Plant-based food: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 05:25, 20 February 2024

This page is about plant-based food.

How

The cheap way, with low-cost ingredients and a multivitamin.
The expensive way, for those who insist on doing everything without supplements.

Both options can give you all the nutrients you need without meat, dairy, eggs, fish or any other animal products.

Why

For the animals - because most farm animals are treated badly in factory farms (and unfortunately, the less-cruel kinds of animal farming are less scalable).
For humanity and the planet - because if we want to end hunger and feed the world without deforestation, then people need to eat more plant-based (and/or stop food waste).

FAQ

But I thought that plant-based diets lack nutrients?

They don't have to.

But I heard that grass-fed cows can be raised sustainably?

Not if forests are destroyed to make room for pasture.

But maybe yes, if the cows are a part of rewilding grasslands as a form of nature conservation. Most beef & dairy does not come from this sort of farming. And even if every suitable land on Earth had this type of cattle farming, it still would not even come close to producing enough protein for 8 billion people. The world needs crops, and it would be far more efficient to turn the crops into food directly instead of feeding the crops to animals.

But don't cows eat the parts of crops that are too fibrous for humans to eat?

Cows are ruminants, so yes, they can convert fiber into protein. But mushrooms can do that more efficiently.

P.S. Chickens & pigs are not ruminants. They eat the same grains that could have been milled into flour.

But aren't imitation meats really processed?

So are most real meats.
Plenty of plant-based diets don't involve imitation meats.
Yes, it's true that actual peas have more nutrients than refined pea protein.
No, the "weird-looking ingredients" in imitation meats are not harmful.

This FAQ section will probably get longer over time. At the end of the day, you can survive and thrive without animal products, and it can be done cheaply or expensively or anything in between.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-#REDIRECT [[Plant-based]]
+This page is about plant-based [[food]].
+==How== __NOTOC__
+<big>
+* '''[[Cheap plant-based food|The cheap way]]''', with low-cost ingredients and a [[multivitamin]].
+* '''[[Expensive plant-based food|The expensive way]]''', for those who insist on doing everything without supplements.
+Both options can give you '''all the nutrients you need''' ''without'' meat, dairy, eggs, fish or any other animal products.
+</big>
+==Why==
+* '''For the animals''' - because most farm animals are treated badly in [[factory farms]] {{light|(and unfortunately, the less-cruel kinds of animal farming are less scalable)}}.
+* '''For humanity and the planet''' - because if we want to end [[hunger]] and feed the world without [[deforestation]], [[livestock inefficiency|then]] people need to eat more plant-based (and/or stop [[food waste]]).
+==FAQ==
+====But I thought that plant-based diets lack nutrients?====
+They [[Nutrition/Examples/Cheap plant-based|don't have to]].
+====But I heard that grass-fed cows can be raised sustainably?====
+Not if [[deforestation|forests are destroyed to make room for pasture]].
+But maybe yes, '''if''' the cows are a part of [[rewilding grasslands]] as a form of nature conservation. Most beef & dairy does '''not''' come from this sort of farming. And ''even if'' every suitable land on Earth had this type of cattle farming, it still '''[[How much protein could ruminants produce without crops|would not even come close to producing enough protein]]''' for 8 billion people. The world needs crops, and it would be [[livestock inefficiency|far more efficient]] to turn the crops into food directly instead of feeding the crops to animals.
+====But don't cows eat the parts of crops that are too fibrous for humans to eat?====
+Cows are ruminants, so yes, they can convert fiber into protein. But [[mushrooms]] can do that more efficiently.
+P.S. Chickens & pigs are '''not''' ruminants. They eat the [[grain grades|same grains]] that could have been milled into flour.
+====But aren't imitation meats really processed?====
+* So are most real meats.
+* Plenty of plant-based diets don't involve imitation meats.
+* Yes, it's true that [[peas vs pea protein|actual peas have more nutrients]] than refined pea protein.
+* No, the "[[imitation meat fearmongering|weird-looking ingredients]]" in imitation meats are not harmful.
+----
+This FAQ section will probably get longer over time. At the end of the day, you can survive '''and thrive''' without animal products, and it can be done [[cheap plant-based food|cheaply]] or [[expensive plant-based food|expensively]] or anything in between.