When you hear “plant-based diet” it’s easy to instantly envision a hipster eating their kale salad and drinking kombucha. While this is a completely possible scenario, the plant-based diet is one that can fit into any type of person’s life and allow for a variety of eating patterns. From the yogi to working mom to a bodybuilder, there’s always a way to eat plant-based for any lifestyle and taste buds. Who knows, you might even find your perfect plant-based niche.
Junk Food Vegan
Basically, those who follow this diet just don’t eat meat, dairy, eggs, or any animal product; that’s their only goal when they munch. They will, of course, eat fruits and vegetables, but the Junk Food Vegan also wouldn’t bat an eye at “indulging” in donuts, non-dairy Ben & Jerry’s, vegan mac and cheese and Veggie Grill nachos. Oh, and don’t think they would pass up on that pack of Oreos. As long as they’re not contributing to animal cruelty, they eat whatever the heck they want!
Whole Foods Plant Based
In stark contrast to its predecessor, a whole food plant-based diet is everything the junk food vegan diet is not. It’s centered around whole foods (i.e. fruits, vegetables, whole starches, whole grains, nuts, legumes etc.) while omitting processed foods from the agenda. This health-conscious diet features smoothies, salads, buddah bowls, and oat-pancakes decked in fruit.
High Carb Low Fat
This diet, most often referred to as HCLF, made a massive wave around the vegan social media scene in previous years, but the playing field of types of vegan diets has since leveled out. However, this diet is based around (you guessed it) carbs and the notion that your body runs best when the majority of your calories are from carbohydrates! Those who follow the HCLF diet either follow it in terms of all whole foods or can dive into the more processed types of carbs like pasta, bread, and pancakes. But hey, everything in moderation, right? Well, except for carbs.
Whole Starch Low Fat
This diet, WSLF, is trail blazed by two vegan bloggers/YouTubers, Alex and Kristin, better known as Mr. and Mrs. Vegan. The idea behind WSLF is a mix of HCLF and Dr. John McDougall’s book and recommended diet “The Starch Solution.” Staple foods within the WSLF diet are brown rice, oats, potatoes, beans, squash, leafy greens, vegetables, and fruits; the main focus, though, is on whole grains, starchy vegetables and legumes. These complex carbs are the basis of the diet as they keep you full and satisfied. Add in the colorful fruits and veggies and you’ve got it down!
Raw
This is a top-tier level of the plant-based diet. Often times, this can be a subset of HCLF; however, raw diets can also be high in fats as well. Either way, those eating a raw diet do just as you might expect — stick to raw forms of foods! Smoothies, salads, zoodles, cashew cheeses, and raw cheesecakes are just some of the options on a raw diet. If you like raw fruits, veggies, and nuts, the raw vegan diet just might be your calling.
Raw Till 4
A mashup of the raw diet and HCLF, Raw Till 4 literally means you eat a raw diet of fruits and veggies mostly until four p.m. After four, dinner time, in other words, you can eat cooked foods. YouTuber Freelee the Banana Girl is the face of Raw Till 4, promoting that the diet should be overall carb-based. Breakfast and lunch are based mainly on fruits like bananas, dates, and mangos, while the cooked foods should include rice, potatoes, and vegetables. One main appeal of the Raw Till 4 diet is good digestion from tons of fiber as well as proper consumption order of raw and cooked foods. Second, Raw Till 4 promotes a volume dense and high-calorie diet, which many people like in order to feel satiated.
Fruitarian
A lot like the raw diet, fruitarians eat a diet of mostly raw fruits, with moderate amounts of leafy greens or vegetables and low amounts of fats from avocados, seeds and nuts. This diet focuses on food combining in order to optimize digestion, as well as highlights the minimal food preparation needed to eat. The fruitarian diet is based upon the idea that humans, like apes, are frugivores, meaning our bodies run best on a high-fruit diet. Summertime-me is so here for this.
Paleo
Against any pre-conceived ideas some might have, there is such thing as a paleo-vegan diet. The paleo diet calls for high fat, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates (the HCLF followers are shaking). While it normally promotes animal fats and proteins, dairy is already a no-go and a simple switch to the plant-based counterparts will seal the deal. Grains, legumes, salt, refined sugar, and oils are also to be avoided; however, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, and roots are up for grabs. At first this might sound restricted, but as always, getting creative in the kitchen with fun recipes can sometimes do the trick!
Get-Off-My-Back-I’m-Just-Eating
Okay, I’ll admit two things. First, I made this name up. Second, it just isn’t possible to label every way people eat plant-based because sometimes you just want hash browns and vegan sausages for breakfast, a smoothie for lunch, and then dairy-free ice cream for dinner because look man, it’s been a rough week. Not everyone wants to plan their food schedule, eat raw fruits all day, or give up their sacred tofu scramble and pancake brunch. If the previous set of diets deterred you from adopting a plant-based diet, don’t let it. An abundance of fruits, vegetables, grains, and vegan junk food is all fair game in the world of plant-based eating. Throw yourself head first into one of the diets or dabble in them all; at the least, now you’re aware of the variety that can be found within one overall diet!