A plant based diet – if you’re like most of us you’ve probably heard of it but aren’t quite sure what it is.

Or you think it’s the latest trendy term for being vegan or vegetarian.

In reality the clue is in the name as the bulk of your diet is made-up of plant based foods such as fruit, vegetables, grains, seeds and nuts. A common misconception is that you have to banish meat and fish from your diet altogether – that’s not the case at all, you just reduce it.

So what are the benefits of going plant based? We picked the brains of Anne Nugent, a senior lecturer in Nutrition at Queen’s University Belfast , to get the lowdown.


Eating more plant based foods means you will be increasing all the ‘good’ nutrients while decreasing the ‘bad’ nutrients.

Plants are full of great nutrients, such as fibre, that require little digestion so go right into the blood stream to give us an energy boost.

Anne explained: “Increasing things like fibre, and minerals means you would be reducing saturated fat and salt. They are the main dietary benefits of going plant based.”  

She added: “You would be increasing nutrients we have too little of and decreasing nutrients we have too much of in our diet.”

2. Fight diseases

Staying well and healthy is a major incentive for trying a plant based diet. Who knew that eating more plant based foods fights serious illnesses such as heart disease and cancer.

“If you eat natural fruit, grains (preferably wholegrains), vegetables as part of a healthy diet there is evidence to say that people who eat diets rich in those foods tend to have a lower risk of heart disease and other chronic diseases such as cancer,” Anne said.

3. Cost

Superfoods aside, plants cost less than meat.

So get a healthier bank account to match your healthy body by putting plenty of fruit, veg and grains into your shopping basket.

Anne said: “Plant based diets do not have to be expensive, particularly if you are buying the raw fruit and vegetables and raw grains it can be very cheap.”

But the nutritionist warned to stay clear of the more processed plant based products.

“If you are looking for a substitute for meat that’s when the cost can trickle up.”


We are in the middle of an environmental crisis so we all want to do our bit, cutting down on the amount of meat and dairy we eat can make our planet healthier too.

“There are studies that show that meat and dairy have higher greenhouse emissions, which is harmful to the environment,” Anne explained.

Animal agriculture is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, more than the exhaust of all transportation modes combined. Some studies suggest that by adopting a plant based diet can cut your carbon footprint by 50%.

With all those bumper benefits there are plenty of reasons to switch to a plant based diet. For recipe ideas and grocery suggestions visit Forestside Shopping Centre's Instagram page @ForestsideShopping.

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