When I say that I eat Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB), I usually get asked if that is the same as vegan. Most people have heard of vegan, but not of WFPB. The two have some fundamental differences, which are important in terms of the food that I eat. Here is how I see it.

The primary motivation for WFPB eating is to fight disease and to improve health. Whereas, generally, the primary motivation for being vegan is to protect animals. This means that the foods that each group consider to be acceptable can be different:

  • The focus of WFPB eating is to eat whole or minimally processed plant food, avoiding any animal products, salt, oil or refined sugar. We avoid animal products, but the emphasis is on the whole (unprocessed) aspect of the food.
  • The focus of Vegan eating is to eliminate animal products of any kind. In fact veganism extends beyond food, to all products that are animal related. A vegan will not buy leather shoes, for instance.
  • It should be said that both groups generally consider their food choices to be better for the welfare of the environment, than the diets of omnivores.

Here’s are some examples of how this difference plays out in practice:

  • A burger made with a white bread bun and a fake chicken pattie is considered vegan, but is not WFPB. WFPB eaters will eat a burger made with a whole grain bun (or swap it out for a lettuce bun), a pattie made primarily from beans and whole grains, and loads of greens & veges.
  • In a restaurant situation, WFPB eaters will tolerate a small quantity of animal product, in favour of a meal that is primarily whole food. For instance, we would choose a Thai curry loaded with vegetables, knowing that it probably contains fish sauce, over a vegan pizza made with a refined flour base and topped with vegan cheese. The processed nature of the cheese and pizza base, that also contain high quantities of oil & salt, make it a bigger “no” for WFPB eating than the fish sauce.

In everyday life, one of the biggest challenges I experience with being WFPB, is explaining to people how it is different to being vegan. Especially those that we are about to eat with! But what I tend to do, is remember that we are all on a journey, and nobody needs to be perfect. Eating according to the WFPB principles is the ideal, but so is having rewarding relationships with friends. So if I find myself in a situation where eating WFPB is impossible, I just find the best solution I can, and get back to WFPB for my next meal.