• A plant-based diet is based on vegetables, grains, legumes and fruit, with little or no animal products (including dairy and eggs). It can also refer to a vegan diet which is a plant-based diet with no food from any animal sources.

• What's the difference between a plant-based diet and a vegan diet?  I ate a strict vegan diet for over 5-6 years, but finally decided I wanted to eat a little fish and eggs occasionally.  So what do I call myself if I eat a piece of fish once a month, or an egg once every two weeks, or a piece of turkey at a thanksgiving meal, or have a piece of cake at a birthday party made with dairy?  Am I still a vegan?  Not really, which is why I refer to myself as eating a plant-based diet, and allows one to eat tiny amounts of animal products sparingly, without the confusion.

• Eating a plant based diet allows you to center your diet around grains, legumes, vegetables and fruits, with, fish, meat, eggs and dairy eaten sparingly or not at all.  The choice is yours.  
• What does little and sparingly mean? If you choose to eat any animal products, I would first consider the studies shown in "The China Study," by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell.  We learn from this book that the healthiest people are eating between a 10%-24% fat calorie percentage; healthiest meaning low rates of cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, alzheimer's, and yes obesity!  What is also interesting from this book and the studies performed is only 5% of their diet comes from protein which is only 25 grams of protein based on a 2000 calorie diet.  This means they are eating a diet rich in starches, vegetables, fruits, grains and plants.  Animal products are eaten very sparingly or not at all.  This is opposite of what Americans are eating which is high in protein at 20% or 100 grams of protein based on a 2000 calorie diet.  For me, sparingly is eating any animal products including eggs and dairy and fish once a week, with small portions.  Small would mean 1 egg or half of a regular size patty or 4 oz of fish once or twice a week.