Vegans are people who refuse to eat foods that come from animal products, ether due to environmental, health, or ethical reasons, or all of the above. A good vegan diet has a lot of pros that make it a great choice for your health; it will give you lots of nutrients without some of the negative aspects that come from eating animal products. The key phrase here is, ‘good vegan diet’.
A vegan diet can definitely be healthy, but it has to be balanced to be nutritious. You cannot just become a vegan without any research and meal planning. As a vegan, the content of your meals is more important than ever. Not only do you need to make sure that you are actually eating vegan, you have to make sure that the diet will not leave you with nutritional deficiencies and harm you.
How to Choose A Good Vegan Meal
To make sure that you are getting all of your nutrients while on a vegan diet, you need to learn what the best foods to eat as a vegan are.
Legumes
Legumes are the standard plant protein source used by vegans. They not only have protein, they also have iron, fiber, zinc, folate, manganese, and antioxidants. The only problem is the iron and protein from legumes are not as effective as the kind that comes from animal sources.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are pretty standard fare for any vegan meal program. They are great protein and dietary fiber supplements, and make for great snacks. You don’t have to build an entire meal around these, instead you should flush out a meal’s nutritional value using nuts and seeds.
Calcium-Fortified Plant Milks and Yogurts
It can be difficult to get your proper amount of calcium and nutrients that come from dairy products as a vegan. Calcium is a mineral you might have to supplement. Try eating yogurt or milk made from plant products, but reinforced with calcium.
