“Healthcare starts in your kitchen and not the doctor’s office.”

I couldn’t agree more with this comment from Dr. Vivian Chen, MBBS, MRCP, MRCHP, General Practitioner.

If you have been raised in the westernised culture, it’s probable you have been raised the same as me. That it is normal to eat dairy, meat and veg, with meat being go-to your source of protein. You may also have thought you need to drink cow’s milk as a source of calcium. For the first 30 years of my life, I was eating meat and dairy, so I get it.

But, what if I told you that a well-balanced whole foods plant-based diet provides the best nutrition that a diet can offer.

Fact.

There’s so much to learn on the subject, depending on how deep you want to go with it. But, it can be so confusing. Where is the best place to start? What foods do I need to buy? What are the best foods to eat for optimum nutrition?

It took me MONTHS to figure it all out, so that’s why I’ve decided to save you the same time (pain) and out everything you need in one place.

Vegan nutrition is a whole new world of learning when it comes to sourcing your nutrients.

Eat nuts, but not too much of them.

You can eat that salad, but avoid that dressing.

Yum, those chips look delicious, but watch out – they have milk powder in them!!

It can all feel a little overwhelming.

Whether you’re someone who is looking to just eat more vegan foods and understand which benefits come from what foods? Or perhaps you’re someone who is looking make a full switch or a long-term vegan? Knowledge in plant-based nutrition can be helpful to anybody who want’s to feel great.

PLANT-BASED FOOD MADE SIMPLE

Eating plant-based doesn’t have to be complicated. This Complete Plant-Based Diet Foods List makes grocery shopping quick, easy and delicious.

I sometimes eat really well, then other times I go away and I eat all the bread, drink all the vegan wine and I feel like crap.

Don’t worry – this isn’t an article on how to make yourself feel like crap.

This is an article on how to feel GREAT.

The point is, there is a HUGE difference for I how feel that directly correlates with what I am eating. Do you find that too?

The more good food I eat, the better I feel.

So I’m going to break down my learnings in plant-based whole foods nutrition for you.

If you want to jump straight to the 5 Tips then scroll down a little and you will see them :). Or carry on reading for the build up…Up to you.

What Does Being ‘Vegan’ Mean?

According to The Vegan Society, “Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.”

Ok, so what is the vegan diet exactly?!

A vegan diet looks to exclude all meat, fish, dairy and eggs. It may include more man-made foods such as tofu, soy, potato chips and cookies. Often it’s not about health, but rather ethical and moral beliefs relating to the environment and animal welfare.

What Is A Plant-Based Diet?

A plant-based diet has a focus on eating whole foods derived from plants only, avoiding animal products, processed or refined foods.

This type of diet emphasizes eating a diet predominately based on fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains and seeds.

So What’s The Difference?

Veganism is more of a lifestyle choice, while a whole foods plant-based diet is just about eating whole plant foods.

What is Better Nutritionally?

The whole foods plant-based diet has the nutritional edge over eating vegan. Because it looks to exclude man made process foods and just includes foods as they have come out of the ground, in their natural form. It has more vitamins an minerals.

Health Benefits

A diet choc-ful of plant-based whole foods is proven to reduce cholesterol levels and lower your blood pressure. It’s said to reduce the chances of chronic diseases including hearth disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers. It can also give you glowing radiant skin (yay!) and significantly aid weight-loss! It can also improve energy levels and promotes more of the happy hormones, what’s not to like?!!

If you want to learn more about The 8 Best Health Perks Of A Vegan Diet, then don’t worry we’ve got you covered to read a full breakdown.

5 Quick Tips

Tip #1 – Eating the rainbow

For optimum nutrition it’s advised to eat a variety of plant foods covering all colors of the rainbow. Dr Megan Rossi recommends eating 30 different plant sources per week for optimum nutrition. One good way of jamming in the plants is to make smoothies or juices. A yummy juice would be to blend spinach, cucumber apple, banana, almond butter and chia seeds in a blender, delicious and nutritious!

Tip # 2 – Avoid eating a junk-food diet

Eating a vegan diet isn’t necessarily eating a healthy diet. To reap the health benefits, you need to eat the healthy foods. Vegan pizzas and French fries every mealtime won’t cut it I’m afraid.

Tip # 3 – Keep it delicious

Be open to trying new foods! Plant-based food can easily be tasty. All this science and talk of numbers can take all of the fun out of meal planning, but it doesn’t need to be that way. The more delicious you make the food, the more you’ll absolutely love eating all of the nutritious goodness.

Tip #4 – Remember to include protein

Beans, chickpeas, lentils or nuts to every mealtime. Protein levels are easy to maintain, as long as you eat it.

Tip #5 – Include these staple nutritional powerhouses

Not all plant foods are created equal, some are much more nutritious than others. Try to eat some leafy greens most days. Aside from that, top plant-sources of nutrition include kale, quinoa, seaweed, garlic, sweet potatoes, blueberries, nuts, legumes and dark chocolate.

Supplements You Need To Take

B12 and vitamin D are the two key nutrients that can be obtained from plants, but it’s just going to make life a lot easier and simpler to just also take a supplement.

B12 was formally found in soil, that’s how animals used to ingest it too, from eating the grass. But unfortunately, humans have stripped and over-sanitized the soil to such a degree that the B12 has been stripped out. The only reason that those on a diet with meat and dairy don’t need to take a supplement is because animals are supplemented with it. So by taking a B12 supplement, you are just cutting out the middle man.

It is recommended to take 25 – 100 mcg a day for the ideal, or one 2,500 mcg supplement each week is still good to cover yourself.

It’s really important to ensure you’re getting enough B12.

It’s easy to become deficient and the side effects can be serious, including numbness, tingling, tiredness, balance problems and neurological issues, so take that B12 vitamin supplement please folks!

Vitamin D, I included this one because it would be great for those on vegan diet and non-vegan diet alike to take. Unless you’re outside a lot, it’s difficult to get the intake required naturally.

So Where Do You Get Your Protein From?

Changing to a plant-based diet, it’s time to think a little differently. A big shift can be in where you source your protein in your day-to-day eating habits.

One of the biggest mis-conceptions is that you can’t get enough protein from plant-based foods. That’s just simply not true.

You can get your plant-based protein from legumes, nuts and seeds. It’s a cleaner, leaner protein from plants. It excludes the saturated fats found in meat, fish and dairy. The animals which humans consume, such as cows, pigs and chickens, all eat a plant-based diet to achieve their protein. So why not go straight to the source?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein is a modest 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight.

This is the recommendation but many eat above this amount. Nancy Rodriguez, a registered dietitian and professor of nutritional science at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, advises its safe to eat a minimum of the RDA and up to double that.

It’s recommend to have 0.8g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day.

There are many protein sources out there from plants. Whole foods sources of protein include:

Chickpeas (per cup) 14g
Beans (per cup) 15g
Lentils (per cup) 18g
Quinoa (per cup) 9g
Pumpkin seeds (per oz) 8g
Cashew nuts (per oz) 5g

What’s A Good Food Source For B12?

As you’re reading this, I’m assuming you’re like me and would like to eat your nutrients too, rather than only supplement.

It’s recommended to have 2.4 micrograms of B12 per day for adults.

Sources (check the label to make sure they are fortified with B12):

Nutritional Yeast
Cereals
Plant milk

Calcium

We have more calcium in our bodies than any other mineral. It’s essential for healthy teeth and bones, heart health, muscle function and nerve signalling.

Here are some great sources of calcium:

Kale (per cup) 180mg
Plant milks fortified with Calcium (per cup) 200-300mg
Almond butter (2 tbsp) 111mg

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 prevents and manages heart disease and assists to lower blood pressure. It can help reduce depression and anxiety symptoms, improve your vision, promote brain health in pregnancy and early life development, fight autoimmune diseases, prevent cancer, improve bone and joint health, alleviate menstrual pain, improve sleep and finally give you beautiful glowing skin! That’s quite the list!

Here are some sources of Omega-3s:

The peas

Chickpeas
Peas

Grains

Quinoa
Brown or wholegrain rice
Buckwheat
Rolled oats
Red lentil or chickpea pasta

Nuts

Cashew
Peanuts
Walnuts
Pecans
Almonds
Macadamia
Pistachio
Brazil

Iron

Iron is crucial to include in your diet as it contributes towards making the haemoglobin red pigment for your blood cells and keeps the oxygen flowing around your bloodstream.

We are told by many that the best source of iron in your diet is to get it from red meat.

The good news is you can also eat iron from plenty of plant-based sources.

Whenever I think of iron, I think of Popeye. It really was truly amazing what he could accomplish if he just had a can of spinach! When the character of Popeye was created, they made spinach a ‘thing’ because of its iron properties!

It’s recommended to have around 20mg per day.

Some fantastic sources of iron are:

Leafy greens – yes spinach like Popeye! (per cup) 6.4mg
Soy beans/Edamame (per cup) 8.8mg
Lentils (per cup) 6.6mg
Kidney beans (per cup) 3.9mg
Quinoa (per cup) 2.8mg

Iodine

Iodine is an essential mineral the body needs. Your thyroid gland uses iodine to make hormones, which help control growth, repair damaged cells and aid a healthy metabolism.

Great plant based sources of iodine include:

Seaweed
Iodized salt
Prunes
Wholegrains
Zuchinni
Kale
Spring greens
Strawberries

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is crucial for many processes in the body, including maintaining healthy vision. It also aids the function of your immune system and organs and assists with the growth and development of babies in the womb.

Excellent sources of plant-based vitamin A include:

Sweet potato
Pumpkin
Carrot
Butternut squash
Spinach
Broccoli
Apricot

Zinc

Zinc is fantastic for your carbohydrate metabolism, efficient production of testosterone to prevent oestrogen domination, helps give you strong and glowing hair and nails, aids your sense of smell and gives you a well functioning immune system.

Great plant-based sources of zinc include:

Beans
Legumes
Nuts
Chia seeds
Oats
Wheat germ
Nutritional yeast

Feeling 100

If you want to feel like the healthiest version of you, then eating well is just one part. Here’s some addition tips to help you feel 100%.

Exercise…News just in! Exercise makes you feel good! It’s so much more than the physicality of it.
Sleep well
Drink plenty of water
Be outside
Take time for you, just relaxing
Put the phone down

If you are someone who goes to work all day, then comes home and plays on your phone, watches some TV, have you really had a day with something for you? I know how easy it is to that because I have done it, many times. But I’ve also realised it can be good for the soul to have some ‘me’ time. I have by doing one of the things on the list above.

Because a plant-based diet is made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, its nutritional profile is the highest of any diet. However, it’s still essential to make sure eating the right foods for optimum nutrition.

The trick is just make sure that you’re eating the ’right’ foods. It’s all about eating in an ‘informed’ way.

If you liked this article and you’re looking for details on how to go vegan on the cheap, then check out How to Go Vegan On A Budget And Save $$$!

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