If you’ve been to a grocery store or a restaurant lately, you may have noticed that the phrase “plant-based” can now be found on pretty much every aisle and menu. In fact, US food + drink products mentioning the phrase “plant-based” grew 268% from 2012 to 2018. 🌱

But doesn’t plant-based just mean vegan? Because I simply cannot give up meat or cheese.

No, not exactly. For most of us, the word vegan implies a permanent lifestyle dedicated to eating foods that do not use any animal products. For some vegans, this also includes animal advocacy + avoiding all products (e.g. clothes, shoes, and makeup) that contain animal products or are tested on animals.

On the other hand, plant-based eating simply means that you prioritize to some degree, maximizing the space on your plate with fruits, veggies, legumes, seeds, nuts, and the like.

See the chart below for a more clear-cut view of the differences. ⬇️

Did you know that 95% of people who eat vegan burgers aren’t vegan or vegetarian? They’re just curious omnivores, opting for more veg-friendly food choices or participating in trends like #MeatlessMonday.

So whether you are plant-based, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, flexitarian, gluten-free, or just a foodie down to try it all, we want to know which local spots you go to for some plant-based goodness. 😋

Lettuce know which plant-based restaurants, food trucks, juice bars, or new-age sandwiches we should know about.🥕 And yes — you guessed it — we’re using your input to help build a Lakeland plant-based food guide, so stay tuned. 👀