I'm probably going to get some hate for saying this but I just want to be real with you guys...
I don't care what you eat or what diet you follow or the many reasons you choose to eat this way!
I am not going to judge you and what you eat based on my opinions! What you eat is your choice and I will respect that all they way! I believe you know your body better than anyone else! You know what works for you!
What I do care about is:
How you feel?
Do you feel satisfied eating this particular way?
Do you have the energy to go about your normal daily activities?
Are you smashing your health or weight loss goals?
IS THIS WORKING FOR YOU?
I am by no means suggesting that you should not go vegan or slamming people who are vegan! I love vegan food and think there are so many positives towards plant-based eating but I personally think vegan is too restrictive FOR ME!!
But if you are vegan for cultural or symbolic reasons, it is working for you, your kicking your nutritional/exercise/health goals and you generally feel great... that is absolutely FANTASTIC!
If you want to go vegan or give it a try, I will not stop you. I will 110% support your decision. What I do want to do is provide you with all the information I can about the diet and what you need to consider so you can follow it in the healthiest way possible! and help you follow a vegan diet by:
Ensuring you still meet your nutritional requirements in the best way possible
Find the balance that suits you
Try to be unrestrictive as possible
So if you are considering going vegan, here's what you need to know...
What is a vegan diet?
The vegan diet it a type of vegetarian diet, in the fact that it is plant-based. However, some vegetarian diets allow you to still eat dairy foods and eggs. But in the vegan diet these are excluded completely!
Vegan diets means you can eat and enjoy plant-based foods only!
What can I enjoy following a vegan diet?
There are so many nutritious foods that you can still enjoy when following a vegan diet. Most foods and supermarkets even have a vegan alternative!
Vegan diets are seen as restrictive, as there are a significant amount of foods that are not included in this diet. Restrictive diets, no matter what they are, have their own negatives, including:
Challenging when eating out, some restaurants may not cater for vegans (however, more and more are able to cater for this way of eating)
Socially challenging when your group of friends are not vegan
may not be sustainable for you
Harder to meet some nutrient needs
What should I be aware of?
You can 100% meet your nutritional requirements and follow a vegan diet. However, when you are excluding whole food groups there are some nutrients that you need to watch out for as they are predominantly found in animal products. In saying that, many are still found in plant-based foods and I have included vegan alternatives for you!
1. Protein
Following a vegan diet can be difficult to meet your protein needs, however it is possible.
Protein is made up of amino acids and some amino acids cannot be made by the body. These are called "essential" amino acids. Most of the essential amino acids are found in meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. Which are foods groups that are excluded when following a vegan diet.
Not all plants have all the essential amino acids. But, like I said before it is still possible to meet your protein needs by eating a variety of plant-based sources of protein every day. These include legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds and grains.
2. Iron
There are 2 types of iron: haem and non-harm.
Haem - found in animal products (i.e. red meat, chicken, fish, eggs)
Non-haem - found in plant-based foods (i.e. legumes, tofu, nuts and seeds, wholegrain and dark leafy green vegetables)
Plan-based iron (or non-haem iron) is not as easily absorbed by the body then the iron that is found in animal-based foods. However, Vegans can absolutely meet their iron requirements.
Some foods can also affect your bodies ability to absorb iron, like tea. So try to avoid drinking tea with you meals.
Good news... there are ways to boost how well you absorb plant-based iron. By paring plant-based iron with foods that contain vitamin (i.e. berries, citrus fruits, kiwi fruit, capsicum, tomatoes and brocolli)
3. Vitamin B12
B12 is unfortunately a nutrient that is only found in animal products. So it is important that you include foods that have been for fortified with vitamin B12.
These include some soy milk, vegetarian sausages/burgers and even nutritional yeast.
You may even benefit from taking a B12 supplement. Seek advice from a GP or Dietitian before you start taking any supplements.
4. Calcium
A vegan diet excludes dairy products. Therefore, it is import that you try to include other foods that are risk in calcium to ensure you meet your daily calcium needs and promote strong bone health.
Some good vegan friendly sources of calcium include hard tofu, almonds, leafy green vegetables (i.e. kale, bok choy, broccoli) and unhulled tahini. Some vegan milks including soy or almond milk are sometimes fortified with calcium, meaning calcium is added to these to help you meet your calcium needs.
5. Omega 3
Omega 3 fatty acids are considered a "good" fat and our body can't make enough omega-3 itself. This means that you body needs to get omega-3 fats from what you eat. Marine sources including fatty fish (i.e. salmon, tuna, etc) are excellent sources of omega-3 and are easily absorbed by the body.
However, you can get omega-3 fatty acids from plant sources, but the body needs to convert the omega-3 from plant sources into a more absorbable form, like the marine form. This conversion rate is slow.
Plant based sources of omega 3 include linseeds/flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds, soy bean oil and canola oil.
There are also omega 3 supplements available. Seek help from your GP or a dietitian to find out if this is something you mayweed to consider.
Benefits of a plant-based diet?
Plant-based diets have been shown to be beneficial for out health. Evidence suggests that plant-based diets may:
Reduce your risk of heart disease
Reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes
Help with maintaining a healthy weight and/or weight loss
Reduce your risk of some types of cancers
Plant-based diets can also improve your fibre intake, which can:
Help increase the 'good' bacteria in your gut
Reduce your cholesterol and blood sugar levels
Maintain optimal bowel functions
Aid in weight loss and prevent unhealthy weight gain
Help you feel fuller for longer
What a day might look like?
Here are some vegan friendly recipes I have created:
There are so many benefits of moving towards plant-based eating! But if you find that the vegan diet is to restrictive why not co by following a vegetarian eating patter instead!
Enjoy xx
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