Healthy Eating Guidelines for Vegans

It can be hard as a vegan when you know very little about nutrients and you are trying to ensure you meet calcium, iron, vitamin needs etc. Sometimes it might be a bit overwhelming and you still don't know how to eat a balanced plant-based diet. To make it easier I have broken down some healthy eating guidelines by food groups. It may seem like a lot to think of at first, but it actually is quite simple and eventually you will just get the knack of it. I've compiled the information in this document based of a number of resources such as the Vegan EatWell Guide and BDA Fact-sheet on plant-based eating. A lot of the stuff is common knowledge based on the regular healthy eating guidelines.

Alpha-Linolenic Acid

1. Add 1 heaped tblsp milled flaxseed or whole/milled chia seeds to your breakfast or a smoothie/shake everyday. This ensures you get at least 2g ALA. 15g Walnuts work too. Adding 2 heaped tblsp of the former or 30g walnuts will ensure you definitely get enough of this essential fatty acid.

Plant Milk-Alternatives

2. Try to include 2-3 servings of fortified plant milk-alternatives or yoghurts everyday. Soya milk is a great option as it is high in protein. Oat milk goes nicely in coffee and doesn’t curdle. Be sure to avoid organic options as they are not fortified.

Cereal Grains & Carbohydrates

3.Include a range of cereals in your diet and aim for wholegrains. Cereals include oats, wheat, rice, barley, rye and maize (corn). They can come in the form of pasta, rice, noodles, bread etc. Not only are cereals high in carbohydrates, but they provide protein to the diet as well as fibre and lots of micronutrients.

Fruit & Vegetables

4.Ensure you are eating a wide variety of fruit and vegetables and aim for 2-3 servings of fruit and 2-3 servings of vegetables per day. Fruit and vegetables contain lots of vitamins and minerals (depending on the type) as well as bioactives which are all great for our overall health.

Nuts and Oils

5.Seeds and nuts should be included in the diet daily as they are a great source of PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), minerals and vitamins. If using oil, use olive or rapeseed oil as they are higher in MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids). Plant-based diets tend to be quite high in PUFAs, so it is important to try to include MUFAs, as unlike PUFAs they do not interfere with ALA to EPA & DHA conversion. DHA & EPA are not found in plant food.

Legumes

6. Include at least 1 serving of beans/peas/lentils in one meal every day. Not only are they relatively inexpensive, but they are a great source of protein and should be prioritised as a protein source over processed food as they also provide minerals, vitamins and lots of fibre to the diet.

Water

7. Drink plenty of water daily, if transitioning to plant-based you will need more water than you did before. This is because if your diet is balanced you should be consuming a much higher amount of fibre. Fibre absorbs water and so drinking more water ensures hydration and prevents constipation.

Processed Meat-Alternatives

8. Processed meat-alternatives can be included but try not to rely on them and aim to keep to below 2-3 meals a week. When choosing, aim for high-protein sources (15-20g/serving) as some processed meat-alternatives e.g Aldi’s beetroot burgers are very low in protein.

B12

9. Unless you are eating fortified foods with B12 throughout the day you will need to take a B12 supplement (10ug/daily or 2000ug/ weekly). B12 is important to be getting enough of as deficiency symptoms take a while to set in and due to high folate in a vegan/plant-based diet, deficiency symptoms can be masked.

Iodine

10.Try consuming sea-vegetables occasionally (no more than once a week). If you dislike sea-vegetables, and aren’t consuming foods fortified with iodine take an iodine supplement (~150ug). Sea-kelp supplements are not a reliable source of iodine however.

Vitamin D

11.Vitamin D is hard to get enough off through diet (for both vegan and non-vegans), but the sun can provide a significant amount of vitamin D. However, in the autumn and especially the winter time it is advisable to supplement of vitamin D. You can get D3 from lichen or D2 options are vegan friendly too. Aim to get a 10-25ug dose.