WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A PLANT-BASED DIET?

A whole-food, plant based diet is focused on unrefined, whole plants and products. . It is a diet based on fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. There is little or no animal based products consumed in this specific diet, and excludes any refined products like added sugars, white flour, and processed oil. The whole diet is surrounded by the idea of using local and fresh produces and gives dieters a better attention towards food quality and quality of ingredients.

This diet is very similar to between a vegan and vegetarian diet. The flexibility of the diet allows consumers to choose from a wide range of food categories. People are suppose to eat mostly plant, but they are also allowed to include small amounts of animal products (including meat).

3 HEALTH BENEFITS AND MORAL/ETHNIC VALUES

Through a plant-based diet, it can reduce consumers risk of getting heart disease. Though this diet is well known to to be “heart-healthy”, it is important to use good quality produces for the benefit to come. Thanks to the healthy vitamin and nutrients included in most plant-based diets, consumers have a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease than someone who follows a on plant-based diet. Refined sugar and grains are factors that increase the risk of heart diseases, which plant-based dieters do not consume.

This diet also helps reduce the risk of developing diabetes. It is proven that plant based diets helps improve the blood sugar level in the human body. In a study more than 200,000 people who followed this diet had 34% lower chance of developing diabetes than those who eat unhealthy, non plant-based diets.

The plant-based diet can also help people maintain and lose weight. This diet is one of the key components when it comes to losing weight. The high fiber content of this type of diet, with the reduction of processed food, helps decrease and eliminate any excess fat and pounds. Not only does it help with weight loss, but it also helps with maintaining it on the long run. With a strict no processed food policy in this diet, it is weight loss helper.

Following this diet not only helps improve your own body, but the environment and world we live in today. With a regular diet based on plants, it helps reduce the carbon footprint human leaves on earth. With less consumption of meat, it helps lower the agriculture/farming of live animals who produces a lot of carbon, especially cows. Adopting this diet can also help reduce greenhouse gas emission, water consumption and usage, which all contribute to the global warming our planet faces today. Also, by buying local ingredients and produces helps the local economy and farms thrive and reduces the reliance most of  have on factoring farming, which is a big contributor to waste and gas emission.

CAN YOU SEE YOURSELF INCORPORATING PLANT-BASED FOODS IN YOUR MENUS?

The answer simple. Yes I do. People are now more aware of their health and of what they eat. They want fresh produces with the healthiest and flavorful dish. I myself like vegetables but only cooked in a certain way, such as grilling. Many people think of refreshment and cleanness when it comes to plants and vegetable. I want to create dishes that give the maximum flavor of the plant product but also taste good and palatable even to a meat eater like myself. I want my restaurant to have a diversity of different vegetables made in a Korean style that is healthy and tastes delicious.

PERSONAL DISH CREATED

Today I made a simple guacamole avocado toast. I feel like this dish is somethin anyone can eat woth ease. With such rich flavour, healthy and clean ingrediants, the avocado toast is a good meal that shold be included in everyones plant-based diet.

RECIPE

2 ripe avocados

1 green onion, sliced into little pieces

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped into brunoise

10g dried almond, roughly chopped

5g dried cranberry

1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

1 tablespoon of fresh lime or lemon juice

1 slice of whole wheat bread

METHOD

• Take out the seed from the avocado by cutting in half and use the bottom of your knife and twist it out
• Add the avocado without the skin in a bowl and add all the ingredients shown above. Mix together until fully incorporated into a chunky avocado paste

• Toast bread in toaster for around 3 mins for a crunchy, golden crust
• Add a generous amount of guacamole on top of the bread and spread evenly
• Serve!

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

Making this dish was very easy. As someone who is trying to use only raw and non-processed ingredients, I feel like i did really well. Though I am mostly used to cooking food that has been processed either through the oven or a pan, it was a good experience being able to handle fresh food just as it is. Making up a recipe was kind of hard, because I wanted the guacamole to have color, crunchy texture and a little bit of sweet taste and I think I have achieved my goal. I wanted to make a “cooking-friendly” dish, something easy to make for those who are struggling in the kitchen but want to make healthy food for themselves. Next time, I might add a little bit of hot chili to add some kick and intense flavor to it and some extra virgin olive oil to give it a better mouthfeel and texture.