Ask the RD: Plant-Forward Eating

Plant-forward food is a broad category and can involve following lifestyles like vegan, vegetarian, and the Mediterranean diet. Eating plant-forward does not mean you have to follow either of these, it can simply mean you incorporate a variety of vegetables and plant-based proteins into your meals.

Plant-forward eating has been shown in both large population studies and randomized clinical trials to have many benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, certain cancers (specifically colon, breast, and prostate cancer), depression, and in older adults, a decreased risk of frailty, along with better mental and physical function. Eating plant-forward can provide a healthy balance of protein, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and plant-forward meals typically provide a high fiber and phytonutrient content.

Here are a few ideas for creating a balanced plant-forward meal: fill half of your plate with vegetables, choose fats such as olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocado (great sources of omega-3 fatty acids), and incorporate plant proteins (legumes, beans, pea, or soy products) at least occasionally, and eat whole grain foods. For breakfast, try having oatmeal, quinoa or barley, and eat fruits with dessert.

Here at CDS, we offer a wide variety of vegetarian and vegan options- an analysis of our menus showed that 50-53% of our menus are vegan friendly, and 82-86% of our menus are vegetarian friendly! We label our menu items with flags and keep each menu item’s nutrition information and ingredients details up to date. You may select the “vegetarian” or “vegan” flag to see what options we have in those categories. Our Plant Forward station, available at both dining halls, is vegan while offering a complete protein every day. At both dining halls we also offer vegan and vegetarian burgers (black bean and/or garden), quinoa, tofu, hummus, vegan pizza, vegan dessert, and vegan cheese at the Deli and Grille. Additionally, we offer vegan pancakes and Beyond Burgers, and many of our stations are customizable with vegetarian options.

We have several retail concepts offering complete- protein vegan and vegetarian dining options including Mediterranean Deli, CholaNad, Sushinara, Bandido’s, Burrito Bowl, Subway, and Alpine Bagel.

I encourage you to check out our website (www.dining.unc.edu > menus & hours) and view our options in dining hall and retail locations.

Have Questions? Reach out to the Registered Dietitian at leejuly@unc.edu.