Being a vegan does not necessarily mean eating healthy. It all comes from the
Now with all the choices of foods that we have available in stores, it is very easy to find replacements for meat products when you decide to become a vegan. But beware! These are all processed foods that are full of soy, unhealthy fat, salt, and sugars.
How to find out if the food is processed? Pretty easy. Everything that does not sound like supposed to be vegan, to begin with – is processed. It goes for vegan cheese, vegan burger, vegan chicken, vegan sausage, etc.
Creamy none dairy yogurt and ice cream sound like a good idea? Think again! They are very high in saturated fat. And if consumed regularly they can cause all type of health issues, including heart disease.
The Checklist Every Healthy Vegan Knows
To avoid becoming unhealthy vegan there are some things you should take into consideration.
1. Take control over saturated fats
In short, saturated fat is a type of fat that is usually solid at room temperature.
Fact is, that it is very easy to overdo saturated fats when you are a vegan. Products such as coconuts, palm oil, and cocoa butter, contain saturated fat.
EXAMPLES OF FOODS CONTAINING A HIGH PROPORTION OF SATURATED FAT:
- Coconut oil
- Coconut milk and cream
- Palm kernel oil (1)
- Many manufactured and packaged foods:
- Fatty snack foods (such as potato chips, savory crackers)
- Deep fried foods
- Cakes, pies, muffins, and biscuits (2)
Consuming saturated fats in large amounts will definitely raise bad cholesterol levels. And for this reason, it is generally believed that saturated fat is bad for us.
But the truth is, we actually need a fair amount of saturated fat to stay healthy. The fear of consuming saturated fats has led many people to assume that some vegetable oils like sunflower and canola are a good choice. But the reality is different. In fact, some foods containing saturated fats are NOT THAT BAD. For example, coconut oil, coconut milk, and cream are high in saturated fats, but they can be very healthy when consumed in moderation. And on the other hand, packaged/processed foods have high levels of saturated fats as well as they tend to be high in added sugars, trans fats and low in nutrients. (3)
The rule of a thumb, saturated fat should comprise not more than 30% of total fats you consume.
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2. Get rid of Simple Carbs. Go for gluten-free whole grains
Simple carbs like white bread, white rice, and white pasta are high on the glycemic index, which affects your blood sugar and can make you feel hungry soon after eating your bowl of spaghetti, says Vegan News. Instead, swap those foods for complex carbs, whole grains, and even better, sprouted grains. Therefore the best choices would be gluten-free grains like brown rice, black/wild rice, quinoa, buckwheat, and gluten-free oatmeal (read the label, some of them are processed on the equipment with other gluten-containing grains).
I like to soak the grains for at least 12 hours before cooking them. Soaking helps to reduce, or even eliminate phytic acid, which might impair the mineral absorption of iron, zinc, and calcium. Soaking also makes grains, seeds, and beans more digestible. For more information, Healthline.com has a great article on phytic acid.
3. Check your levels of the protein intake
Eating all veggies is great! But if you do only veggies and fruits, you will eventually be lacking in protein intake, which can lead to hair loss, brittle nails, and tiredness.
We need proteins and amino acids to produce important molecules in our body (enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies). Those amino acids stack on top of one another, like bricks or blocks, providing structure for several components of the body –bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood. These bands of amino acids create walls of cells, build tissues, repair skin and make up vital organs.
Our hair and nails are mostly made of protein. All bodily fluids except for bile and urine contain protein. And without an adequate protein intake, we can’t function well because unlike carbohydrates and fats, OUR BODIES DO NOT STORE PROTEIN! (4) Our system automatically breaks down amino acids and continuously repairs and replaces them as needed. Therefore, we need decent amounts of protein in our diets every day for optimal functioning. This includes:
- good immune function
- metabolism
- satiety
- weight management
- performance
For basic protein synthesis, both adult men and adult women need to consume no more than around 0.8 g of protein per kg of body weight per day. For people doing high-intensity training, protein needs might go up just a little.(5)
Edema and loss of muscle mass and hair are the prominent signs of low protein in adults. And eating too little protein can result in growth failure, loss of muscle mass, a suppressed immune system, and weakness of the heart and respiratory systems. (6)
And as a healthy vegan, you need to carefully plan your daily menu and make sure that at least 10% of your calories coming from protein.
My List of common sources of Healthy Vegan protein:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas and other beans
- Hempseeds
- Chia seeds
- Green peas
- Brown/wild rice
- Amaranth
- Oats and oatmeal
- Spirulina
- Nuts
- Vegetables (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, artichokes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Brussels sprouts – they contain about 4–5 grams of protein per cooked cup)
You are probably wondering where are tofu, soybeans and other products made of soy? Although it is a high protein source, I prefer to skip it completely, because I personally believe it might cause too many health issues when consumed for a prolonged period of time.
4. Beware of too much soy and soy products
Soy and all soy products have high levels of protein, there is no doubt. Therefore, it is for sure a go-to protein source for most vegans. But in my personal opinion, while it does provide a necessary amount of protein, it also has a huge impact on a hormonal system, increasing the levels of estrogen in the body. And if consumed for a long time in large amounts, it can cause different types of cancers.
I have personally experienced a lot of hormonal imbalances when included tofu and soy products in my diet. And as a result, I decided to skip this source of protein. And feeling better than ever.
So, the
5. Always include products packed with Calcium, iron, and zinc
Calcium-rich foods
Vegans don’t consume any animal milk products. So everyone around (who are not vegans, of course) is very much concerned if we get enough calcium in our diet. And the answer is YES! Just choose calcium-rich foods such as kale, bok choy, almonds, figs, and oranges as well as plant-based milk. My most favorite calcium source is almond milk. And two glasses of it a day will provide you with the daily required Calcium intake.
What about iron?
Here is a super easy trick to get enough iron in your food: buy a cast iron pan. It is SUPER heavy but it is so worth it! I can not use any other pan now since I started to cook on the cast-iron one. It is truly the best investment for all vegans.
But also
Keep in mind, that we need Vitamin C for iron absorption. Good sources of vitamin C include pepper, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kiwifruit, oranges, strawberries, pineapple, grapefruit, and orange juice, says The Vegan Society.
Zinc for Healthy Vegan
If your menu includes the healthy vegan shopping list, most probably you get enough Zinc in your diet.
Foods like beans, chickpeas, lentils, walnuts, cashew nuts, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, whole grains, and quinoa contain plenty of zinc source.
6. Make sure to get enough Vitamin B12 and D
What any healthy vegan should know is that you must include B12 in the diet, because it mostly contains in animal products.
In fact, v
And some inadequate source of B12 includes spirulina, mushrooms, dried nori, barley grass, and most other seaweeds. (7)
If I feel sluggish and nervous, I know most probably I am lacking B12. That is why I keep in my fridge B12 liquid supplements for these type of days. But I do not consume it every day. And my favorite is MyKind Organics Plant Iron & Herbs. It contains Vitamin C, Vitamins B6
Levels of Vitamin D for Healthy Vegan
Vitamin D is very important for Calcium absorption. And the very best source of it is to go outside and spend some time under the sun. It is recommended to be under the sun without any sunscreen for about 15 min a day. Just don’t overdo it because it can lead to all types of skin cancers. Also, products like leafy greens and most fortified foods are also high in vitamin D.
Conclusion
All in all, a vegan diet can promote excellent long-term health if the foods you choose are whole, organic, and full of nutrients your body needs. It can help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol and reduce the levels of different types of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some types of cancer.
Therefore, you
Are you a healthy vegan? Choose to be a healthy vegan!
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I had a boss that was vegetarian. Every time I saw him he was eating chips or some other junk food. I could not imagine going to these lengths and not eating as you described. You have great advice here!
Thank you!
Great post!! I have a couple of friends that tried to go vegan and got sick…they need this info!
I am very happy that this information can help! They are welcome to read this!
Great Information! I’m not a Vegan, but I am not a big meat eater either. From a medical assistant’s standpoint this information is excellent.
Thank you! I appreciate your feedback!
oh my goodness…never has vegan LOOKED so appetizing!!! Beautiful photos!
Thank you!
Yes this! The same can be said for Organic….just because it is organic processed food doesn’t mean it is healthy!
That is so correct! Thank you for stopping by
Great post, chockful of info that’s beneficial to everyone that wants to eat healthily! Palm oil is actually one of the worst things ever, for your health and the planet really bad stuff. And you’re totally on point about pre-packaged foods, just because it claims to be healthy does not make it so! Thank you 🙂
Thank you for reading! Stay healthy 🙂
I was vegan for a long time. Now I just try to eat a plant-based diet. But vegan foods are my favorite. I love homemade almond milk and anything with avocados! Nice article!
Avocados are for sure my most favorite food! Thank you for your comment!
I appreciate the insight. My step-daughter is vegetarian and while not the same, I am always looking for ways to be mindful of her wishes. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for stopping by. I hope this information helps.
My sister-in-law has followed a vegan diet for almost 8 years. She said very early on that it was easy trap to eating unhealthy. We’ve had a lot of fun over the years coming up with healthy vegan-friendly recipes together. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading and sharing your story!
Great list for vegans. I’ve known so many who do not approach the lifestyle in a healthy way.
That is so true. I hope this list will help to be a healthier vegan.
I’m plant based and the healthiest I’ve ever been. No animal products, sugar, gluten or soy. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Cindy. Great to meet like-minded people! Thank you for stopping by
Not vegan… Not even a little, but these pictures look delicious!
Great advice, I always cringe when I see vegan cheese 🙂
Great posts! Thanks for sharing all of these important reminders. I sometimes don’t take seriously enough the various nutrients we all need, and the various options for obtaining them.
I am glad this information can help! Thank you for your comment!
If you need a picture of an unhealthy vegan, I can share my college photos. I figured out how to make dessert vegan and which commercially offered junk foods were accidentally vegan. Add in a whole lot of white rice with nothing to accompany it, and that was my diet. I’ve learned so much since then!
I do trust how a vegan can end up being totally unhealthy. I went through almost the same road, just being vegetarian. And that made me give up that diet, go through all bunch of other diets, until I come to the realization of a healthy vegan. We need to be mindful to everything we put inside our body. Thank you for sharing your story.
I’ve never really thought of vegan and unhealthy together…but this makes sense!
Thank you for your comment!
These tips are also good for anyone even if they aren’t vegan.
Thank you. I am glad to see it can help not only vegans! Thank you for stopping by
Great tips. A lot of people worry about protein intake on a vegan diet, but forget about other things like alternatives for calcium. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for your feedback!
There are so many misconceptions about what it is to be vegan. They think if they just don’t eat meat, they’re vegan! Others go to the other extreme an follow a diet that is unsustainable. Good post. Getting the nutrients you need while on this diet is important and takes advanced thought and planning. Nice post.
Thank you!
There are a lot of unhealthy vegetarians out there, especially vegans. I hope this list helps them.
Yes, that is so true. Thank you for your comment!
The cast iron pan for iron is genius! Well I’m not a vegetarian or vegan, I do like to include healthy substitutes. This just give me some awesome options that I had not considered before!
Happy that this information can help 🙂
Until I became friends with a vegan, I was naive to think they were some of the healthiest people! It is important that no matter what your food preferences are, you are making good choices. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
This was truly a wealthy source of information for me. I am trying to eat cleaner and, while I don’t think I would go vegan, I do feel that this post was helpful in finding certain foods to incorporate into my diet. I also did not know that potatoes actually contained protein!!!
Happy to provide some useful information. And thank you for your comment!
very nice post, i certainly love this website, keep on it
[…] For more information on what other nutrients we need daily, check my article “What really means to be a healthy vegan.” […]
Such great tips here! Important information! Thanks for sharing!
Welp. Looks like I’m more of an unhealthy vegan. Time to make some changes…. this was really informative.
Thank you! I hope this helps on your journey!
[…] You can read more about “What Means Healthy Vegan?” […] […]
One of the many mistakes people think about veganism is that they think this diet is based only on vegetables and fruits and this is so wrong.
Aside from fruits and vegetables, vegans can eat; grains (pasta, bread, rice, couscous, bulgur, millet, quinoa, etc), legumes, nuts, and seeds (chickpeas, black beans, and other beans are a great source of proteins. Nuts and nut butter are packed with nutrients. Flaxseeds, walnuts, or chia seeds for omega 3), tofu and tempeh, fortified dairy substitutes (almond, oat, or soy milk as well as yogurt), meat alternatives like vegan burger patties, vegan mayonnaise, vegan ice cream etc.
A vegan diet has so many benefits like; people have lower serum cholesterol, and lower blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease, and the reason is because this diet has a lot of fibre, folic acid, vitamins C and E, potassium, magnesium, many phytochemicals and fat content that is more unsaturated.
Vegans diet are very complete, but if you want to compliment more the diet, you can also consume vitamins in capsules. And also another reason to stop eating meat is that the abuse of animal protein can cause imbalances in our body, drain our energy, demineralize our bones and accelerate the ageing process. So there’s no reason for not being a vegan.
I could not agree more. The only thing is I personally believe that stop eating meat and other animal products should be first of all in mind to help stop the abuse of animals. All other benefits are coming along with that.
[…] Thinking to go vegan? Check out my article “What really means to be a healthy vegan?” […]
[…] For more information on how to be a healthy vegan, please visit the following article: “Unhealthy Vegan? What Really Means to Be Healthy Vegan” […]