Have you recently embraced a plant-based diet? We demystify the lifestyle and spotlight where to go to satiate cravings while keeping vegan

Veganism has gone mainstream. Once relegated to the counterculture, the vegan lifestyle is gaining steam among the general public, with millions of Americans reporting that they eat a primarily plant-based diet and the market for plant-based alternatives to animal foods growing into a multibillion-dollar industry.

Everyone has their own reasons for embarking upon a plant-based path. While many vegans cite animal rights, another leading factor is the detrimental impact that meat and dairy production has on the environment. This industry accounts for as much as 60 percent of agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Oxford, who tout following a vegan diet as the “single biggest way” to reduce one’s carbon footprint. From a health perspective, numerous studies have found that a vegan diet is a cost-effective and low-risk way to both prevent and alleviate high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity.

But not all vegan foods are created equal. Take Oreos, for example. Though they’re not made with dairy or meat, these treats are certainly not doing much to lower cholesterol or mitigate diabetes. This is one of the primary distinctions between vegan and whole-food, plant-based diets: While the former can include highly processed imitations of meats and cheeses, the latter prioritizes eating minimally processed foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. And although vegans abstain from all animal products and byproducts, those who follow plant-based diets opt to primarily eat plants but may not eliminate animal products altogether.

Whether it be for morality or to delay mortality, more and more Americans are vegan-curious. And while South Florida—with its sizeable Hispanic population and penchant for lechon—may not be top of mind when it comes to vegan utopias, the region is making headway, with restaurateurs creating more vegan menu items and new vegan eateries, bakeries, and delis opening to meet demand.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to travel the world and go to these vegan communities, and I would say South Florida ranks in the top 10,” says Sean Russell, who founded the vegan directory and app SoFlo Vegans in 2017. “What sets South Florida apart from anywhere else in the world—because of our geographic location and being the gateway to the Americas—is we have a lot of Latin-inspired vegan restaurants, and the Caribbean influences are felt in the vegan options down here as well.”  

Chef David Lee of Planta and Planta Queen

Ever since the Toronto-based vegan restaurant, Planta, and later its Asian-inspired sister, Planta Queen, entered the South Florida food scene, vegans and omnivores alike have been singing its praises with their mouths full of elevated plant-centric iterations of bao buns, udon noodles, truffle fries, pizza, carbonara, and even sushi. Currently, the restaurant group operates Planta locations in West Palm Beach and South Beach and Planta Queen locations in Coconut Grove and Fort Lauderdale.

“Our mission is to reinvent and revitalize the plant-based dining experience,” says executive chef David Lee. “Coconut Grove, South Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach all have different demographics, but we’re really grateful to the community as a whole and the impact they’ve allowed us to make.”

For Lee, eating plant-based gives him “more energy” and allows him to “think sharper.” It’s not just a specific dish or menu, but a lifestyle he’s proud to promote and introduce to omnivore diners.  >>MORE