If you want to get more fruit and vegetables into your diet, a plant-based diet is a good start. Being plant-based doesn't mean giving us meat or animal products completely, but it does mean concentrating more on plant-based foods.

If you want to lose weight or lead a healthier lifestyle, a plant-based diet is beneficial. People who eat a plant-based diet tend to have a lower body mass index and are less likely to develop chronic health conditions.

Changing to a plant-based diet can be difficult, so we will look at what foods you can eat, along with the best vegan powders to give you a helping hand. We chat to Rhiannon about how a plant-based diet can be beneficial for the environment and our health.

What is a plant-based diet?

A plant-based diet concentrates on eating foods that are derived from plants, such as fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. This way of eating is different to a vegan diet in that you can either follow a plant-based diet for a few months or cut out meat and eat more plant-based food to feel better. You can choose to eat some foods from animals on a plant-based diet. Meat, poultry and dairy products are not included in the vegan diet, even though they have come from an animal.

RECOMMENDED VIDEOS FOR YOU...

vegan buddah bowl

(Image credit: Getty Images)

A plant-based diet includes nuts, seeds, oils, and beans. It doesn't mean that you don't eat meat or dairy. You are choosing more of your food from plant sources.

One plant-based diet may be different to the other depending on what you like to eat. If you are changing your diet to a plant-based one, it is advisable to take it slowly.

A plant-based diet can help us with our health. According to US guidelines, eating a diet derived from plants and eating lean meats occasionally can help you to lose or maintain weight. One study showed that people who didn't eat meat had a lower body mass index than people who did.

A plant-based diet that is low in saturated fats can help you manage a healthy weight.

Saturated fats can be found in dairy products such as cheese and butter. There have been many studies done on how saturated fats affect our health. Saturated fats can raise our cholesterol, which could lead to heart problems, but other studies show that eating a plant-based diet can cut your health risks down considerably.

There is a lot of evidence that points towards reduced blood pressure when we don't eat animal products.

Cutting animal products from our diet and changing to a plant-based diet can help the environment.

A report by the United Nations suggested that our obsession with meat and dairy products was causing global warming. The scientists who prepared the research said that if we used land more efficiently, we could store more of the carbon emissions from humans.