Plant-based nutrition is very large and you can be incredibly creative with it. It is not limited to using some lettuce and tomatoes. You can make delicious meals with purely plant-based products, ranging from rich salads, tasty casseroles and mouth-watering desserts. In recent years, the amount of completely vegan restaurants has increased significantly. Almost every restaurant has at least one vegan option to offer to their customers. The amount of people who eat plant-based products is increasing every year. I’m convinced that there will be even more vegan options in the future. For instance, a vegan chip-shop recently opened in Leuven offering delicious fries and numerous vegan snacks such as vegan cheese croquettes, vegan meatballs and vegan fricadelles.

You can eat a completely plant-based diet and consume sufficient proteins. Proteins consist of amino acids. Within these amino acids there are two groups: the non-essential amino acids, which the body can produce, and the essential amino acids, which the body can’t produce and therefore must be obtained from our diet. You can get all the essential amino acids when you combine certain plant-based products in your daily diet, such as legumes and unrefined grain products.

For many people, flexitarianism is more feasible. Due to a greater awareness of the benefits of eating more plant-based food, many people want to eat them regularly. People who grew up with 'a good piece of meat' on the plate are also happy if they can still sometimes eat an animal product. This animal product is physically not necessary but mentally a good way for these people to maintain a more plant-based diet in the long term.

Absolutely! Plenty of studies have shown that a varied plant-based diet can reduce the risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer, Type 2 diabetes and hypertension. This is mainly because people who eat more plant-based food generally consume a large amount of vitamins, minerals and fibers. Fibers ensures quick and long-lasting sense of satiety. Plant-based food also contains no cholesterol and less saturated fats. Unsaturated fats helps us to support a good cholesterol balance.

It is important to consume different types of protein-rich products. Soy proteins and pea proteins will suit better as they contain more essential amino acids. Vegan dairy substitutes such as drinks based on soy or pea proteins and soy yoghurt are ideal. There is also an extensive range of plant-based meat substitutes that contain soy proteins like tofu and tempeh. Meat substitutes based on wheat proteins can also be a part of a complete meal, such as seitan. By combining different sources during the day, you can get different types of amino acids and this can be perfectly complete.