Flourish Health & Wellbeing eMag - Jan 26 - Flipbook - Page 29
&
ClimateSmart
Eating
BY ISABELLA HOURIHAN, APD
What Is Plant-Forward Eating?
Plant-forward ea琀椀ng places plant
foods at the centre of the plate,
with animal proteins op琀椀onal
rather than mandatory. Unlike
strict vegetarian or vegan diets, this
approach is 昀氀exible and accessible,
allowing for occasional meat,
poultry, eggs, or dairy. Studies
show that plant-based diets rich in
昀椀bre, vitamins, and phytonutrients
are associated with lower risk of
cardiovascular disease, type 2
diabetes, and certain cancers.
Plant Foods and Iron:
Getting Enough
Iron intake is o昀琀en a concern for
adults shi昀琀ing toward more plant
foods. Non-heme iron, found in
plants, is absorbed less e昀케ciently
than heme iron from meat, but
the body can adapt when iron
stores are low. Research shows
that vegetarians o昀琀en have
slightly lower ferri琀椀n levels but not
necessarily higher rates of anaemia.
Some evidence also suggests that
moderate non-heme iron intake
may lower colorectal cancer risk.
Climate-Smart Food Choices
Food produc琀椀on contributes
to greenhouse gas emissions,
water use, and land deple琀椀on.
Plant-forward ea琀椀ng priori琀椀ses
lower-impact foods such as
legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds,
and seasonal vegetables. For
example, beef and lamb have high
emissions, whereas len琀椀ls, beans,
tofu, and seasonal vegetables are
much lower. Simple swaps, like a
len琀椀l curry instead of beef, bean
tacos, or a mushroom s琀椀r-fry, can
reduce environmental impact while
maintaining 昀氀avour and sa琀椀sfac琀椀on.
Tips for Adequate Iron Intake:
• Include iron-rich plant foods:
len琀椀ls, chickpeas, kidney beans,
tofu, tempeh, spinach, pumpkin
seeds, whole grains, and
for琀椀昀椀ed cereals.
• Pair iron-rich meals with vitamin
C sources like citrus, capsicum,
or tomatoes to improve
absorp琀椀on.
• Avoid drinking tea or co昀昀ee
with iron-rich meals.
• If consuming animal foods, lean
proteins such as 昀椀sh or chicken
can help meet iron needs.
