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plant-based diet

conscious and plant-based nutrition pattern

Why eat plant-based?

Do you want to experience what a plant-based diet can do for you? Or would you like to know how to get started? This tool helps you explore how to adopt a healthy and mindful plant-based eating pattern in your daily life.

With plant-based eating we mean reducing or fully eliminating animal products such as meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs. A plant-based diet focuses on pure, minimally processed foods like vegetables, fruit, nuts, whole grains and legumes.

Reasons to eat plant-based

There are many reasons to eat (more) plant-based. Perhaps you want to take better care of yourself? Research shows that a plant-based diet offers health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer. More and more top athletes are also choosing a vegan lifestyle for this reason.

You may also be concerned about animal welfare, diseases associated with intensive livestock farming, or the environmental impact of animal production. Eating less meat reduces greenhouse gas emissions as well as the amount of land needed for animal feed. The land that becomes available can return to nature — which again captures CO₂. A positive cycle, starting with you.

Different ways to eat more plant-based

There is no single ‘right’ way. You may choose:

  • Flexitarian → less meat, for example once a week organic meat.
  • Vegetarian → no meat, but dairy/cheese/eggs.
  • Pescatarian → no meat but sometimes fish.
  • Ostrovegan → fully plant-based with the exception of bivalve shellfish such as oysters and mussels.
  • Vegan → fully plant-based.
  • 80-20 → mostly plant-based, but not 100%.

Whichever form you choose: every step helps.

Good to know

At bbb health boutique we have consciously chosen to guide and inspire you to eat plant-based, minimally processed, seasonal and local. Healthy for you and for the planet. We made this choice because of the health benefits, animal welfare, climate change and overfishing. All our tools and recipes are therefore 100% plant-based.

As a holistic women’s gym, we look at the whole picture: body, mind, hormones, energy and wellbeing. From this vision we choose not to support the exploitation and use of female animals. Many animal products rely on repeatedly impregnating, separating or exhausting female animals — something that does not align with a place built on female strength, self-care and respect for the female body.

By eating more plant-based, you not only support your own health, but also contribute to a more respectful and sustainable world.

Vegetarian

Do you avoid meat but still eat dairy, eggs or fish? Choose organic options whenever possible for higher quality and less impact on animals and the environment.

Pescatarian

If you choose to eat fish, pay attention to the labels:

  • MSC — wild-caught fish
  • ASC — farmed fish
  • Skal/EKO — organic farmed fish
  • Waddengoud — sustainable fish and products from the Wadden Sea region

Note: labels do not always guarantee animal welfare.

Plant-based diet

If you choose to avoid all animal products, it’s important to pay extra attention to certain vitamins and minerals. Below an overview.

B12

Vitamin B12 is essential for the nervous system, the production of red blood cells, the immune system and metabolic processes in the liver. Humans and animals used to get B12 naturally through bacteria found in soil and untreated water. Due to modern agriculture and hygiene, this is no longer the case. That is why animals today receive B12 in their feed — and by eating animal products, you consume their supplied B12.

If you don’t eat animal products, you can easily supplement B12 or get it through fortified foods such as enriched plant milk and plant-based meat alternatives. Plant foods like shiitake, tempeh, algae and seaweed may contain small amounts of B12, but not enough to meet your daily needs.

Protein

Protein-rich plant foods such as tofu, tempeh and seitan are complete, well-absorbed protein sources that fit perfectly into a plant-based diet. These foods often contain even more protein per 100 g than many types of meat or fish. Legumes in combination with whole grains provide a complete amino acid profile — and you don’t have to eat them in the same meal. Vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts also contain protein. Nuts, seeds and kernels — like hemp seed, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds — are powerful protein sources as well, offering healthy fats and minerals.

Omega-3

Omega-3 fatty acids come in different forms. The plant-based form is ALA (alpha-linolenic acid), which the body can convert into the active forms EPA and DHA. You find ALA in flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, walnuts and certain plant oils. Because the conversion of ALA into EPA and especially DHA is not equally efficient for everyone, algae oil is a valuable supplement. It contains direct EPA and DHA — the same forms you would normally get from fish, but fully plant-based.

Iodine

You can get iodine from sea vegetables like seaweed, nori and samphire. Iodized salt — including the bakery salt used in non-organic bread — is also an important source. Iodine is essential for healthy thyroid function, and therefore for metabolism, energy levels and hormone regulation.

Calcium

Calcium is essential for the development of bones and teeth, muscle contractions, blood clotting and nerve function. Plant-based calcium is found especially in green leafy vegetables such as kale, Chinese cabbage, pak choi, escarole and turnip greens. (Spinach contains calcium, but due to its high oxalate content it is less well absorbed.)

Other plant-based calcium sources include:

  • Calcium-fortified tofu
  • White beans and chickpeas
  • Almonds and tahini
  • Celery, Brussels sprouts, green beans and bean sprouts
  • (Dried) figs and oranges
  • Pumpkin and pumpkin seeds

With enough variety, it is easy to reach your calcium needs — especially when including fortified plant milk or calcium-set tofu.

Zinc

Zinc is important for wound healing, carbohydrate metabolism, mental alertness and a strong immune system. Plant-based zinc-rich foods include pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. Sprouts and bean sprouts also contain zinc and are delicious in salads, on bread or as a crunchy topping. Although zinc absorption from plant foods can be slightly lower due to phytates, this is easily compensated by eating varied and including nuts, seeds and legumes regularly.

Iron

Iron is essential for oxygen transport in your blood and for energy production in your cells. Many plant-based foods are rich in iron, such as seaweed, legumes, whole grains, oatmeal, rye bread, beans, nuts, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, and vegetables like beetroot, parsley, purslane, turnip greens, radishes, Swiss chard, spinach and watercress. Dried fruit such as peaches and apricots also contains iron. Because plant-based iron (non-heme iron) is absorbed less efficiently, combining it with vitamin C-rich foods — such as bell pepper, lemon, kiwi or orange — greatly improves absorption.

Example day menu

Basics of a plant-based diet

  • At least 250 g of vegetables, including some leafy greens
  • At least two portions of fruit
  • Legumes (lentils, beans, chickpeas and soy products)
  • Whole grain products (whole wheat bread, brown rice, bulgur, quinoa)
  • Nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans)
  • Seeds (flaxseed, pumpkin seeds)
  • Fluids (preferably water)
  • Oils (such as high-quality olive oil)

Plant-based breakfast

Start your day with a large cup of tea with fresh ginger and optionally fresh turmeric to support digestion. The ideas below serve as inspiration. Vary with the seasons and choose one of the following options:

  • A smoothie with banana, plant milk, flaxseed, spinach and a splash of lemon juice.
    Using frozen banana gives it an ice-cream-like texture — perfect for summer.
  • A bowl of (plant-based) unsweetened yogurt with oats, nuts or seeds and fresh or dried fruit.
    Add vegetables to breakfast too: steamed beetroot or a small sweet potato pair wonderfully with fresh yogurt. For example: beetroot, half a banana, yogurt of choice, blueberries, a quarter avocado and a small handful of chopped Brazil nuts.
  • A warm bowl of oatmeal with plant milk, chia or flaxseed and seasonal fruit — topped with a handful of nuts.

Plant-based lunch

Choose one or two of the following depending on your needs:

  • A mixed salad of seasonal local vegetables.
  • Steamed red cabbage, grated carrot, grilled courgette, grilled tofu, red rice and a dressing of peanut butter, lime and soy sauce.
  • Oven-roasted sweet potato and cauliflower with roasted chickpeas, cucumber, romaine lettuce and alfalfa, topped with sunflower seeds and walnuts, finished with a dressing of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.
  • A bowl of soup made from broth, onion, garlic, potato, carrot and parsnip — or choose broccoli and courgette instead.
  • Two slices of whole grain bread with hummus, lamb’s lettuce, sprouts, pomegranate, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Plant-based dinner

A healthy plant-based dinner consists of:

  • Half a plate of seasonal vegetables
  • A quarter protein (all beans and legumes, such as chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, lentils, black beans)
  • A quarter slow carbohydrates (potatoes with skin) or (pseudo)grains (buckwheat, millet, quinoa)
  • See our recipes for inspiration.

Plant-based snacks

If you feel hungry between meals, choose one of the following:

  • A buckwheat or corn cracker with hummus and sprouts
  • Snack vegetables such as carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumber and bell pepper — delicious with hummus or baba ganoush
  • A handful of unsalted, unroasted mixed nuts
  • A piece of seasonal fruit

Hydrate

Don’t forget to drink enough. A healthy diet also means getting enough fluids (about 1.5 liters per day), preferably water and herbal tea.

Recipe tips

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