Even if you like to eat meat and potatoes, you'll be doing your body a favor by adopting some of these habits: eating seasonal foods. If you invite a guest to dinner who is vegan, you'll want to review your menu carefully to make sure it follows two basic rules. Plant-based foods are fine, but animal foods are banned, including common ingredients such as eggs, cheese, milk and honey. A major driver of this is concern for animals and the environment.
The EAT-Lancet report released earlier this year called for a fundamental change in the global food system in order to keep the planet and its inhabitants sustainable beyond the next 50 years. The main of their recommendations was to significantly reduce the intake of red meat and dairy products. Since the ideal intake of red meat, according to the report, is only 16 grams a day (the equivalent of a small steak a week), it is just as easy for many to stop eating meat. If you work out a lot, post-workout protein is helpful; evidence suggests that eating 10 to 20 grams of high-quality protein a couple of hours after completing your workout may aid muscle recovery.
You'd get 10 grams of protein from a slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter (vegan) and a small glass of fortified soy milk, half a cup of edamame beans, a good handful of nuts mixed together, or a serving of pea-based protein powder mixed with water or soy milk. The key to a nutritionally healthy vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, lots of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds and legumes. To maximize the production of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids), vegans should include good sources of alpha-linolenic acid in their diets, such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, tofu, soybeans and walnuts.
Plant-based proteins are experiencing enormous growth and investment, and vegan-friendly options are popping up everywhere, from the corner coffee shop to the grocery aisle. The natural tendency to eat fewer calories on a vegan diet may be due to a higher intake of dietary fiber, which can make you feel fuller. There are also some surprising foods that don't qualify as vegan, such as bread made with eggs and marshmallows and gummy bears made with gelatin. These portable, fiber-rich and protein-rich vegan snacks are practical options to help minimize hunger between meals.
The food industry is in line with the trend towards veganism and is meeting demand with junk food suitable for vegans. Some argue that vegans may have slightly lower daily requirements due to the lack of meat in their diets. To follow the healthiest vegan diet possible, keep in mind that the goal is to eat whole, minimally processed foods. Adding seaweed or iodized salt to your vegan diet can help you achieve the recommended daily intake of iodine (5).
Therefore, following a vegan diet makes it easier to comply with recommendations given to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. However, current studies show that vegans who consume less than 525 mg of calcium a day have a higher risk of bone fractures (5). Despite the pale and slightly biting stereotype, modern vegans are more intelligent than their cartoonish predecessors.
