Plant Based vs. Vegan, the Breakdown
Get ready people! I was recently a guest on the podcast Review that Review with Trey Gerrald and Chelsey Donn getting down and dirty discussing the definition of a Plant Based restaurant.
CLICK HERE to take a listen, or look them up on your favorite podcast app.
There is a restaurant called De Buena Planta in Silverlake, Los Angeles. They claim to be plant based, yet all throughout their menu there is cheese and eggs everywhere. Their justification was that since almost all of the menu could be made vegan, they consider themselves plant based.
Clearly there is a lot of confusion on the topic. The Harvard definition says "Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn't mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy."
The restaurant chose to cite this as their example that plant based doesn't mean every item is 100% vegan, and is the main argument they stand behind. But I argue that the definition should be interpreted as follows: that people who follow a plant based, or plant forward diet, generally consume plant based meals, and occasionally stray and have some animal protein. However, it doesn't mean that the plant based meals they consume have animal products, it just means that people who prefer this term do not wish to be put into a box. The word Vegan can carry a lot of weight, and some people aren't up for that. But at the same time, the don't want to be ingesting animal products. So confusing, lots of room for interpretations....
Lucky for us, the State of California, where the restaurant is located, makes it crystal clear; there are specific safety codes for calling your restaurant Plant Based:
"A California health and safety code defines plant-based meals as entire meals that contain no animal products or byproducts, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy or eggs." https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/19911-legal-issues-could-slow-plant-based-category
I'm done arguing about this! What are your thoughts? Does Plant Based mean eating animal products where you are from? Or would you assume it was a vegan restaurant?
***UPDATE***
Guess what folks? The restaurant has made good on what they are, a bullshit plant forward restaurant. We can all breathe a sigh of relief.
If you need to find some Vegan Churros, I've got you covered. Check out Tres Estrellas Churros Mix (y’all that’s an affiliate link if I ever saw one!)Literally, there is a vegan churro mix, so clearly it's NOT THAT HARD. Le Sigh....
