Plant Based in a Pinch: The Frozen Food Aisle Is Turning Vegan, Organic, and Nutritious

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Frozen food holds an interesting position in modern food history. Flash freezing has been hailed as a technological marvel that made nutritious vegetables accessible to urban and suburban Americans virtually anywhere, at any time of year.

But TV dinners have also been pinned as a symbol of the domination of processed foods over the American diet — a move away from natural, wholesome foods from the earth and instead toward laboratory-made sugar and salt bombs that are shortening our lifespans.

Like with any complicated subject, the conclusion to be drawn isn’t as simple as “frozen food is good” or “frozen food is bad.” It’s true that flash-frozen fruits and vegetables were and continue to be a helpful innovation that allows people to get vitamin and nutrient-dense foods into their diets….Continue reading….

By: BRIAN KATEMAN

Source: Plant-Based in a Pinch: The Frozen Food Aisle Is Turning Vegan, Organic, and Nutritious | Entrepreneur

Critics:

Not all plant-based foods are equally healthy. Rather, plant-based diets including whole grains as the main form of carbohydrate, unsaturated fats as the main form of dietary fat, an abundance of fruit and vegetables, and adequate n-3 fatty acids can be considered healthy.

With processed plant-based foods, such as vegan burger patties or chicken-like nuggets, becoming more available, there is also concern that plant-based diets incorporating these foods may become less healthy.

In practice lacto-ovo vegetarians or vegans seem to have a higher overall diet quality compared with nonvegetarians. The reason for this is the closer adherence to health organisation recommendations on consumption of fruits, whole grains, seafood and plant protein and sodium. The higher diet quality in vegetarians and vegans may explain some of the positive health outcomes compared with nonvegetarians.

Plant-based foods are not a reliable source of Vitamin B12 by default. A lack of B12 is associated with a range of conditions and it is essential for human health. Those eating a fully plant-based diet should ensure adequate B12 intake via supplementation or consumption of fortified foods, such as fortified plant milks or yogurts, nutritional yeast, or fortified cereals.

Even those eating a plant-based diet including a small amount of animal products are at an increased risk of a lower than recommended B12 intake without supplementation or regular consumption of fortified foods. Observational studies show that vegetarian diets are lower in energy intake than non-vegetarian diets and that, on average, vegetarians have a lower body mass index than non-vegetarians.

Two reviews of preliminary research found that vegetarian diets practiced over 18 weeks or longer reduced body weight in the range of 2–3 kilograms (4.4–6.6 lb), with vegan diets used for 12 weeks or longer reducing body weight by 4 kg. In obese people, a 2022 review found that plant-based diets improved weight control, LDL and total cholesterol, blood pressure, insulin resistance, and fasting glucose.

Some reviews indicate that plant-based diets including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts are associated with a lower risk of diabetes. Therefore, vegetarian and vegan diets are under clinical research to identify potential effects on type 2 diabetes, with preliminary results showing improvements in body weight and biomarkers of metabolic syndrome.

When the focus was whole foods, an improvement of diabetes biomarkers occurred, including reduced obesity. In diabetic people, plant-based diets were also associated with improved emotional and physical well-being, relief of depression, higher quality of life, and better general health.

The American College of Lifestyle Medicine stated that diet can achieve remission in many adults with type 2 diabetes when used as a primary intervention of whole, plant-based foods with minimal consumption of meat and other animal products. There remains a need for more randomized controlled trials “to assess sustainable plant-based dietary interventions with whole or minimally processed foods, as a primary means of treating diabetes with the goal of remission.

Plant-based diets are associated with a decreased risk of colorectal and prostate cancer. Vegetarian diets are associated with a lower incidence from total cancer (-8%). A vegan diet seems to reduced risk of incidence from total cancer by -15%. However, there was no improvement in cancer mortality. Preliminary studies indicate that a plant-based diet may improve the gut microbiome.

A 2022 review of prospective cohort studies showed that vegetarian diets are associated with a 15% reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases and 21% reduced risk in coronary artery disease, but with no effect on the risk of stroke; for vegan diets, only a reduced risk in coronary artery disease was found. Other reviews found that plant-based diets, including vegan and vegetarian diets, may lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including blood pressure and blood lipid levels.

Randomized clinical trials also showed that the reduction in blood pressure (about 4 mmHg) associated with a vegan diet without caloric restrictions is comparable to reductions observed with dietary practices recommended by medical societies and use of portion-controlled diets. Preliminary evidence indicates that people on a long-term vegan diet show improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors.

The effect of plant-based diets on bone health is inconclusive. Preliminary research indicates that consuming a plant-based diet may be associated with lower bone density, a risk factor for fractures. Plant-based diets are under study for their potential to reduce inflammation. C-reactive protein – a biomarker for inflammation – may be reduced by consuming a plant-based diet, particularly in obese people.

According to a 2021 Chatham House report, supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, a shift to “predominantly plant-based diets” will be needed to reduce biodiversity loss and human impact on the environment. The report said that livestock has the largest environmental impact, with some 80% of all global farmland used to rear cattle, sheep and other animals used by humans for food.

Moving towards plant-based diets would free up the land to allow for the restoration of ecosystems and the flourishing of biodiversity. A 2022 study published in Nature Food found that if high-income nations switched to a plant-based diet, vast swaths of land used for animal agriculture could be allowed to return to their natural state.

Its in turn has the potential to pull 100 billion tons of CO₂ out of the atmosphere by the end of the century. Around 35% of all habitable land around the world is used to rear animals used by humans in food production.

Effect of Plant- and Animal-Based Foods on Prostate Cancer Risk”

Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies”.

The Effects of Vegetarian and Vegan Diets on Gut Microbiota”.

Dietary Patterns Affect the Gut Microbiome-The Link to Risk of Cardiometabolic Diseases”.