Veganism is a strict dietary pattern that involves not eating any food derived from animals. Vegans do not consume animal foods such as meat, milk, eggs, or honey. The vegan diet is based on plants (such as vegetables, grains, nuts, and fruits) and foods made from plants. Deprived of the nutritional values that should be taken from animal foods, vegans try to balance them through plants. At this point, it may also be necessary to seek professional help to determine a healthy diet list.
What Does Vegan Mean?
Vegans refer to people who refuse to eat or use any food derived from animals. This includes foods such as meat, fish, eggs, honey, milk, cheese, and all animal products such as leather and wool. Vegans, who try to meet the nutritional values that should be taken from animal foods by eating plant-based foods, also create a diet list of mainly cereals, nuts, and fruits.
In addition to vegan nutrition being healthy, vegans argue that they aim to protect the environment. For this reason, they reject animal foods and eat plant-based diets. In addition to food, veganism also rejects the use of animal-derived clothing. The vegan diet model, which has recently become more popular, has also led manufacturers to focus more and more on vegan products.
The main food source of the vegan diet, which is a plant-oriented dietary model because it rejects animal foods, is vegetables. In addition to vegetables, essential vegan products include cereals, nuts, especially hazelnuts, vegetable oils such as olive, canola, sesame, avocado, legumes, and plant-based meat-dairy alternatives.
How to follow a vegan diet?
Since vegan nutrition is a radical and strict diet, the diet list should be prepared carefully and meticulously. Vegan nutrition, which involves avoiding animal foods, is done by determining a diet list dominated by herbal products. This list can be consumed in more than one meal during the day.
The vegan nutrition model, which includes vegetable oils, fruits, nuts, and plant foods, aims to eat healthy and protect animals and the environment by avoiding animal foods.
What are the Types of Vegan Diets?
There is no single type of diet suitable for everyone vegan. There is more than one type of vegan diet, both due to the person’s health status and for different reasons. These can be explained as follows:
Raw vegan diet
Vegans who eat a raw vegan diet consume only raw foods. This diet consists mainly of uncooked fruits and vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, sprouted and soaked grains, cold-pressed oils, and fermented foods such as kimchi and miso. The point of a raw vegan diet is that cooking breaks down nutrients and reduces their nutritional value.
Vitamins and minerals may be higher in fruits and vegetables, which provide antioxidants that, along with overall body health, can help reduce the risk of major diseases such as cancer and other risks. However, raw vegan diets are restrictive in this regard. This can lead to a lack of other essential nutrients such as protein, vitamins D and B12, calcium, iron, and iodine. For most people, a raw vegan diet may be considered safe in the short term, but a raw vegan diet can carry health risks in the long term.
Vegan keto diet
The vegan keto diet is a very low carbohydrate, high fat, and moderate protein. The keto diet is often considered to be rich in animal foods, but it can also be adapted to a vegan eating pattern. On this diet, you get 75-80% of your calories from fats, 10-20% from protein and 5-10% from carbohydrates. To maintain this balance on a vegan diet, you must consume high-fat vegan foods such as avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut, and olive oil. As with the raw vegan diet, the vegan keto diet can also pose risks in the long term.
Vegan, diabetic diet
A vegan, diabetic diet is rich in whole grains, beans, legumes, and fiber to help control blood sugar. Protein from beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and healthy vegetable fats from avocado, nuts, coconut, and olive oil keep blood sugar stable and make a vegan, diabetic diet work.
High-protein vegan diet
Protein deficiency is one of the most important deficiencies in vegan diets. Thanks to a high-protein vegan diet, it is possible to supplement this deficiency with protein-rich plant foods. These foods are as follows:
Hazelnuts and some nuts
Beans
Soya cheese
Quinoa
Oats
Seitan (wheat gluten)
Vegan, anti-inflammatory diet
Balanced vegan diets are also naturally anti-inflammatory. By eating fewer animal foods, one can reduce inflammation linked to diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Mediterranean vegan diet
The Mediterranean vegan diet is a vegan version of the well-known Mediterranean diet. It is rich in fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and unsaturated fats, but unlike the original Mediterranean diet, it does not include fish, dairy products, and eggs. This is considered a safe diet as long as there is enough variety to ensure adequate protein, vitamins, and minerals.
Raw vegan diet up to 4
No food is consumed in this diet after 16:00. Raw and cooked vegetables and fruit are preferred.
Evolving vegan diet
The evolving vegan diet favors foods of vegetable origin, such as seeds, vegetables, and herbal products, which can be consumed raw or lightly cooked.
Vegan Diet List
The vegan diet list rejects the consumption of animal foods and includes foods of plant origin. These include fruits and vegetables, legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils, nuts such as hazelnuts, bread, rice, pasta, and vegetable oils.
The vegan diet list, which is entirely plant-based and includes the intake of proteins that cannot be obtained from animal foods through alternatives, can consist of the following recipes and dishes:
Green lentil salad: You can create a healthy recipe by putting grated carrots and boiled rice in boiled green lentils and adding dill with olive oil.
Vegan banana chocolate cake: You can make a vegan banana chocolate cake with flax seeds, water, flour, melted coconut oil, sugar, and three bananas. As with any cake, you need to add baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, chocolate, and vanilla essence.
Zerde dessert: Boil rice with saffron, sugar, bell pistachios, and currants. Dissolve one tea glass in water and starch and add to the pot. Boil the dessert for 3-4 minutes and serve it in bowls.
Creamy spinach dish: You can use 200 ml coconut cream instead of cream in a creamy spinach dish.
Vegan meatballs: Boil chickpeas and red lentils and pass them through a rondo. Add small capia peppers, one grated zucchini, and spices of your choice, and knead well. Coat in vegan-labeled breadcrumbs and fry in vegetable oil.
You can make and consume this and many other vegan recipes. Consuming these meals with a specialized dietitian will also give healthier results.
What are the Benefits of a Vegan Diet?
A vegan diet can support weight loss, reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, support a healthier digestive system, cleanse the skin, lower blood sugar, and strengthen kidney health.
A vegan diet generally includes the following benefits:
- Supports weight loss
- A vegan diet reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart health
- Supports a healthier digestive system
- A vegan diet cleanses the skin
- Reduces blood sugar and strengthens kidney health
- Considered an effective dietary model against hypertension
- A vegan diet is beneficial for intestinal health with its anti-inflammatory effect
- It contains more herbs and, therefore, has an anti-cancer effect
- A vegan diet can relieve arthritis pain
What are the Risks of a Vegan Diet?
Some points must be considered in the vegan diet. Vegan nutrition, which is not a strong nutritional model in terms of adequate protein, iron, calcium, and B12 intake, can cause iron, calcium, and B12 deficiency in vegan people.
It is not difficult to pay attention to these and provide adequate supplementation. For B12, you can eat plenty of cereals and drink soy milk and orange juice. For protein, you can eat lots of legumes, lentils, oatmeal, and nuts and meet your iron needs by consuming beans, spinach, soy nuts, and tofu.
Almonds, almond butter, soy milk, rice milk, leafy greens, sesame seeds, and soybeans are also good sources of calcium. You can also take dietary supplements for calcium and iron intake if necessary.
Before starting a vegan diet, you should consult a doctor and have your iron, B12, and calcium measurements taken. Seeking expert support will help you avoid potential risks.
Frequently Asked Questions About Vegan Nutrition
What is veganism?
Veganism describes people who refuse to consume all animal by-products, such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, honey, and cheese, as well as other animal by-products, such as leather and wool.
Is a vegan diet healthy?
Vegan nutrition is considered healthy when the appropriate diet list is determined. The important thing here is to balance the nutritional values that cannot be obtained from animal foods by taking plant foods.
What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian?
Vegan nutrition rejects the consumption of all animal foods. Vegetarian people do not eat only meat. While milk and dairy products can be consumed in the vegetarian diet, vegans do not consume animal products, including meat, milk, eggs, cheese, honey, and butter.
What does a vegan eat for breakfast?
Vegan people consume plenty of plant products, especially vegetables and fruits, at all meals, including breakfast.
Does a vegan eat fish?
Vegans who refuse all animal foods do not eat fish.
Does a vegan diet make you lose weight?
It is possible to lose weight if protein, carbohydrates, and fat are balanced in the vegan diet and a calorie deficit is created.
How do vegans meet their B12 needs?
Orange juice, soy milk, and cereals are foods rich in B12; vegans can meet their B12 needs by consuming these foods. However, in some cases, the body cannot get the necessary B12 intake from these foods. In this case, B12 supplements can be taken under the supervision of a specialist doctor.
