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1.19: Human Nutrition from Plants and Plant-based Proteins

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    Superfoods are getting more and more popular due to their superior nutrient-rich characteristics. Many food plants including vegetables (e.g., lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage), berries (e.g., blueberries), beans, nuts, and whole grains are rich in mineral nutrients and vitamins for human diet. Therefore, planting home gardens, renting garden plots, and visiting local farmers’ markets for locally grown are becoming popular worldwide.

    On the other hand, plant-based meat (beef, chicken, or fish alternatives) is also gaining popularity (estimated $74 billion economy) by large restaurant chains worldwide. Lastly, there are also other future food alternatives including sea veggies such as sea lettuce, nori, and wakame with protein and nutritional content. In return, these new protein sources may be the answer for sustainable and eco-friendly protein supply for increasing world population.

    \(\PageIndex{1}\). Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

    • SLO 19.01: Apply the best practices for learning plant-based nutrition
    • SLO 19.02: Describe the characteristics of plant-based proteins
    • SLO 19.03: Describe the characteristics of health benefits of human nutrition from plants
    • SLO 19.04: Describe the essential nutrients for human diet
    • SLO 19.05: Identify given plant species with their scientific names based on their key features
    • SLO 19.06: Explain the connection between heart health and plant-based diet
    • SLO 19.07: Explain the differences between carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins for human diet

    \(\PageIndex{2}\). Big Picture

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    \(\PageIndex{3}\). Test Your Knowledge

    • Assessment 1: TRUE or FALSE: Beans and lentils are protein rich plants.
    • Assessment 2: TRUE or FALSE: Broccoli is a cruciferous vegetable.
    • Assessment 3: TRUE or FALSE: Vegan diet eliminates all animal products and byproducts (dairy, meat, poultry, fish, eggs and honey).
    • Assessment 4: TRUE or FALSE: Vegetarian diet eliminates animal products except dairy and eggs.

    \(\PageIndex{4}\). Can You Spot These Plants?

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    \(\PageIndex{5}\). Check Your Answers

    1. TRUE
    2. TRUE
    3. TRUE
    4. TRUE

    This page titled 1.19: Human Nutrition from Plants and Plant-based Proteins is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Gokhan Hacisalihoglu (Florida State Open Publishing) via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.