A vegan diet, as the name suggests, comprises mostly of plants. The idea behind this diet is to follow a lifestyle which is against all kinds of animal cruelty, may it be in any form, food, clothing or otherwise. A vegan diet does not include any form of animal meat, poultry or dairy. It is a stricter diet than a vegetarian diet. You can also lose weight being on this diet. It’s a form of clean eating, in which the protein from animal meat is replaced by protein from plants and is high in fibers. The high fiber, low calorie food keeps you fuller for longer and you can easily shed some pounds.
Totally eliminating animal meat from your diet may seem like a lot of food has been cut out of your daily food options, but that is not the case. Being vegan is fairly easy if you know what you can eat. There are alternatives available for almost everything that you have to give up in this diet. For instance, you cannot take dairy, so you can replace that with soy milk or almond milk. It is also possible for vegans to have a proper balanced diet.
Proteins
It is a common misconception that proteins are only found in meat or poultry. Vegans have a lot of protein rich food options. For example, lentils, tofu, chickpeas and beans, almonds and other nuts, quinoa etc.
Fats
Fats are necessary for a balanced diet. Vegans can obtain their daily dose of fats from avocados, olive oil, chia seeds, nuts and nut butters, palm oil, coconut products, sweet potatoes and legumes. These options provide vegans with enough healthy fats and calories to produce steroid hormones.
Fruits and vegetables
All fruits and vegetables are edible in a vegan diet.
Carbohydrates
Vegans can take whole wheat or normal bread that’s made of flour, yeast, water and salt. Peanut butter is also a good source of carbohydrates. Many vegetables and fruits also have enough carbohydrates to help vegans follow a balanced diet. Zucchini pasta is also another good option.
It helps to chalk out a plan for each meal, for example, make a list of options you can make for breakfast. When you think breakfast, you think eggs and milk or pancakes and butter, but being a vegan means having to change that thought process. You will have to be creative and make your own recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Grocery list for beginners can easily be obtained from books and websites. All food groups should be covered in your everyday meals. You should make sure the recopies you choose are providing you with all the nutrients and vitamins. For example, plant milks should be a part of your meals as they are high in calcium and leafy green vegetables are iron-fortified. The food can be cooked in olive, coconut or sesame oil.
As you can see, following a vegan diet is very easy. You can very conveniently find vegan food options on the menu of restaurants and eateries. You can pick and choose the right mix of nutrient rich options. Being vegan doesn’t mean you have to give up on desserts! Dark chocolate, peanut butter cookies, raw Nutella, blueberry macha popsicles – the options are endless!