More and more people are eating plant-based diets, including Beyonce and Jay Z. And we all know about the Tom Brady diet which includes lots of plants. According to Brady’s personal chef Allen Campbell, Tom and Gisele’s diet consists of 80% vegetables. But what are some of the benefits of going on a plant-based (mostly plants) or vegan (no animal, whatsoever) diet and would you be missing any key nutrients or protein by limiting meat and other animal products from your diet?
First off, here are some of the benefits of a plant-based/vegan diet: (1)
- May reduce your chance of obesity
- May reduce risk of heart disease
- May lower your blood pressure
- May lower your risk of type 2 diabetes
I’m not one to totally restrict myself from any foods but I am becoming more and more interested in a mostly plant-based, vegetarian diet. My meals are typically vegetarian and if you have been following my posts lately, you probably have seen me making more recipes that are meat free. Part of the reason why I have been eating less meat is because my body hasn’t been craving or wanting meat as much. The other reason is purely for it’s health benefits. Not only can you get more fiber and less saturated fats from plants than you would from meat, eating a plant-based diet may help to lower your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Also, consuming less saturated fats may help to reduce your risk of heart disease (1).
What are some of the drawbacks of going completely vegan or vegetarian?
Vegans tend to be deficient in Vitamin B12, which is a vitamin that helps to prevent anemia. The best sources of Vitamin B12 are found in eggs and dairy products. One food to include in your diet if you are vegan that does have high Vitamin B12 levels, is nutritional yeast (2) . Spirulina also has significant amounts of Vitamin B12. However, the type of B12 found in plants is different than those found in eggs and dairy and may not be as bio-available (easily absorbed) so you may want to consider discussing with your doctor about whether or not you need supplementation.
Another concern that people have about switching to a plant-based diet, is the amount of protein they are getting. The good news is, you can get all your essential amino acids from plant based foods, you just need to make sure you are choosing the right ones. Pea protein* and soy protein* are both complete, plant-based proteins, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids our bodies need that they are not able to produce on our own. They both have high counts of lysine, one of the most essential amino acids that your body needs.
Here are the 9 essential amino acids your body needs:
- Histidine
- Isoleucine
- Leucine
- Lysine
- Methionine
- Phenylalanine
- Threonine
- Tryptophan
- Valine
If you have an allergy to soy of are not able to easily digest legumes, you will have to consider incorporating a few different proteins into your diet daily. Hemp protein* is also an excellent source of protein with all of the 9 essential amino acids that your body cannot produce on its own. But since it does not have enough lysine to be considered a complete protein, you will likely need to incorporate other protein sources in your diet. Other proteins such as beans, peanuts, and whole grains are not considered complete as they do not have significant amounts of all the essential amino acids, but consuming them with each-other, such as rice and beans and whole wheat toast and peanut butter, are a great way to ensure you are getting enough complete protein in one meal.
If the idea of going completely vegan just doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can choose a vegetarian, mostly plant-based diet and still consume fish, eggs, and dairy which all are complete proteins. Whey protein isolate* is also an excellent source of protein if you are not on a strict vegetarian diet. Whey isolate is not considered a dairy product (for my lactose intolerant people) and it is easily digestible and one of the most highly bio-available forms of protein on the market. Another protein that I love is collagen peptides* which I incorporate in my daily diet.
Bottom line:
Switching to a plant-based or vegan diet has it’s many benefits to health including reducing your risk of heart disease. It also won’t compromise you from getting the necessary protein that you need. You may need to supplement for Vitamin B12 if you are completely vegan but vegetarian diets that include some dairy products, eggs, and fish have all the nutrition you would need.
Whenever introducing a new diet to your daily life or making any drastic changes, it may be best to discuss with your doctor or a dietary nutritionist first. If you are pregnant or have an illness, always discuss with your doctor or dietary nutrition before starting or trying something new.
Tip: Looking for some satisfying, meatless recipes to get started? Try this Vegetarian Chickpea Burger Recipe or these Vegan Quinoa Meatballs. Both are great, crowd-pleasing recipes.
References:
1 https://www.choosemyplate.gov/saturated-unsaturated-and-trans-fats
2 http://umm.edu/health/medical/ency/articles/vegetarianism
Although I am a fitness nutrition specialist, information I share is for educational purposes only. When trying a new supplement, it’s best to discuss with your doctor first.
What are some of your favorite vegetarian or vegan recipes? Comment below, I would love to try something new!
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