A vegan diet can be a healthy choice if you plan meals that focus on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans. This can help ensure you are getting enough calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and iodine. You’ll also need good vegan cooking equipment to get started.
Try to avoid processed vegan foods such as cookies, muffins, and garlic bread made with margarine.
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Eat More Vegetables
When transitioning to a vegan diet, you’ll want to ensure you get essential nutrients like protein, vitamin B12, and iron. You’ll need to eat a well-planned diet that includes fortified foods, legumes, and vegetables.
Choose vegetables from all colors to get the variety of vitamins and minerals you need. For example, red tomatoes have heart-healthy lycopene, blueberries have brain-boosting anthocyanins, and orange sweet potatoes provide eye-healthy vitamin A.
Start with a meatless meal on Meatless Mondays, and then gradually increase the number of plant-based meals in your diet. You may even experience a change in your taste buds! A vegan diet is also great for your gut microbiome. This is because it can help to reduce disease-causing bacteria and promote the growth of healthy ones.
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Eat More Fruits
When starting a vegan diet, eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans, and legumes is important. Adding these foods will help ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs.
If you’re worried about getting enough protein, try to include more plant-based proteins such as tofu, tempeh, quinoa, soy milk, beans, and lentils. Nuts and seeds, including peanut butter, also provide protein.
New vegans may have trouble meeting nutrient requirements, especially for iron, calcium, and vitamin B12. A registered dietitian can guide you in making a nutritious meal plan that will meet your dietary needs. Make sure to talk to your doctor and/or dietitian before making any major changes to your diet. They can evaluate your health history and give you expert advice. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consulting with a dietitian for dietary guidance is even more important.
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Eat More Whole Grains
The goal is to eat a wide variety of whole fruits, vegetables, tubers, beans, and whole grains each day. Aim to eat foods of all colors and avoid refined carbohydrates that can lead to weight gain and blood sugar imbalances.
Start by incorporating more whole grains, such as oatmeal, quinoa, and brown rice, into your diet. This will help add iron and B vitamins to your meal, which are nutrients that can be missing when you cut out meat.
Another important tip is to get enough vitamin B12. Vegans need to ensure they get this through fortified cereals, soy drinks, and vegan “cheeses.” If not able to meet your needs through food, talk with your doctor about taking a supplement. Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia. This is especially true for older adults.
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Eat More Nuts
Many people assume that eating vegan is difficult, but it can be quite easy when you make a plan. Talking to a registered dietitian will help you determine your nutritional requirements, structure your meals, and decide which vitamins and supplements you need.
Incorporate a variety of healthy plant foods to ensure you get enough nutrients, such as calcium (from leafy greens), protein, and vitamin B12. Aim for a balanced diet and avoid going overboard with high-fat vegan options like nut butter, cheeses, and ice cream. Consider incorporating tempeh, a meat-free sausage, and cashews (for vegan mac and cheese), or use prepared sauces for flavorful meals. Getting creative with your meals and finding new recipes will also help. You can find a wealth of delicious meal ideas at vegan websites such as Oh She Glows. It’s worth investing in one of her cookbooks for a collection of well-rounded recipes.
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Eat More Legumes
Many people who follow a vegan diet are at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency, which can cause anemia. A diet high in beans and other legumes, whole grains, vegetables, cold-pressed oils, and nuts is a good source of this nutrient.
Legumes are rich in protein and can be eaten in a variety of ways. Legumes are also a good source of calcium and iron, which are important for healthy bones.
Plenty of prepared vegan sauces and condiments are available that can add many flavors to your meals, but make sure you check the label to ensure they’re all vegan. And be mindful of how much salt and sugar you’re eating, too. Too much of either can lead to weight gain and poor health.
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Eat More Beans
Unlike vegetarians, vegans do not consume any foods containing meat, fish, or dairy products. This means that they must carefully select plant-based alternatives, such as beans, whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds, to meet their protein requirements.
It is also essential for vegans to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods to ensure they are getting all the nutrients they need, such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and K. To do this, stock up on a selection of brown rice, quinoa, and buckwheat and add in leafy greens, tomatoes (rich in heart-healthy lycopene), carrots (loaded with eye-healthy carotenoids) and sweet potatoes (a good source of brain-boosting anthocyanins).
Eating legumes such as chickpeas, lentils, and black beans is also important. This will help boost your protein intake and also provide fiber. Keeping canned beans on hand is a good idea as they are inexpensive and can be added to salads, soups, or tacos.
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Eat More Soy Products
People switching to a vegan diet are often worried that they will miss out on important nutrients, such as protein, vitamin B12, calcium, iron, and zinc. However, these can be easily obtained through a well-planned vegan diet and fortified foods.
Start with replacing traditional processed meats and dairy products with plant-based alternatives. Stock up on beans, nuts, and seeds, and eat brown rice, quinoa, and other whole grains. Add some vegetables, fruits, and legumes to round out your meal.
Don’t forget to get some heart-healthy fatty acids from avocados, olive oil, and walnuts, and brain-boosting isoflavones in soy products like tofu veggie burgers, homemade almond milk, and tempeh.
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Eat More Seeds
A growing number of professional athletes — Colin Kaepernick, Venus Williams, and others — have adopted whole-food, plant-based diets. This lifestyle has also been linked to reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and other health conditions.
A vegan diet can add more veggies, legumes, and whole grains to your daily meal plan. Eating vegetables of all colors will give you immune-boosting vitamins (red tomatoes have heart-healthy lycopene, blueberries have brain-boosting anthocyanins, and dark leafy greens have eye-protective carotenoids).
If you’re thinking of transitioning to a vegan diet, make the change slowly by eliminating one animal product each week or replacing a meat or dairy dish with a meatless option. You can even take it slow with your snacks, for example, switching out traditional nut or seed butter for less processed ones.
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Eat More Nut Butter
Many people are going vegan for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. But if you’re new to the diet, knowing how to plan your meals for optimal success is important.
That means stocking your fridge and pantry with staples like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Then you can start planning meals like hearty bowls of oatmeal topped with fruit and nuts; roasted veggie hummus wraps; peanut butter and banana sandwiches; or veggie stir-fries over brown rice.
Nuts provide protein, healthy fats, and key nutrients like iron, vitamin E, selenium, and zinc. They also are a great substitute for dairy in recipes like creamy cashew alfredo. Plus, they can be used to create plant-based cheeses and milk, such as oats or hemp. They’re also a great snack, whether raw or roasted.
