Whole-foods and plant-based diets prioritize plant foods and minimize processed foods and animal products. These diets are associated with several health benefits, such as reduced risk of diabetes and lower body weight.

There are many arguments about which diet is best for you.

Nevertheless, health and wellness communities agree that diets emphasizing fresh, whole ingredients and minimizing processed foods are superior for overall wellness. The whole-foods, plant-based diet does just that.

It focuses on minimally processed foods and prioritizes plants. Studies show that plant-based diets are effective at stimulating weight loss and improving health.

This article reviews what you need to know about the whole-foods, plant-based diet, including its potential health benefits, foods to eat, and a sample meal plan.

There is no clear definition of a whole-foods, plant-based diet (WFPB diet). It is not necessarily a set diet — it’s more of a lifestyle.

This is because plant-based diets can vary greatly depending on the extent to which a person includes animal products in their diet.

Nonetheless, the basic principles of a whole-foods, plant-based diet are as follows:

  • emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods
  • limits or avoids animal products
  • focuses on plants, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, seeds, and nuts, as the majority of your diet
  • limits refined foods, like added sugars, white flour, and processed oils
  • pay special attention to food quality, with many proponents of the WFPB diet promoting locally sourced, organic food whenever possible

For these reasons, this diet is often confused with vegan or vegetarian diets. Although similar in some ways, these diets are not the same.

People who follow vegan diets avoid consuming any animal products, including:

  • dairy
  • meat
  • poultry
  • seafood
  • eggs
  • honey

Vegetarians exclude all meat and poultry from their diets, but some vegetarians eat eggs, seafood, or dairy.

The WFPB diet, on the other hand, is more flexible. Followers eat mostly plants, but animal products aren’t off limits.

While one person following a WFPB diet may eat no animal products, another may eat small amounts of eggs, poultry, seafood, meat, or dairy.

Summary

The whole-foods, plant-based diet emphasizes plant-based foods while minimizing animal products and processed items.

For many people, animal products are the focus of most meals, from eggs and bacon for breakfast to steak for dinner.

When switching to a plant-based diet, center your meals around plant-based foods. If you eat animal foods, only eat them in smaller quantities, paying attention to the quality.

Foods like dairy, eggs, poultry, meat, and seafood are used more as a complement to a plant-based meal and not as the main focal point.

A whole-foods, plant-based shopping list

  • Fruits: berries, citrus fruits, pears, peaches, pineapple, bananas, etc.
  • Vegetables: kale, spinach, tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, peppers, etc.
  • Starchy vegetables: potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, etc.
  • Whole grains: brown rice, rolled oats, farro, quinoa, brown rice pasta, barley, etc.
  • Healthy fats: avocados, olive oil, unsweetened coconut, etc.
  • Legumes: peas, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts, black beans, etc.
  • Seeds, nuts, and nut butters: almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, natural peanut butter, tahini, etc.
  • Unsweetened plant-based milks: coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, etc.
  • Spices, herbs, and seasonings: basil, rosemary, turmeric, curry, black pepper, salt, etc.
  • Condiments: salsa, mustard, nutritional yeast, soy sauce, vinegar, lemon juice, etc.
  • Plant-based protein: tofu, tempeh, plant-based protein sources or powders with no added sugar or artificial ingredients
  • Beverages: coffee, tea, sparkling water, etc.

If supplementing your plant-based diet with animal products, choose quality products from grocery stores or, better yet, purchase them from local farms.

Examples of animal products that can be enjoyed in moderation include:

  • eggs
  • poultry
  • beef
  • pork
  • seafood
  • dairy products

Some people, for environmental reasons or personal preferences, may choose pasture-raised, grass-fed, wild-caught, or organic products when consuming conventional animal products.

Summary

A healthy, WFPB diet will focus on plant foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. If you choose to eat animal products, eat them in smaller quantities compared to plant foods.

The WFPB diet focuses on consuming foods in their most natural form, which excludes heavily processed foods.

When purchasing groceries, focus on fresh foods, and when purchasing foods with a label, aim for items with the fewest possible ingredients.

Foods to avoid

  • Fast food: French fries, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, etc.
  • Added sugars and sweets include table sugar, soda, juice, pastries, cookies, candy, sweet tea, and sugary cereals.
  • Refined grains: white rice, white pasta, white bread, bagels, etc.
  • Packaged and convenience foods: chips, crackers, cereal bars, frozen dinners, etc.
  • Processed vegan-friendly foods: plant-based meats like Tofurkey, faux cheeses, vegan butters, etc.
  • Artificial sweeteners: Equal, Splenda, Sweet’N Low, etc.
  • Processed animal products: bacon, lunch meats, sausage, beef jerky, etc.

Foods to minimize

While healthy animal foods can be included in a WFPB diet, minimize them. These include:

  • beef
  • pork
  • sheep
  • game meats
  • poultry
  • eggs
  • dairy
  • seafood
Summary

When following a WFPB diet, highly processed foods should be avoided and animal products minimized.

Transitioning to a whole-foods, plant-based diet doesn’t have to be challenging.

The following 1-week menu can help set you up for success. It includes a small number of animal products, but you can choose the extent to which you include animal foods in your diet.

Monday

  • Breakfast: oatmeal made with coconut milk topped with berries, coconut, and walnuts
  • Lunch: large salad topped with fresh vegetables, chickpeas, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and goat cheese
  • Dinner: butternut squash curry with tempeh

Tuesday

  • Breakfast: full-fat plain yogurt topped with sliced strawberries, unsweetened coconut, and pumpkin seeds
  • Lunch: meatless chili
  • Dinner: sweet potato and black bean tacos

Wednesday

  • Breakfast: a smoothie made with unsweetened almond milk, berries, peanut butter, and unsweetened plant-based protein powder
  • Lunch: hummus and veggie wrap
  • Dinner: zucchini noodles tossed in pesto with chicken meatballs

Thursday

  • Breakfast: savory oatmeal with avocado, salsa, and black beans
  • Lunch: quinoa, veggie, and feta salad
  • Dinner: grilled fish with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli

Friday

  • Breakfast: tofu and vegetable frittata
  • Lunch: large salad topped with grilled shrimp
  • Dinner: roasted portobello fajitas

Saturday

  • Breakfast: blackberry, kale, cashew butter, and coconut protein smoothie
  • Lunch: vegetable, avocado, and brown rice sushi with a seaweed salad
  • Dinner: eggplant lasagna made with cheese and a large green salad

Sunday

  • Breakfast: vegetable omelet made with eggs
  • Lunch: roasted vegetable and tahini quinoa bowl
  • Dinner: black bean burgers served on a large salad with sliced avocado

As you can see, the idea of a whole-foods, plant-based diet is to use animal products sparingly.

However, many people following WFPB diets eat more or fewer animal products depending on their specific dietary needs and preferences.

Summary

You can enjoy many different delicious meals when following a whole-foods, plant-based diet. The above menu can help you get started.

Adopting a whole-foods, plant-based diet benefits your waistline and can lower your risk and reduce symptoms of certain chronic diseases.

Heart disease

Perhaps one of the most well-known benefits of WFPB diets is that they are heart-healthy. However, the quality and types of foods included in the diet matter.

A large, older studyTrusted Source from 2017 of over 200,000 people found that those who followed a healthy plant-based diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts had a significantly lower risk of developing heart disease than those following non-plant-based diets.

However, less nutritious plant-based diets that included sugary drinks, fruit juices, and refined grains were associated with a slightly increased risk of heart disease.

Similarly, several other studies suggest that people following a healthy plant-based diet may have a lower riskTrusted Source of heart disease compared to meat eaters.

Consuming the right kinds of foods is critical for heart disease prevention when following a plant-based diet, which is why adhering to a WFPB diet is the best choice.

Cancer

Research suggests that following a plant-based diet may reduce your risk of certain types of cancer. A study of over 169,000 people suggests following a healthy plant-based diet could be associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

Similarly, another recent study showed that greater consumption of nutritious plant-based foods was associated with a lower risk of aggressive forms of prostate cancer, especially in men under 65 years.

Furthermore, a 2022 review concluded that plant-based diets could be tied to a lower risk of digestive system cancers, including pancreatic, colon, rectal, and colorectal cancers.

Cognitive decline

Some studies suggest that diets rich in vegetables and fruits may help slow or prevent cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in older adults.

Plant-based diets contain a higher number of plant compounds and antioxidants, which, according to some test-tube and animal studies, may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and reverse cognitive deficits.

In many studies, higher intakes of fruits and vegetables have been strongly associated with a reduction in cognitive decline.

An older review of nine studies from 2017 included over 31,000 people and found that among participants in the nine studies, adding 100 grams or 3.5 ounces more fruits and vegetables to a participant’s diet led to a 13% reduction in the risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia.

Other studies in older adults have found that healthy plant-based eating patterns with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and with a limited intake of animal foods and processed foods may be associated with a reduced risk of cognitive impairment and a slower decline in brain function.

Diabetes

Adopting a WFPB diet may be an effective tool in managing and reducing your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

An older study from 2016 of more than 200,000 people found that those who adhered to a healthy plant-based eating pattern had a 34% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who followed unhealthy, non-plant-based diets.

Another study demonstrated that plant-based diets could be beneficial for the prevention of type 2 diabetes, especially when they included nutritious plant-based foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes.

Plus, following a plant-based diet may improve blood sugar management, body weight, and cholesterol levels in people with diabetes.

Summary

Following a whole-foods, plant-based diet may reduce your risk of developing heart disease, certain cancers, cognitive decline, and diabetes.

Obesity is an issue of epidemic proportions. In fact, it’s estimated that nearly 31% of adultsTrusted Source have overweight, while over 42% have obesity.

Making dietary and lifestyle changes can facilitate weight loss and have a lasting impact on health. Many studies have shown that plant-based diets are beneficial for weight loss.

The high fiber content of the WFPB diet, along with the exclusion of processed foods, is a winning combination for shedding excess pounds.

An older review of 12 studies from 2015 included more than 1,100 people and found that those assigned to plant-based diets lost significantly more weight — about 4.5 pounds (lbs), or 2 kilograms (kg), over an average of 25 weeks — than those assigned to non-vegetarian diets.

Adopting a healthy plant-based eating pattern may also help keep weight off in the long run.

A 2017 study of 65 people with overweight or obesity found that those assigned to a WFPB diet lost significantly more weight than the control group and were able to sustain that weight loss of 25 lbs (11.5 kg) over a 1-year follow-up period.

However, it’s unclear whether the control group received nutrition advice or made any changes to their diet.

Regardless, simply cutting out processed foods that aren’t allowed on a WFPB diet, such as soda, candy, fast foods, and refined grains, is a powerful weight loss toolTrusted Source.

Summary

Many studies have demonstrated that whole-foods, plant-based diets are effective for weight loss. They may also help you maintain weight loss in the long run.

Switching to a plant-based diet not only benefits your health — it can help protect the environment, as well.

People who follow plant-based diets may have smaller environmental footprints.

Adopting sustainable eating habits can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, water consumption and land used for factory farming, which are all factors in global change and environmental degradation.

A review of 63 studies showed that the largest environmental benefits were seen from diets containing the least amount of animal-based foods, such as vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian diets. The study reported that shifting Western diet patterns to more sustainable, plant-based diet patterns could reduce greenhouse gas emissions and land use by 70% and water use by 50%.

What’s more, reducing the number of animal products in your diet and purchasing local, sustainable produce helps drive the local economy and reduces reliance on factory farming, an unsustainable method of food production.

Summary

Plant-based diets emphasizing local ingredients are more environmentally friendly than diets that rely heavily on mass-produced animal products and produce.

A whole-foods, plant-based diet celebrates plant foods and minimizes animal products and highly processed foods.

Plant-based diets have been linked to several health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, obesity, diabetes, and cognitive decline.

Plus, transitioning to a more plant-based diet is an excellent choice for the planet.

Regardless of the type of whole-foods, plant-based diet you choose, adopting this way of eating is sure to boost your health.