What is the most important thing to have in a Vegan diet?

Question

I am becoming a Vegan, and I have done a lot of research. Fruits and Veggies seem to be the ideal thing, however you need beans and soy for protein.

Is having too many beans or soy products a bad idea?

What is a healthy Vegan diet?

What should I watch out for?

What shouldn't I have a lot of?

What is something to always have on hand?

I know its a lot...but thanks everyone!!!!

Answer 1

I do not think you have done enough research on the topic of vegan diet. Personally, I have been vegan for 5 years and I am still finding out new stuff to stay healthy. The newest thing that I tried was algae oil (V-pure brand) instead of fish oils for your EPA/DHA that is needed to keep your brain healthy. I found alot of info by looking at a vegan forum and looking thru alot of the old topics to find stuff out. There is alot of research  that vegans have done to keep themselves healthy. They also  are finding out that it is not vegans that have to worry about staying healthy, it is the omnivores that routinely eat fast food and junk food!

Not only do I have a doctor that thinks being vegan is OK (and blood tests have proven that conclusion), I also went to a intuitive nutritionist that told me up front that she could help me as a vegan. She also found out that I am intolerant of soy, so that took care of me eating tofu, salad dressings (soybean oil is in all of them!), and the usual processed meat alternatives (processed foods!). I know now to get most of my protein sources from beans (not soybeans obviously), brown rice, wheat meat (seiten), and seeds/nuts (my teenage vegan boys walk around with spoons of peanut butter in their mouths most of the time). But you will find that most vegans are not too concerned with getting enough protein, as they have read the WHO report that has done research on how much protein a person really needs by having starving people ingest protein, and the amount to stay healthy was minimal (so all the hype of protein in the developed countries is pretty much for media/advertisement purposes). Vegans are now looking at digestion and bio-availability of nutrients to be assimilated by the body. Toxins in food are destroying our GI tract cells, making the body inapt to absorb the proper nutrients.

If there is one thing to have on hand, that would be dark green leafy vegetables: kale, baby spinach, collard greens, or even mustard greens (swiss chard is also good,and with different colored stalks for fun!). One forum member has kale smoothies for his breakfast. It has everything to start the day off right.

Answer 2

dont listen tot he people who bring you down about ur ideas.

My sister is a Vegetarian, and she has to make sure she has lots of protein. You can get this from beans, egg noodles (ssooooo good) and power bars.

that's really all the info i can think of for now. but hey, GOOD LUCK!! ;-)

Answer 3

Before undertaking a vegan diet you will want to speak with a nutritionist, there are certain food which work well in combination to prevent deficiency.   It is important that you are no only looking at protein by certain minerals.  

Vegans are routinely deficient in iron, calcium and protein.  Supplements do effectively substitute a well balanced diet.

You will want to not only look at a variety of protein sources from tofu, to wheat mean,  and legumes, you will also want to load up on leafy greens which are high in Calcium, Iron and Vitamin D.

It is best when you first start to work with a nutritionist, have you mineral levels in  your blood monitored closely.  Almost every book I have read on vegan cooking is different.  The fact is that everybody needs different levels of vitamins, minerals, proteins and calories to stay healthy.  

To get the most out of your new diet, please do consult with a professional.

I would actually recommend everybody have their diet and nutrition evaluated.   What you put into your body determines your health.   However it is certainly more important to do so when you are undergoing a change in your habits.

I have been a vegan my entire life and just know how to manage my nutrition.  I have seen a lot of friends attempt to go vegan and end up anemic or with a serious defensing because they were acting upon bad advice or not substituting properly.  Everybody is different.

On hand, you will always want to have your own snack.   You would be surprised at how hard it can be to find a vegan friendly snack sometimes when you are on the run.    Always have a small snack.

Answer 4

Water..

Answer 5

There's not really one food that's more important than another.  The key is to get a balance of fruits; veggies; protein: soy, beans, nuts; soy/rice/almond/hemp milk products, whole grains, and some healthy fats like olive or grapeseed oil.

The verdict is still out on whether you should limit or increase soy products, so I think for the time being it's a fine idea to eat a lot of it.

Healthy vegan diets incorporate whole foods like: fruits, oats, rice, barley, vegetables (including leafy greens), whole grain bread products, beans, legumes, water/juice/fair-trade tea, etc.

When eating a vegan diet make sure to get your B12 either through foods like nutritional yeast or from fortified cereals and/or dairy alternatives.  Protein is a non-issue.  Vegans generally get ample protein.  Calcium can also be found in fortified dairy alternatives, fortified orange juice, some nuts, dark leafy greens like: kale, spinach, collards, mustard greens, etc.

If you are taking a supplement make sure it has low-iron because you wouldn't want to OD on iron.  It's not pretty.

Always have dry snacks on hand, especially when you are on the go.  Dried fruits, nuts, energy bars, crackers, etc.

Veg Power!!

Answer 6

Hi there! Congratulations on becoming a vegan! I know there are tons of questions when you change your diet and I love that you are reaching out for help.

As was mentioned above, you should definitely know that vegans are not deficient in protein, iron, or calcium. I write for a website and on this page we talk about that exact myth:

http://www.vegan-nutritionista.com/vegan...

Also, as you are changing your diet, I would try to east as much as you can of: fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. Eat a lot of all of them and you will have all the nutrition you need. Drink tons of water because this is probably much more fiber than you are used to eating.

The only supplement that I have heard across the board that you will need is vitamin B12. The good thing is that your body stores B12 for up to three years, so you probably still have plenty in there. Soon enough you will want to get a vegan vitamin B12 and take it every few days.

Besides that, supplementary vitamins tend not to be as good for you as simply eating a bunch of nature's best foods.

Answer 7

you cant have too many beans! the diet is healthy as long as you get protien, calcium, iron, and vitamin b12.

Answer 8

A few corrections:

Beans and soy are fine, but not in themselves necessary as a source for protein on a vegan diet. You can get proteins from a variety of sources (potatoes, grains etc). It's a matter of getting a varied diet, that's sufficient in calories for your daily needs.

Vegans also are not "routinely deficient in iron, calcium, and protein" as most vegans' diets seem to be well planned, and we don't have these problems. Supplements can be a useful "safety net", but apart from vitamin B12 (which is bacterial in origin), no supplements in themselves are needed, given a right variety of foods. Vitamin D, also, is NOT found in plant foods in any sufficient quantities: the primary source for humans is sunlight, as vit D is manufactured from sunlight for humans. It can also be found in fortified foods.

Seeing a nutritionist is fine, but bear in mind that many will not be trained or well versed in vegan matters, and might give poor or misinformed advice because of this. Jack Norris's site www.veganhealth.org, is written by him as a qualified vegan nutritionist, and looks comprehensively at vegan nutrition. It might be a great help in helping the transition to a vegan diet.

Good luck!