Plant-based diet vs. omnivorous diet: who really wins (when you stop rooting for one side)

If you're wondering "plant-based or omnivorous diet?", you're usually looking for the one and only answer.

The one that gives you peace of mind, because "you made the right choice."

But in real life, it's not the label that wins: it's the quality of the pattern you manage to maintain on normal days (not just when you're motivated).

Here we remove the hype, keep the useful science, and arrive at a simple map: real food, adequate protein, vegetables present, ultra-processed foods under control.

If this is okay, you can be perfectly fine with either a very plant-based diet or a "clean" omnivorous diet.

In short (3 things that really matter)

1. Plant-based diets, on average, are associated with better cardiometabolic outcomes... but the benefit depends greatly on quality ("whole" plant-based vs. "junk vegan").

2. Processed meats are the easiest to cut back on if you care about long-term health. Unprocessed meat is a more nuanced issue; it's all about context and frequency.

3. Humans are flexible omnivores: we can thrive on different patterns, but not on just any pattern. Some nutrients and habits are non-negotiable.

Why this discussion becomes toxic

Because an ethical/environmental/identity choice is being confused with a clinical choice.

• If you choose plant-based for ethical reasons: it's a respectable choice, and you can do it well.

• If you choose to be omnivorous because it works best for you, that's just as valid, and you can do it well.

What almost never works is turning the dish into a courtroom.

What science says (without clever simplifications)

1) “Plant-based” does not automatically mean “healthy.”

The real difference is between:

• high-quality plant-based foods (vegetables, fruit, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds),

• low-quality plant-based foods (refined foods, sugars, industrial "vegan" snacks).

If you want a rule of thumb: when your diet is plant-based but becomes too focused on "products," you have often strayed to the wrong side of the map.

2) The "meat" issue: processed vs. unprocessed

If you want to make a single high-impact change (without becoming extreme): reduce your consumption of processed meats (cold cuts, sausages, bacon, etc.).

This immediately puts you on firmer ground without needing to demonize "the flesh" as a whole.

3) Anatomy and physiology: we are neither pure herbivores nor pure carnivores

We are adaptable animals: we have the tools to digest starches, fiber, and animal proteins. There is no "anatomical evidence" that settles the matter.

The practical consequence is not "then everything is fine." It is this:

• If you are an omnivore, you cannot treat vegetables as decoration.

• If you are vegan, you cannot treat planning (e.g., B12) as a minor detail.

The 95% that unites those who are well off (regardless of label)

If we remove the hype, something interesting happens: those who are truly healthy (and remain so over time) are neither "vegan" nor "omnivore."
They are people who have put four fundamentals in order.

These are not moral rules. They are practical pillars: when they are in place, the diet works. When they are missing, even the "right" diet fails.

1) Real food as a basis

Before we even talk about meat or vegetables: how much of your week consists of simple, recognizable, minimally processed food?
If you want to clarify the distinction without extremism: What is "real food," really?

2) Adequate protein (not "excessive," but adequate)

Not for the gym. For satiety, recovery, muscle mass, and days that don't lead you to snack "randomly."
If you need a clear map of categories (without religion): Meat, fruit, and food categories.

3) Vegetables almost always present (without turning them into penance)

Not because you "have to," but because they help: fiber, micronutrients, volume, balance of the dish.
And if you think "vegetables = obligation," here's a useful reframe: Are vegetables always a good idea?

4) Ultra-processed and hyper-palatable foods under control

This is the part that makes you stray from the theory more than anything else: snacks, "easy" desserts, things that don't fill you up but constantly call to you.
There's no need to ban them. You just need to make sure they don't become the basis of your diet.

This is the core.
The rest (vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, "very plant-based") is a choice of taste, context, ethics, and preferences—but it only works if these four pieces are in order.

How to choose between "mostly plant-based" and "omnivorous" without getting bogged down

Option A — “Pragmatic plant-based”

It works well if you want to:

• a lighter and more voluminous pattern,

• easier to keep calories low without counting,

• a choice consistent with ethical motivations.

Key move (practical): every meal has a protein source + "two handfuls" of vegetables + a serious carbohydrate only if needed.

If you need a simple guide to legumes (often demonized at random): Legumes: are they good or bad for you?

Option B — “Real-life omnivore”

It works well if you want to:

• a pattern with "easier" proteins,

• less risk of shortcomings if you don't like planning,

• more simplicity in everyday life.

Key move (practical): protein as the basis of the meal + plenty of vegetables + carbohydrates and fats adjusted according to the context.

If you want a useful guide on the topic of fats/health (without scaremongering): Saturated fats: demon or detail?

Common mistakes (on both sides)

• Vegan junk food: a diet that is formally plant-based, but in fact ultra-processed.

• Influencer-style carnivores: total elimination of vegetables as if it were a universal shortcut.

• Confusing "improving markers" with "improving life": if a diet makes you socially unmanageable, it's not an upgrade. It's a cage.

Mini-protocol (14 days) to understand what works for you

Choose a single lever and make it measurable. Example:

1. Vegetable frequency: vegetables present in 2 meals per day.

2. Stable proteins: a clear source of protein in every meal.

3. Processed: only one "window" per week for more explicit content (not spread out over every day).

After 14 days, don't just look at the scale. Look at:

• hunger and cravings,

• energy and sleep,

• digestion,

• recovery and performance.

If something deteriorates significantly, it is not the fault of the vegetable or the meat: it is a sign that your implementation needs to be adjusted.

Signals & stops

• If you often feel tired, hungry, and "always on the hunt" for snacks, you are probably lacking stable protein and/or not getting enough sleep.

• If digestion is constantly a mess: it is often quality + quantity + preparation (legumes not cooked properly, too much fiber all at once, too many industrial substitutes).

• If the pattern isolates you socially, you are paying a high price for a small benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions

So, do I have to become vegan to be healthy?
No. Evidence shows that diets rich in plant-based foods and low in ultra-processed foods are beneficial; this can be achieved with either a well-planned vegan diet or a well-constructed omnivorous diet.

Does meat 'rot' in the intestines?
No: that's a myth. Protein digestion mainly takes place in the stomach and small intestine. If you want to improve your intestinal health, the key is not to demonize 'meat', but to focus on overall quality and fiber content.

If I eat more vegetables, am I at risk of deficiencies?
It depends on how you eat them. In a vegan diet, B12 must be managed seriously. In a very plant-based (but not vegan) diet, the typical focus is on iron, iodine, and omega-3: nothing impossible, but don't leave it to chance.

What about red meat?
The most important thing is to moderate your intake and pay attention to the context (more real food, more vegetables, less processed food). If you want a useful guide on health and markers: Cholesterol: what really matters

Do vegetables help you lose weight better?
They often help because they increase volume and reduce energy density, making it easier to create a deficit without counting calories. But it's not magic: if they become ultra-processed vegetables, they can have the opposite effect.

Which version is the most practical?
The one that allows you to do well 80% of the time without feeling like you're at war with food: real food, adequate protein, vegetables, and controlled processing.

• References and resources

  1. Satija A. Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2017.

  2. World Health Organization / IARC. Q&A: Carcinogenicity of red meat and processed meat. WHO. 2015.

  3. Melina V. Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016.

  4. Kahleova H. Vegetarian Diets and Cardiometabolic Health. Nutrients. 2019.

  5. Fardet A. Ultra-processed foods and food systems: a critical review. Nutrients. 2020.