Plant-Based Has To Go

Once a term has become mainstream it has to go. And now that food companies are slapping the words “plant-based” on their packaged, processed foods, the horse has left the barn and the term no longer has the meaning that was intended.

What was the intention of those who coined the term – whoever they may be? It was supposed to be a simpler way to encourage people to eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

You may think that “plant-based” is code for “vegan” But that’s not the case as most health people who use the term say “primarily plant-based”. This means cutting out the 18 oz steak or eating a smaller portion, and upping the plant consumption.

It also encourages a more whole food perspective and less processed, refined foods.

Here lies the problem. Most additives, preservatives, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and all other chemicals added to food are usually plant-based.

Many people think that all these chemicals originated in a magical lab. But often they originate from plants and they are manipulated in a lab to do what they do.

Food manufacturers will always try to jump on a trend.

Recently, the producers of a well-known cheese came out with its plant-based faux cheese. The word “cheese” isn’t anywhere on the company’s website but the words “plant-based” are part of the name of the product.

The ingredients? The first two are water and potato starch. Yum.

Yes, there is added natural flavor but the company’s claim that it’s as delicious as the original cheese is quite a stretch.

Is this where we want to go with our food?

There’s nothing wrong with real cheese. Cheese was created as a means of preserving milk when refrigeration did not exist. And it contained beneficial bacteria that preserved the cheese.

I consume organic, raw milk, aged cheddar and parmesan. The aging process happens due to beneficial bacteria that feed on lactose. Since lactose gives milk its sweet taste, the cheese develops a sharper taste as it ages with more lactose broken down over time.

Traditional cheeses: rich and diverse microbiota with associated benefits - PubMed (nih.gov)

Raw milk cheese has several nutritional benefits including being a valuable food for the gut. Lactose is a prebiotic when we consume milk. When it’s fed to the bacteria in the cheese, the bacteria produce GOS (galacto-oligosaccharide), another beneficial prebiotic for the gut.

This should happen in our gut, too. But, depending on the composition of our gut bacteria, we may not produce enough GOS from milk. If someone is lactose intolerant, they are missing the bacterial strains that eat the lactose and may not produce enough GOS. Consuming fermented dairy like yogurt, kefir, and aged cheese allows us to have GOS to feed other strains in the gut and produce beneficial fatty acids.

This is something faux cheese will never do. And shows how little those in the food industry understand food.

Aged cheese is how our ancestors experienced it. I feel warm and fuzzy thinking about this. And when I first started consuming my raw milk, aged cheese, it came wrapped in wax and was purchased directly from the farmer, just like it would have been many years ago. Unfortunately, it’s now wrapped in plastic. I don’t know if it was the farmer's choice or the government made it a condition to sell in a bigger market, but I prefer the wax.

Plus, the taste makes my heart sing. Why would anyone want to consume potato starch instead? And as consumers, this is something we need to ask: Why is a plant-based cheese promoted as a better option?

How about a plant-based “butter” product? The ingredient list says it contains 55% modified palm and palm kernel oil, 24% canola oil, water, pea protein, soy lecithin, and natural flavor.

That’s not butter and has a very similar ingredient list to margarine. Is it something that received a name change to be trendier and catch your attention? Were you caught?

The list of crimes against butter is long. But it’s now 2024 and the assumptions of the 70”s and 80’s should be far behind us. Yet, there are still many health professionals bashing butter.

Benefits of Butter: What the Science Says - Dr. Robert Kiltz (doctorkiltz.com)

So, why do we need plant versions of foods when there are animal-based versions that have a long tradition of being delicious?

Some might say it’s more environmentally friendly to consume plants. But even that is now up for debate. It depends on how the animals are raised. I’ll have more to say about this in an upcoming podcast in March with organic farmer and chef, David Cohlmeyer.

The real message of the plant-based trend is to encourage us all to eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. But apparently, it is too much work to rhyme off the list of foods we should try to eat more often. And the lazy person version is “plant-based”.

A new term that some are using is “plant-forward” I sort of like this one because it makes no sense. Therefore, someone would have to ask what it means. And this presents an opportunity for a much better conversation.

The human gut is the key to a healthy body. It loves a variety of food. It uses fatty acids and prebiotics in animal food and the fiber and phytonutrients in plant food. There’s even a role for protein to play, from all sources, even gluten.

So, this gives you, the person who has to eat the food, much more freedom to choose what works for you. Whatever your choice, eat with gusto and enjoy.