Aspects To Consider When Moving Towards A Plant-Based Diet

With Netflix’s trending new documentary You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment you may have started taking more of an interest towards vegetarian and vegan diets (these diets are also known as plant-based). Plant-based diets have been seen to improve gut microbiome (the bacteria in your intestines), reduce the risk of chronic diseases, and for some even lose weight.¹ Vegetarian diets can also help to reduce the number of CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) and prevent deforestation which helps the environment. I am all for you trying a plant-based diet if it works in your lifestyle, however it’s important to understand these nutrition aspects of a plant-based diet before starting.

Many plant-based diets have lower amounts of complete proteins.

A complete protein is a protein source that has all nine essential amino acids (EAAs). With the exception of soy products, complete proteins are found in animal sources. If you are switching to a plant-based (or vegetarian) diet, you need to make sure that you are eating a variety of different plant-based protein sources. Create meals that combine the following incomplete proteins to help you to eat all of your EAAs throughout the day:

You need to pair foods containing iron with foods high in vitamin C.

Iron is found in plant foods, however this iron is harder for the body to absorb. Vitamin C can help triple the absorption of iron when eaten in the same meal.1 Make sure your meals include foods that are rich in vitamin C.

Be mindful of your Omega-3 fatty acid consumption.

Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in omega-3s since a majority of these fats come from seafood sources.1 It is recommended to include ground flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, soy products, and walnuts into your plant-based diet. You can also eat products (certain soy milks, orange juices, and breakfast bars) fortified in omega-3 fatty acids.

Vegans may struggle to consume enough calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.

Due to not eating any dairy products, vegans may struggle to consume these nutrients. Make sure to eat foods fortified with these nutrients. Dark, leafy green vegetables also contain calcium, however the calcium in these vegetables are not as easily absorbed as dairy products.

References:
1. Boyle M. Personal Nutrition. 10th Edition. Cengage Learning Inc; 2019.