People are becoming more health conscious with each passing day by following a particular diet. Amid various types of diets being followed by every next-door person, the Vegan diet is becoming more mainstream as people are avoiding having animal products for ethical, environmental, and health reasons. A vegan diet is the strictest form of a vegetarian diet since it means avoiding all animal products—including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs, but also less conspicuous ones like gelatin, butter, and sometimes honey.
Food Chart for Vegan Diet
Vegan diets consist only of plants foods. This includes all vegetables, non-starchy and starchy; legumes, lentils, and peas; nuts, seeds, and nut butters; fruits, grains, and soy products like tofu. When planned well, a vegan diet can meet the average person’s needs for protein and most required nutrients.
Breakfast- Chia pudding, oatmeal, or overnight oats prepared with plant-based milks; nut butter or avocado on toast; or sweet potato hash are all filling, relatively easy vegan breakfast options.
Lunch- There are tons of lunch options for vegans, from a simple and classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich to a chickpea salad to an Instagram-worthy Buddha bowl.
Dinner- Ideas for dinners that can be meal prepped ahead of time include red lentil dal, tofu stir fry, and quinoa-stuffed peppers.
Snacks- Some snack ideas include carrots and hummus, kale chips, nut butter and oat balls, and spicy roasted chickpeas.
Advantages of following Vegan Diet
- Promote weight loss- People on a vegan diet tend to have a lower body mass index (BMI) than those following other diets.
- To fight cancer- Reduces a person’s risk of getting certain types of cancer, such as colon cancer, by 15%.
- Manage diabetes by lowering A1C levels- A healthy vegan diet won’t cure your diabetes. But it may help you keep your blood sugar more stable.
- Heart health: Vegan diets is helpful to keep your heart healthy. Vegan Diet has linked a higher intake of plant-based foods and a lower intake of animal foods with a reduced risk of heart disease and death in adults.
Disadvantages of following Vegan Diet
- Low energy & weight problems- When we switch from an animal-based diet to a plant-based diet, it becomes difficult to track our calories. It is because plant-based foods are not as rich in calories as animal-based foods. Hence, if you are eating smaller portions as you did in your earlier lifestyle, it is sure to bring down your energy levels drastically.
- Leaky gut issues- The vegan diet excludes all source of animal protein and turns to plant-based protein sources such as legumes. While legumes are rich in protein, they contain many antinutrients like phytates and lectin that can increase intestinal permeability and cause a condition known as ‘leaky gut’.
- Hormones disruptions- Soy is another source of plant protein that vegans turn to. Processed soy products such as soy milk and tofu are integral parts of a vegan diet. All forms of soy contain phytoestrogens, and consuming more than the recommended amount of soy can negatively impact the hormonal levels of the body.
- Lack of iron- Plant-based foods contain iron, but it is of a ‘low-heme’ variety which does not get absorbed into the body properly. Therefore, vegetarians and vegans are at a heightened risk of iron deficiency.
- Mental Heath- Having a vegan diet is not as easy as it appears as dairy products are present in almost everything and you have to keep it in mind before having them. Eating a vegan diet takes consistency and dedication to avoid eating animal products.
- May cause gas and bloating: The most common food items of a vegan diet is Beans and high fiber vegetables are a staple of a vegan diet these cause gas related problems. These problems are one of the most commonly cited complaints of a vegan diet.
