In this blog post, I’ll be sharing with you all the healthy foods that vegans can consume to get all the necessary proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamins and minerals for optimal health. You will have everything you need to get started on a plant-based diet.
Ever wonder why a vegan diet is one of the hottest dietary choices for many people? There are many reasons why people choose to go vegan, some do it for animal, for the environment and others do it for health reasons.
There as some disadvantages on a vegan diet. If you choose to just follow a diet exclusively on plants it might put some people at a higher risk of nutrients deficiencies.
What do vegans eat?
We do not eat animal products (meat or fish) or any other animal derivatives (dairy products, eggs or honey).
But we do eat much healthier and tasty plant based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, seeds and grains.
Eating a vegan diet can be very healthy, but just remember there isn’t a one diet fits all vegans.
Just like a person who eats an omnivore diet, a vegan diet can be unhealthy, especially since there are many alternatives out vegan foods that are highly-processed and full of chemical additives.
Possibly, the healthiest of all is The raw food vegan diet that provides many health benefits like weightloss and reduced risk of disease.
In the end, There is no one single way to eat vegan, the choice is in your hands to follow either a healthy or unhealthy vegan diet. You decide what food you want to eat: “Raw vegan”, “cooked”, “high carb”, “high fat”, etc.
What we eat at Vegan Health Resource?
At vegan health resource we choose to follow a high carb, low fat diet and we are really enjoy the amazing health benefits.
Our diet consists of eating a lot of starches such as whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, oats, quinoa, buckwheat and legumes) as well as a variety of fruits and vegetables.
We also eat healthy fats in moderation some include nuts, seeds avocado and coconut. As for processed foods, we limit to eating once per week (a vegan pizza, vegan burger, fries and ice-cream). But mostly try to eat raw foods such as green juices or smoothies.
Protein and Essential Nutrients
When following a vegan diet you must make sure that you eat food that contains protein, calcium, iron, vitamin b12 and omega 3 fatty acids.
A Complete List to get started on a plant based diet
Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are the most common and frequent category that all vegans eat and there are an abundance of different choices to try. These foods have a high vitamin content.
Related Post: Vegan 101 – A complete guide for Vegans
Vegetables that Vegans Eat
- Broccoli
- Brussel Sprouts
- Sweet Potato
- Spinach
- Garlic
- Kale
- Asparagus
- Peppers
- acorn squash
- artichoke hearts
- brussels sprouts
- cabbage
- carrots
- cauliflower
- celery
- cucumber
- eggplant
- mushrooms
- onions
- peppers
- radish
- spaghetti squash
- tomatoes (we know it’s technically a fruit but it plays an excellent vegetable)
- turnips
- zucchini
Healthy Leafy Green Vegetables To Include In A Vegan Diet
- Kale
- Spinach
- Microgreen
- Cabbage
- Beet Greens
- arugula
- bok choy
- collard greens
- kale
- romaine
- spinach
- Swiss chard
- Watercress
- Romaine Lettuce
- Collard Greens
Starchy Vegetables
- beets
- sweet potato
- yam
- parsnips
- pumpkin
- butternut squash
- corn
List of Fruits to Include on a Vegan Diet
- Apples, pears and grapes
- Citrus (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes, pomelo, mandarins etc.)
- Stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, cherries)
- Berries (strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)
- Tropical (bananas, mangoes, papayas, passion fruit, guava, pineapple, coconut, kiwi, lychees, rambutan, star fruit, pitaya, jackfruit etc.)
- Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew etc.)
- apple
- pears
- grapes
- plums
- mandarins
- peaches
- bananas
- papayas
- coconuts
- kiwi
- passion fruit
- guava
- lychees
- rambutan
- star fruit
- pitaya
- jackfruit
- watermelon
- cantaloupe
- honeydew
Berries
- blueberries
- blackberries
- strawberries
- raspberries
Citrus
- grapefruit
- lemon
- lime
- orange
- tangerine
Dried fruits
- apricots
- cranberries
- dates
- mango
- prunes
- raisins
Nuts and seeds
Other foods that you can eat as a vegan in increase your energy and nutrient intake are nuts, seeds or spreads such as popcorn, pumpkin seeds, pecans, spouts and more. Eating hummus, tahini and nut butters are also good sources of protein.
- almonds
- walnuts
- brazil Nuts
- tahini (sesame seed butter)
- teff
- quinoa
- cashews
- chia
- pine nuts
- pumpkin seeds
- sesame seeds
- sunflower seeds
- hemp seeds
- flaxseed
- hazelnuts
- macadamia nuts
- pecans
Beans and Legumes
Since vegans do not consume any animal protein, eating beans and legumes are a great protein replacements. There are lots of beans and legumes to choose from.
Good protein sources of beans and legumes for your daily protein intake include:
- white beans
- navy beans
- black-eyed peas
- chickpeas
- adzuki beans
- soy beans
- black beans
- fava beans
- kidney beans
- lentils
- lima beans
- mung beans
- split peas
- string beans
- peanuts
- peas
- pinto beans
Soy Products
Soy products are very popular amongst vegans because it contains high protein and it is a very versatile food that is used to make tofu, soy milk, cheese, yoghurts and other soy products you can use in all your main meals like breakfasts, sandwiches and desserts. Check out your local supermarket and you should find lots of soy products that you can include in your vegans meals.
Popular Soy products
- tofu
- soy sauce
- tempeh
- edamame
- Miso
Other Products
- protein powders (soy, rice, hemp, or pea protein)
- wheat protein (seitan)
A list of whole grains to include in a vegan diet
Whole grains are an important staple food to include in a nutritionally balanced vegan diet. a staple food group for a nutritionally balanced vegan diet. Grains like oatmeal, breads, pastas and tortillas are good sources of fiber which aids digestion and helps you to feel full throughout the day. However, it’s healthier to eat whole wheat grains instead of refined ones because they contain more nutrients.
- Barley
- Amaranth
- Corn
- Millet
- Buckwheat
- Oats
- Rice
- Rye
- Quinoa
- Sorghum
- Wheat
- Wild rice
- Triticale
Essential Vegan Supplements
Vitamin b12 is commonly lacking in a vegan diet, which can have significant impact on health. B12 is often found in animal protein sources. So when people transition to a vegan diet, vitamin b12 will inevitably lower. But the good news is vegans can take fermented and fortified foods that contain vitamin b12.
We hope you find this post useful and have everything you need to help you get started on a plant-based diet. if you have any question, please leave a comment below.