Blog Post

Veganuary

Debra Mitchell • 23 January 2020

Tips for a healthy, balanced vegan diet

A quarter of a million people signed up in 2019 and this January might be the time you decide to try a month, or even longer, following a vegan diet. It may be for health reasons or concerns re the environment and animal welfare. Whatever your reason, planning and understanding what constitutes a healthy, vegan diet is key to optimising your nutrient intake. 

Protein is an important macronutrient, needed for growth and repair, so we need to make sure we eat enough of it. Animal protein is considered a complete protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids that we need. Amino acids are often referred to as the building blocks of protein and we need about 20 different amino acids for health. Essential amino acids, of which there are 9, cannot be made by our body and so must be obtained via our diet. A complete protein is one which contains all of these essential amino acids and includes meat, poultry, eggs and dairy.  

Many plant foods don’t contain all essential amino acids and anyone following a vegan diet should include a combination of protein sources in their diet to insure all essential amino acids are included. Chia seeds and quinoa are complete proteins and are a great way of maintaining your intake. Other good sources of plant protein include nuts, seeds, lentils, chickpeas and beans. 

Quick and easy ways of including these proteins:
  1. Add red split lentils to your Bolognese sauce instead of mince. They are also great added to soups and stews.
  2. Chickpeas are delicious added to a curry and for whizzing up a hummus. Butter beans are also great to add to soups and when blended down add a lovely creamy texture. 
  3. Switch to lentil or chickpea pasta.
  4. A handful of nuts makes a great protein-based snack during the day. You can also add cashews and sesame seeds to stir-fries.
Some key micronutrients may be depleted on a vegan diet so thought does need to go into including appropriate plant sources or supplements in your diet.
  • Vitamin B12 – is only found naturally in animal foods so look out for plant milks and cereals fortified with B12, nutritional yeast or take a B12 supplement daily. 
  • Iron – iron found in plant-based foods, referred to as non-haem iron, is not as well absorbed as that found in animal sources (haem iron). Include vitamin C rich foods such as broccoli, peppers and kiwi with your meals to help improve iron absorption. Pulses, lentils, nuts, seeds, wholemeal bread and dark green leafy veg are all good sources of non-haem iron. 
  • Calcium – cutting out dairy may affect your calcium intake but a number of good plant sources include nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, legumes and fortified plant milks.
  • Omega 3 fatty acids – these are primarily found in oily fish, and some algae, as EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). Plant foods mainly contain ALA (alpha linolenic acid) which our bodies need to convert to DHA and EPA to maximise benefit. Unfortunately, our bodies aren’t great at doing this and very little is actually converted. Chia seeds, walnuts and flaxseeds are sources of ALA but you may want to supplement with a vegan omega 3. 
Whilst it’s unlikely you will become deficient following a vegan diet short term, consideration of adequate nutrient and protein intake is important in the long term in order to maximise health and wellbeing. 
Top Tips for a Healthy, Balanced Vegan Diet:
  1. Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, pulses, nuts and seeds.
  2. Avoid the vegan processed/fast foods which are often full of fat and sugar.
  3. Eat a rainbow to increase the diverse range of plant foods in your diet.
  4. Take a vitamin B12 supplement daily.

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