Plant Based versus Animal Based Diets

A plant-based diet is one that focuses more on foods like not only vegetables and fruits but as well as nuts, seeds, oils, legumes, whole grains and beans. Having a plant-based diet doesn't necessarily mean that you are a vegetarian or vegan but actually choosing to eat more foods from plant-based sources.

Some of the health benefits of having a plant-based diet compared to the popular high animal-based diet that is generally followed would be the better weight management, lower risk of heart disease and other conditions, as well as Diabetes prevention and treatment. Other benefits that also come with having a plant based-diet would include things such as halting deforestation, discourage over-consumption of foods and encourage more agrobiodiversity, as well as reducing emissions and reversing nature loss.

In my future culinary profession I could see myself definitely incorporating some aspects of plant-based foods in my menus. It would create a good diversity of food selection to the customers that want it visiting the restaurant even if it means there’s only a couple options to choose from for the individuals on a diet.

The vegan recipe I decided to create being a mixture of savory as well as sweet dish was a squash risotto with a couple additions for extra flavor. My experience with this recipe was that it’s quite simple to make being that the ingredients were rather easy to find at any local grocery store and the only real challenge was keeping track of the vegetable broth water that's helping cook the rice. I would definitely make this recipe again seeing that I rather enjoy eating risotto dishes but maybe experiment adding other ingredients.

INGREDIENTS

1 Small butternut squash
6 cups Vegetable broth
2 cups White risotto rice
2 cloves Garlic
12 Sage leaves
1/2 cup Walnuts
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
3 tablespoon Olive oil
1/2 White Spanish onion
Sea salt to taste
Ground black pepper to taste

Step 1: Prepare the ingredients by chopping the onions and squash into squares then dicing the garlic. Heat up the water and prepare vegetable broth.

Step 2: Cook the chopped onion and garlic for 5 minutes on the hot pan. Add the rice and chopped squash with nutmeg to pan then mixing for 2 minutes. Gradually add half the vegetable stock until absorbed while stirring.

Step 3: Pour the rest of the vegetable stock then let simmer for 10–15 minutes covered until the rice and squash is fully cooked.

Step 4: Add in and mix the walnuts, sage leaves, salt and pepper to serve.