Vegan Diet

The vegan diet is met with skepticism by those who question the ability to get proper nutrition from vegan food products when it comes to critical vitamins and minerals found in meat and dairy. But once they get answers to “What is a vegan diet?” and “What can vegans eat?” concerns about veganism subside. In fact, the benefits of vegan diet options and vegan recipes are numerous considering the nutritious food list for vegans found in the vegan food pyramid.

What is a Vegan Diet?

A vegan diet is one free of animal ingredients, including beef, pork, poultry, eggs and honey. It’s also free of dairy products, which as the history of veganism reveals, was the principle inspiration behind the vegan movement.

The possibility of deficiencies is a legitimate concern, but the right combination of vegan food products, vegan recipes and supplements can absolutely ensure you a balanced, nutritious vegan lifestyle. It’s simply a matter of compiling the right vegan information from trusted vegan resources that not only provide you with a comprehensive food list for vegans (such as the vegan food pyramid) but also benefits of vegan diet plans, including the possibility of a raw vegan diet.

Some vegans also find that with a vegan diet, more sex drive is also among the benefits of vegan diet plans!

What Can Vegans Eat?

With animal ingredients eliminated from the diet comes the responsibility to avoid deficiencies by getting all of the following from vegan food products and vegan recipes:

• Protein from legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains
• Calcium from dark green vegetables, like spinach, collard greens, kale and broccoli
• Vitamin B12 from enriched soy milk and cereals, and nutritional yeast
• Iron from dried beans and peas, lentils, whole grains, dark leafy green vegetables and dried fruit (to aid in iron absorption, combine these iron-rich foods with those  rich in vitamin C, such as citrus, strawberries, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli)
• Zinc from whole grains, wheat germ, nuts and soy

To ensure you’re getting enough of each in your vegan recipes, refer to the vegan food pyramid which outlines the number of servings you need per day from each of the main food groups.

According to the vegan food pyramid, suggested daily food servings include:

• 2 or more servings of legumes for fiber, protein, iron, calcium, zinc and B vitamins (beans, peas, lentils, tempeh, tofu)

• 3 or more servings of vegetables for vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium and fiber (broccoli, kale, collards, carrots, sweet potatoes)

• 3 or more servings of fruit for fiber, vitamin C and beta-carotene (citrus, melons, berries, bananas, apples)

• 6 to 11 servings of whole grains for fiber, protein, B vitamins and zinc (bread, rice, pasta, hot/cold cereal, corn, millet, barley, bulgur, buckwheat, oats, tortillas)

You may opt for a raw vegan diet which need not mean you eat no cooked food at all. In fact, it’s considered a raw vegan diet if just 80 percent of the vegan food in your vegan recipes is uncooked.