The evidence supporting a shift towards a plant-centric diet is mounting, with prominent health authorities and organizations endorsing the benefits of a more plant-based lifestyle. Renowned entities such as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Institute of Cancer Research, and major healthcare providers like Kaiser Permanente have all advocated for increased consumption of plant-based foods. The urgency of this dietary shift is further underscored by the realities of climate change, with environmental experts advocating for a reduction in animal product consumption to promote more sustainable land and water use.

A pivotal moment occurred in January 2019 when EAT-Lancet, an international research coalition, published a report advocating for a "Great Food Transformation" to achieve a sustainable and healthy diet globally by 2050. The report's central recommendation was to significantly reduce animal product intake by at least 50% and to double the consumption of plant foods, including vegetables, legumes, fruits, and nuts. This dietary overhaul, they argued, could potentially prevent approximately 11 million deaths. While the report faced criticism for its perceived impracticality, it has significantly influenced food policy discourse.

The message is resonating with Americans, as indicated by a January 2023 report showing that 68% of Americans have tried plant-based meat or dairy alternatives. The food industry has responded by offering a growing array of options, with Mintel reporting a 268% increase in new plant-based food products in supermarkets between 2012 and 2018. Virtually every animal-based product now has a plant-based counterpart, with plant-based milks and cheeses becoming commonplace in dairy sections and vegetarian options proliferating in prepared food and freezer aisles. The restaurant industry has also embraced this trend, expanding their menus to include more meatless and vegan options, from fast-food plant-based burgers to upscale restaurants offering vegetarian tasting menus. Celebrities across various fields, from Beyoncé and Billie Eilish to Woody Harrelson and Tom Brady, have also endorsed plant-focused diets, making them increasingly fashionable.

However, what constitutes plant-based eating? Fortunately, the definition is broad enough to encompass a variety of dietary approaches. Approximately 16 million people in the United States identify as vegetarians, abstaining from meat, fish, and poultry but including eggs and dairy. Around 1 million are vegan, consuming only plant-based foods and completely avoiding animal products. Then there are "flexitarians" or "semi-vegetarians," who primarily follow a vegetarian diet but occasionally include meat or fish. Estimates suggest that about one-third of the population may already be adopting this eating pattern.

Many have embraced the concept of going meatless at least one day a week, as evidenced by the global success of the Meatless Monday campaign. The flexitarian approach offers a more accessible alternative to full vegetarianism or veganism, with flexitarians being more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and fiber, and thus experiencing health benefits such as maintaining a healthy weight and reducing the risk of diabetes and hypertension. Interestingly, a flexitarian diet aligns with the dietary recommendations that dietitians, nutrition researchers, and public health advocates have been promoting for years. The 2020 U.S. Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Report highlights dietary patterns associated with positive health outcomes, which include higher intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, low- or nonfat dairy, lean meats and poultry, seafood, nuts, and unsaturated vegetable oils, and lower consumption of red and processed meats, sugar-sweetened foods and drinks, and refined grains. Committing to a plant-forward diet, regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, is beneficial for health, as it has been linked to a reduced risk of diet-related conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Moreover, plant-rich eating patterns are associated with a longer lifespan and improved cognitive function. These health benefits are not surprising, given that many plants are nutritional powerhouses, providing essential nutrients that Americans often lack, such as folate, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, C, and E. Plant-based diets can also provide ample high-quality protein, a crucial consideration in our protein-centric era.

While vegetarians were once advised to combine plant-based protein sources like rice and beans to ensure complete protein intake, nutrition experts now assert that a varied diet throughout the day will easily meet protein requirements. Although the plant-forward diet may seem trendy, it is, in fact, a return to traditional eating patterns that have been enjoyed for millennia. Consider the Mediterranean diet, centered around whole grains, vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and healthy oils, with occasional inclusion of eggs, cheese, and seafood, and only small amounts of meat. Numerous studies have confirmed the Mediterranean diet as one of the healthiest in the world, associated with lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and even Alzheimer's disease. Similarly, traditional diets across Asia, though diverse, share common, health-promoting elements. Daily meals in countries from India to Japan to China to Indonesia are based on rice and an abundance of vegetables, legumes, soy products, whole grains, fish, herbs, and spices, with dairy foods often fermented to add probiotics.

Vegetarian diets are widely practiced, often rooted in religious beliefs, and meat, when consumed, is typically a minor component of a dish. Traditional African cuisine also revolves around plant foods, with vegetables, especially leafy greens, being staples, along with tubers like cassava and sweet potatoes, whole grains, legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Fish, poultry, and meat are enjoyed in small quantities. Latin culinary traditions, from Mexico to South America to Cuba and Puerto Rico, are also primarily plant-based, with corn, beans, rice, whole grains, and tubers like cassava and yams as daily staples, accompanied by chiles, pumpkin, tomatoes, avocados, and tropical fruits. With such a variety of delicious produce, meat does not need to be the star. The Brazilian feijoada, a hearty black-bean stew flavored with pork, is a prime example. Compared to other Americans, flexitarians are more likely to meet the recommended daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and fiber. A compelling argument for increasing plant consumption is its significant environmental benefits. Much of the country's meat and poultry production requires extensive land and water resources and contributes substantially to the carbon footprint. Replacing meat with a plant-based alternative even once a week, such as having rice and beans for dinner in the spirit of Meatless Monday, can make a substantial difference. This approach also results in less animal waste and reduced use of antibiotics in the food supply, as many animals raised on industrial farms are routinely fed antibiotics. Therefore, whether you identify as vegetarian, flexitarian, or "plant-positive," committing to a diet rich in plants is an achievable and enjoyable change that has never been more convenient.