What is Plant-Based Nutrition?

Find out what's behind plant-based nutrition and its benefits

Let's start by defining plant-based cuisine as a diet that excludes the consumption of meat and animal products and, as a primary characteristic, the total elimination of processed and refined products. The fundamental foods of this diet are 100% natural and organic products such as:

• Fruits.
• Vegetables.
• Cereals.
• Legumes.
• Tubers.
• Nuts.
• Seeds.
• Grains.
• Algae.
• Fungi kingdom.

None of these foods go through any process where they are fried and have preservatives, sugars, starches, or sodium added. However, the fact that they contain none of the above does not mean they are tasteless. These foods are transformed and combined with other organic ingredients, creating new dishes and unique flavors that, besides being delicious, are very healthy.

The main objective is to prioritize the quality of the ingredients and use healthier cooking methods than the traditional ones. This means that none of the preparation processes alter their nutritional value, allowing you to enjoy a flavorful preparation while caring for your health.

Give your palate new experiences.

When we hear about a diet different from ours, one of the main fears is, 'How do I get used to not eating the usual?' It is common to fall into doubts like this, which generate discomfort in unaccustomed palates to the taste of certain foods. 

Plant-based food offers flavors similar to conventional recipes and others that give your palate a new taste experience. 

The golden rule: You can only know if you like or don't like something if you have tasted it. Most importantly, don't limit yourself to just one flavor or recipe, if you allow yourself to try their various dishes, your body and your stomach will thank you.

Healthy body, healthy mind.

The plant-based diet offers benefits that no other diet can provide, as it can supply the necessary nutrients to improve fundamental aspects of your health, such as metabolism. It can also help combat more complex conditions such as anxiety and depression. 

This is possible because the vast majority of foods consumed in this diet have properties that help our brain produce the neurotransmitters needed to achieve emotional stability and, therefore, generate a constant feeling of physical and mental well-being. It can also be an excellent option for people with allergies or intolerance to certain foods. It can even help improve the lifestyle of people with diabetes and cancer.

When you start to reduce the consumption of carbohydrates, fats, sodium, and sugars and replace them with foods that significantly strengthen the immune system, the body begins to gain essential nutrients to generate defenses against diseases, viruses, and bacteria.

Do you realize how many benefits plant-based eating can give you? It's incredible what a radical change it can make to your health and overall well-being, and best of all, you can go at your own pace! Remember that small actions make significant differences.

Plant-based food at Xcaret Hotels.

During the Xcaret 2023 Gastronomic Festival, we had the opportunity to attend the presentation given by Miguel Bautista, a chef from Mérida, Yucatán. He is a specialist in plant-based gastronomy and has two restaurants in Xcaret called BIO and Apapachoa, where you can taste his unique, delicious, and, above all, healthy dishes.

The main focus of their dishes is substituting processed and refined foods with all-natural ones that include higher amounts of fiber and protein, from making his recipe for "cheese" made from fermented coconut water and almonds to making chorizo from chickpeas, mushrooms, and oatmeal.

This is an experience you can't pass up; who wouldn't want to eat a delicious dish that also cares for your health? We are sure that these restaurants have everything you need to make you enjoy a meal that you will love for its taste and the best of 100% natural foods.

Now that you know about this plant-based food alternative, you can give your life and health a 360° turnaround. Remember that the best thing we can do for our body is to take care of it, and what better way to do it than with a change that includes something delicious and healthy in the process?