEGAN VS VEGETARIAN VS FLEXITARIAN VS PLANT BASED. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

More and more of us are turning to a flexitarian, vegetarian or vegan diet for the well documented benefits these types of more plant-based diets can have.

Vegans eat no animal products at all, which means no eggs, no dairy and nothing that uses any part of an animal (an example is gelatin).

Vegetarians do not eat meat, including poultry or fish, but they do eat animal products such as eggs, cheese and honey.

And flexitarians are semi-vegetarian, meaning their diet is largely plant-based but occasionally includes meat.

More than a fifth of people in the UK (23%) believe a meatless diet is the healthier option, according to YouGov.

The organization also found that more than a third of consumers – 37% - are actively trying to reduce their meat and/or dairy consumption. Are you?

Whatever your dietary preferences, or your reasons for adopting a plant-based diet, whether that be for health, environmental or animal welfare reasons (or a combination), the benefits are far reaching. We applaud everyone who is simply trying to do a better job of eating less meat and dairy and getting more plants in their diet.

Here are just a few good reasons why you should choose to eat more plants:

• Boosts your immune system
• Reduces inflammation
• Helps maintain a healthy weight
• Increases fibre intake
• Reduces mortality risk - for example, according to a 2019 study published in the Journal of the @american_heart, progressively increasing the intake of plant-based foods by reducing the intake of animal foods is associated with benefits on cardiovascular health and mortality risk.
• Reduce the impacts of climate change - In a 2019 report in the Lancet, researchers found that food production is responsible for up to 30% of total greenhouse gas emissions, with animal products accounting for the vast majority—about three-quarters—of these effects. The report states that projections for the future show that “vegan and vegetarian diets were associated with the greatest reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions.”

And in case you were wondering, here’s a handy chart that shows the difference between vegan, plant based and whole food plant-based approaches too.

Plant Based Diet vs Vegan

1️. “PLANT-BASED” - refers to a diet that solely or primarily consists of plant foods. A whole-foods, plant-based diet also excludes oils and processed packaged foods.

2️. “VEGAN” - indicates that animals are excluded from the diet, products, and lifestyle decisions.

Being plant-based and vegan can go hand-in-hand. Some people may start out as one and adopt the intentions or ideas of the other approach, applying ethical, health, and environmental considerations to their lifestyle as a whole.

Many people are choosing to reduce or eliminate the number of animal products they consume. While some people choose not to label their dietary choices, others consider themselves plant-based or vegan.

While these two terms are fundamentally different, they share similarities.

Products for all

At Bodyhero, we believe that reducing meat and dairy intake is the future, as this has both positive environmental and health benefits, but we don’t judge. Ultimately the way we see it, every plant-based meal or snack that is consumed is a step in the right direction for the health of our population and our planet. We’re just happy to do our bit in providing some super healthy and tasty plant-based options to make life easier for you to eat a more varied plant-based diet!

No matter what your dietary preferences, Bodyhero products can help you achieve your goals.

All our plant based (Vegan) products are high in protein with a consistent 20G of protein in each serving across the range. They are also high in fibre, low in sugar and planet friendly. Each product in our range is also Registered by The Vegan Society (the international standard for authentic vegan products), meaning you can have instant piece of mind that our products are free from animal ingredients and animal testing, without having to read the ingredients.

What's more, we will plant 1 tree per order received on our website, in partnership with Ecologi and The Eden Reforestation Projects, as part of our pledge to be a force for good in nature.

So, whatever your preference – eating more plants is the future.