16A GENTLE RAIN ON
THE PLANT-BASED PARADE
A
bout 39 percent of Americans are trying to eat more plant-
based foods. That’s according to a 2018 Nielsen survey
and is rather impressive, I must say. A diet that is entirely
plant based, also known as vegan, is made up of fruits, vege-
tables, grains, nuts, legumes, plant-based oils, herbs, spices,
water, beer, and wine—you get the picture. Not allowed is any-
thing involving animals in any way in the making of the food.
The list is long, but most obviously, this means no cheese, milk,
butter, meat, or fish. Depending on one’s philosophy as a vegan,
it might also include honey. (By comparison, vegetarian means
not eating animals directly, so no meat or fish, but ingredients
derived from animals, like milk and cheese, are fine.) But the
plant-based movement, like many social movements, has got-
ten a little ahead of its skis in one crucial respect: nutrition.
Although better than animal-based foods as far as respect-
ing the environment, animals themselves, and various cultural
and religious sensitivities, plant-based foods are not automat-
ically healthier. Being a conscious eater relies on a nuanced
assessment of what you’re putting in your body. Beware magic
bullet mentality and treat plant-based substitutes—the milks,
the cheeses, the burger patties, the yogurts, the cold cuts, the
coconut macaroons—with subtle skepticism. It’s absolutely
possible to eat a vegan diet that is as healthy as or even health-
ier than an omnivorous diet. But it’s equally possible to eat a
really crummy vegan diet. Look out for these things before
jumping aboard the plant-based bandwagon:Stuff that Comes from the Ground 59