plant-based

When we started in the many farmer’s markets around metropolitan Atlanta, we asked folks what sort of milk they drink at home.

People chose almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, and so many more options. When people drank dairy milk from cows, they tended to avert their gaze as if in shame. Of course, so long as you are telling the truth, only the devil is shamed. The fact is, though, that people of various diets are turning away from traditional dairy milk. In fact, the dairy industry is shrinking rapidly.

While the quintessential plant-based milk has been soy milk, anecdotal evidence shows that people are choosing from the myriad other options available.

“Plant-Based” living is predicated on relying on plants for survival. It’s not exactly a synonym for “vegan,” an abstention from animal products. Some people in the plant-based lifestyle identify as plant-based but not vegan, vegan but not plant-based or identify with both. Veganism is associated with abstaining from foods with meat, eggs (including mayonnaise), and dairy (including cheese). Vegans will also avoid wearing leather or engaging with anything that uses products that comes from animals. A Plant-Based lifestyle is far from limiting. When you go plant-based, a world of new recipes opens up like fried cauliflower instead of fried chicken, yummy eggplant bacon marinated in rich flavors or alternatives like cashew cheese.

These days, there are alternatives for everything: sausage, sour cream, and even eggs from mung beans that taste like the real deal. When thinking of plant-based living, there is no use in ruminating on all the foods that cannot be consumed. Those animal-based foods are obsolete! Instead, there’s a wide world of fruits, beans, vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, grains, seeds and herbs provided for you.

Plant-Based living can be very nutritious. While B12 tends to only be found in large quantities of some mushrooms, nutritional yeast or animal-based foods, protein is found plenty in lots of beans, grains and veggies. In fact, most Americans consume far too much protein. Plant-Based living, if done responsibly, can be more nutritious than any other lifestyle.

Some religions ask believers to avoid animal-based foods that do not meet certain guidelines. Vegan foods that have are not contaminated by bugs are usually kosher in the Jewish religion. Specifically, vegan foods are usually pareve: neutral and acceptable for kosher diets. Halal foods are permissible in Muslim diets. That includes most vegan foods without alcohol.

While vegetarians often eat plant-based foods, they don’t necessarily live a plant-based lifestyle because they may consume eggs or dairy.

Flexitarians are folks that are mostly eat plant-based but aren’t 100% strict. The co-op loves flexitarians!

Freegans are folks that eat plant-based unless animal-based foods are free. They don’t want to see anything wasted, but they don’t create a demand for animal products.

Pescetarians can eat dairy and eggs like vegetarians but also choose to eat fish.