Plant Power Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Vegetarianism

Plant Power Day is celebrated annually on March 7 to promote plant-based diets and raise awareness about the benefits of sustainable nutrition. Did you know that Alpro and BOSH! created Plant Power Day? The connotation of plant-based diets varies depending on the individual. A plant-based diet may be entirely vegan (no animal-derived products), comprising primarily of plant foods, or minimally processed whole plant foods. Although a plant-based diet has been an option for many people for centuries, it has only recently garnered widespread acceptance as a way of life.

The background of Plant Power Day

The history of plant-based diets is intricately intertwined with veganism, which is derived from vegetarianism. In the northern and western ancient Indus Valley Civilization, the earliest signs of vegetarianism appeared between 3300 and 1300 B.C. The majority of Indian emperors and philosophers, including Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, Mahavira, and Acharya Kundakunda, followed this lifestyle. Seneca the Younger, Ovid, Plutarch, and Empedocles were among the ancient Greek and Roman notables who practised vegetarianism.

They argued that this lifestyle choice was motivated by health, spiritual transmigration, animal welfare, and justice. Arab poet all-Ma’arri was one of the earliest vegans known to history. In the nineteenth century, vegetarianism gained widespread acceptance in Britain and the United States. Through their works, vegetarian professionals raised awareness of the advantages of a vegetarian diet and lifestyle.

This includes the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley in his 1813 book “A Vindication of Natural Diet,” the physician William Lambe, and Sylvester Graham, who created the vegetarian “Graham diet” that was immensely popular in the United States during the 1830s. During this time period, several vegetarian communities and societies were founded. The United Kingdom Vegetarian Society was one of these organisations, having been founded in the 1840s.

In 1994, several members requested that the Vegetarian Society’s newsletter devote a section to non-dairy vegetarianism. Donald Watson, secretary of the Leicester branch of the Vegetarian Society, began a newsletter called “The Vegan News” in November of that year after the Vegetarian Society denied his request. This resulted in the formation of the Vegan Society and the vegan movement, also known as “veganism.” Individuals who consume primarily plant-based foods and abstain from animal exploitation supported the movement in significant numbers.

T. Colin Campbell coined the term “plant-based diet” in 1980. The term refers to a diet that is low in fat, high in fibre, and predominantly consists of vegetables, with a focus on health rather than ethics. Since then, various works have used the term to refer to veganism, vegetarianism, and semi-vegetarianism. Plant Power Day was created in 2018 by the European company Alpro and the vegan recipe website BOSH! to encourage people to consume more vegetables and plant-based dishes.

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5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT VEGETARIANISM

A study by the U.S. Humane Research Council revealed that approximately 84% of vegetarians return to consuming meat within a year of adopting a vegetarian lifestyle.

Vegans are less tolerant of vegetarians than non-vegetarians due to their belief that vegetarians undermine their anti-meat campaign.

Vegetarian is a general term for anyone who chooses to consume a predominantly plant-based diet, unlike vegans who are prohibited from consuming meat.

As vitamin B12 is only found in meat, fish, and dairy products, vegetarians who consume a plant-based diet without meat are prone to develop a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Fruitarians are vegetarians who consume only fruits, nuts, and seeds, which is potentially hazardous to their health.

PLANT POWER DAY DATES

Year	Date	Day
2023	March 7	Tuesday
2024	March 7	Thursday
2025	March 7	Friday
2026	March 7	Saturday
2027	March 7	Sunday