The Health and Sustainability Benefits of a Plant-Based Organic Diet

Lately, there has been an increasing shift towards plant-based diets. More people are also opting for organic food sources. Health-related factors are the main driving force for this trend, while sustainability and environmental impact also play a role. In this article, we look at plant-based diet benefits, organic diet benefits, and how you can incorporate these elements into your diet.

A plant-based diet is one that relies predominantly, or entirely, on foods from plants, such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, grains, seeds, etc. Animal products are either minimised or eliminated from such diets. Organic foods are those that have been produced naturally without the use of synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, antibiotics, and other chemicals.

A plant-based diet does not necessarily imply a vegetarian diet. Instead, the Mediterranean plant-based diet, while largely consisting of plant-based nutrition, includes fish, poultry, cheese, eggs, and yoghurt in moderate quantities. Other meats and sugary foods are largely avoided.

To complement plant-based diets, Miditer offers canned products such as lotus root, jackfruit, and shiitake mushroom that go well with main meals, dried fruit products, and fruit products in syrup/brine that can be used as garnishes, desserts, or snacks, organic coconut spreads that work for breakfast or snacks, organic coconut products that can be incorporated into sweets, savouries, and beverages, and plant-based meat alternatives. Miditer also offers a range of RTD plant-based beverages that are healthy thirst quenchers, and are great to snack on.

Several global studies have been carried out into the health benefits of a plant-based diet, some of which have been reviewed in NIH publications. In summary, a high-quality plant-based diet could:

• improve cardiovascular health by lowering blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, and reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease-related death by about 24%.
• help in weight management by lowering BMI by an average of 1.2-2.8 kg.
• reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by approximately 34% by improving insulin efficiency, and reducing blood sugar levels.
• reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome, thereby lowering mortality rate among plant-based consumers by around 20%.
• lower the risk of certain types of cancers, such as gastrointestinal and prostate cancers.
• improve overall digestion and gut health due to the fibre content of plant-based nutrition.
• reduce inflammation and boost immunity with their antioxidant content.

There are several associated benefits of eating organic food for health, including:

• reduced exposure to synthetic fertilisers, pesticides, and other chemicals that could potentially cause chronic disease.
• reduced risk of sensitivities or allergic reactions caused by additives such as artificial preservatives and flavours, and food colour.
• reduced exposure to toxic heavy metals, such as cadmium.
• reduced exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could make treating bacterial infections more challenging.
• better nutritional value due to higher levels of antioxidants, vitamin C, iron, and zinc.
• better benefits for heart health due to higher concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids.

With these factors in mind, Miditer has developed a versatile range of organic food and beverage products that can be incorporated into meals or enjoyed as snacks.

The benefits of a plant-based diet are not limited to consumer health alone. There are also significant environmental impacts, which contribute substantially to overall sustainability. These include:

• reducing emission of greenhouse gases as meat and dairy production are major contributors (plant-based diets can reduce this carbon footprint by over 50%).
• reducing land use by approximately 18x, thereby reducing deforestation and helping to preserve biodiversity.
• reducing eutrophication/pollution from run-off from livestock farming into water bodies.
• better water conservation as plant-based food production uses much less water.
• better resource efficiency as agricultural crops are consumed directly, rather than fed to livestock.

Plant-based meat alternatives can be a great addition to your diet by adding variety while allowing you to enjoy the health benefits of plant-based diets, and also contributing towards environment conservation. Miditer currently offers three such plant-based meat alternatives, in the form of vegan burger patties, vegan meatballs, and vegan nuggets.

Here are a few easy recipes to try if you are embarking on (or continuing) a Mediterranean plant-based diet.

– Muhammara, a mouth-watering dip for snacks or meals, made from roasted red peppers and walnuts, optionally garnished with pine seeds or pomegranate seeds.
– Salad with fruits and nuts, including diced watermelon, orange, or pomelo, with almond slivers, walnuts, or pine nuts.
– Omelette with zucchini, mint, and feta, for a power-packed, energising breakfast.
– Baked white fish, with an accompaniment such as sun-dried tomatoes and mash, boiled vegetables, caramelised onion, or a chilli-lime sauce and micro herbs.
– Coconut milk shakes/smoothies, a healthy and delicious non-dairy option.

In addition to food, plant-based beverages can also be a significant part of a Mediterranean diet. These, too, can be made to feel indulgent by creatively coming up with unique juices, and non-dairy smoothies and shakes. For instance, you could make an array of fruity smoothies using Miditer Organic Coconut Cream and one or more Miditer fruit products of your choice. Miditer Organic Coconut Milk in combination with a dollop of a Miditer spread of your liking also make for great milkshakes. Alternatively, there are king coconut water-based and other RTD fruit drinks that you can enjoy on-the-go.

Below are a few habits that you could adopt, to get you started on a plant-based organic lifestyle:

• Spend a bit of time browsing through the plant-based sections of your supermarket, allowing your curiosity to come up with combinations that intrigue you.
• Opt for whole grains with nuts and fresh fruit for breakfast. Throw in a bit of Greek yoghurt a couple of times a week.
• Opt for a vegetarian lunch/dinner at least once, perhaps building the meal around a salad and experimenting with nifty combinations.
• Gradually shift the ratio of components on your plate – increase vegetable, and decrease meat. Dips such as hummus and non-dairy garlic mayo are great accompaniments for vegetable.
• Opt for healthy fats such as olives, olive oil, nuts, nut butters, avocado, and seeds.
• Opt for a fruit for dessert, changing it up every day.

For further information on Miditer’s plant-based organic products, get in touch with our liaison team. We are keen to explore prospective partnerships with like-minded entities who might be interested in being a distributor for Miditer, or developing their own white-label products.