Whether you are changing your diet to become completely plant based or vegan, or you want to start including more plant-based meals into your diet, or you just want to join in on meat-free Monday, this article offers you some great nutrition tips to make sure you are keeping your diet balanced and above all healthy .

For a more in-depth dive into this subject, take a look at my Plant-Based Living Vegan Nutrition and Recipe Bundle. 

Nutritional advice when following a plant based or vegan diet

You may be choosing a plant-based diet for health reasons, or you may have more ethical concerns in mind. Whatever the reason, it is possible to eat well and obtain all the nutrients you require on a plant based diet, but it does require a little more planning, more kitchen skills and an adventurous mind.

In the same way that someone who is an omnivore or flexitarian can choose a healthy or unhealthy diet, a vegan diet can be super healthy or extremely unhealthy, depending on the foods we choose. In the end we make the choices that determine how good a plant based diet is for our health. I think the bottom line is that to be a healthy vegan, you really need to:

a) Love eating plants – vegetables are a MUST!

2) Make sure you like eating beans and lentils as they are a major protein source

3) Be open to some soya products, such as edamame, tofu, tempeh

4) Love nuts and seeds as gram for gram this is the biggest source of protein/100g

5) Enjoy cooking and meal preparation

Human beings have a slightly longer digestive tract than carnivores, but much shorter than that of a herbivore. Unlike many herbivores, we lack certain gut bacteria and cellulose enzymes to break down the tough cellulose fibres in plants, but we do use these fibres to support our gut microbes and keep our gut lining healthy. That said, research is showing that a higher intake of colourful vegetables, fruits and plant based foods is beneficial to our health. The Mediterranean diet is a good example of this, and we only need to go to a Mediterranean food market to see the importance vegetables have in the diet.

We can consume both meat and plants, however we do need a certain mix of amino acids, vitamins, minerals, trace elements and phytonutrients in order to survive and thrive. These nutrients drive almost every chemical reaction in our body, so it is important that we obtain a constant supply.

Understanding that a plant based diet may have certain limitations in terms of nutrient availability is the first step to staying healthy and well on a plant based diet.

Are vegan alternatives good for us?

When we start to eat more plants, there is a tendency to try and replace the foods we enjoyed before with meat-free alternatives.

These foods are often highly processed and the ingredients lists are often far from healthy or inviting. The key word here is nutrient density and most of these products fall short on nutrients including proteins, vitamins and minerals. In fact they are mostly low in plants and high in refined cereals and oils.

Ingredients such as modified starch, maltodextrin, burnt sugar, rehydrated wheat protein, sulphites, colourings, cellulose extract, dextrose, vegetablegums,  hypromellose, potassium sorbate, soya preparation are all ingredients that appear on the labels of so-called healthy ‘vegan’ alternatives.

Therefore simply being ‘vegan’ does not necessarily mean ‘healthy’. It depends how you choose to do it. There are so many foods to enjoy that are not meat, egg or cheese replacements that will give you more health benefits.

My advice is to take a step back away from the vegan aisles, tempting you to replace what you have taken out of your diet, and instead start to think differently. Look around at all the foods that are naturally ‘plant-based’.

Download some amazing vegan recipes, ‘follow’ the right people and start to use your own proteins as a base to your meals.Get your hands on my balanced vegan recipe book here!

The trouble with replacing food like-for-like is that the cheese or egg-like product you can buy does not resemble cheese or egg in the slightest from a nutrient perspective. Although there are a few healthier versions becoming available if you read the ingredients list carefully.

Many vegan cheese brands contain no protein at ALL and consist of just oils and refined starches. Nutritionally very different. No vitamins A and D or Calcium and B2. Therefore it would be better to use some nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour (which contains B12) or to replace the cheese with chickpeas or tofu in a recipe.

Once you stop trying to replace cheese or burgers with processed alternatives, you should find that your diet becomes full of nutrient dense foods. It is about changing how you think about your food.

Which plant based milks are best?

The main nutrients in milk, yogurt and cheese are: protein, vitamins A and D as well as Riboflavin (B2), B12, calcium and iodine. So what should you eat instead? -Calcium- Tofu (calcium is used to help ‘set’ the curd) and sesame seeds are a great start. Please use unpolished sesame, not white, as much of the calcium is hiding under the outer layer. Seeds such as sunflower and nuts such as almonds and cashew, beans, dried figs, vegetables such as watercress, kale, seaweed, rocket, okra and even quinoa all contain calcium.

Most shop bought milks are actually 98% water, so the actual nut content is very low. This is why they are often lower in calories than dairy milk. The most similar nutritionally is soya milk, however experts do not recommend that we over-consume soya milk in our diet. Many shop bought milks contain additives to thicken the milks such as gums and stabilisers.

Plant milks are also lower in protein and missing many of the nutrients mentioned above. Some companies are adding back the vitamin D, calcium and B12, however the calcium is in the form of calcium carbonate and is not as well absorbed or bioavailabe to us in the gut.

Unsweetened versions are usually better for us as some dairy free milks, such as rice milk can be high in sugars.

My recommendation is to use plant based milks in your diet or make your own (I have recipes for nut and seed milks in my recipe book) or to supplement your plant milk with a vitamin and mineral blend. My favourite supplement is called Calcium Powder from Lifestream. Just 2.8g of this powder contains around 900mg calcium and also includes nutrients such as selenium, iodine and iron. Calcified seaweed is also better absorbed than calcium carbonate. Just remember than you need vitamin D to absorb your calcium!

Is soya healthy?

Soya contains all 8 of the essential amino acids so is a complete protein and can be useful on a plant based diet. This is really important as It does not require protein combining for the amino acids to be utilised in the body. Soya beans, edamame, miso, tempeh and tofu can be used as part of a healthy diet. High-quality organic soya foods like soybeans (edamame) and soy sauce can be included in stir-fries, spreads, sauces and dips. Additionally, fermented soy provides protein as well as beneficial bacteria. Examples of fermented soy foods are miso soup, tempeh, and natto.

There seems to be as been much written about soya safety as well as its potential benefits and limitations in the diet. Since the long term effects of eating GMO’s are not yet known, it is advisable to only choose 100% organic soya products.

Overconsumption of soya milk, yogurts, soy protein isolate powder or soya meat may not be as beneficial for us as the more traditional soya foods, which offer greater health benefits. Soya contains mild plant oestrogens called phytoestrogens that can have a mild oestrogenic effect in the body. Phytoestrogens may be helpful for high or low oestrogen levels and are usually gentle in their effects. It is advisable to have some soya in the diet, but not too much. Tofu is a great protein source as well as having around 400mg/100g ( 50% our RDA- but only if it is used with calcium to help it set)

Advice with Soya:

????Include some soya in your diet.
????Choose organic wherever possible.
????Choose some fermented soya products where possible such as soya sauce, Tamari or miso.
????Rotate your milks and yogurts (coconut, almond or hemp milk, oat or soya cream ) to keep diversity in the diet.
????Try not to rely on soya milk and yogurt as this can mean we can easily have too much soya in the diet.
????Soya meat replacements are mostly ultra processed foods.
????Add edamame beans to your salads
????Use a plant based pea or hemp protein should you require a vegan protein shake as a pro-
tein top-up as opposed to soy isolates.
????Aim for around 50g per day, averaged over the week.

*Advice for general health only, pulses may be limited with certain health conditions.

Plant based nutrition considerations

Protein.

When thinking about your meals we should consider the protein first. It is possible to obtain sufficient protein on a vegan diet, however it may require a little more planning. Protein is necessary for tissue repair, the production of enzymes and many hormones, neurotransmitters, detoxification and is vital for the immune system. As with too much protein in the diet, there are implications when protein intake is too low.

Additionally, when protein is lowered, there is a tendency for carbohydrate intake to increase. This can result in unbalanced blood glucose and insulin control which could lead to further health implications. Fatigue, reduced muscle mass, increased severity of infections, and water retention can be symptoms of low protein levels. Choose a dairy free protein powder based on pea, rice or hemp to supplement if necessary.

Protein bioavailability has been under scrutiny with plant based diets. While this tends to not be a problem if the diet is diverse and all food groups are eaten, it can be an issue where food groups are eliminated or the range of foods eaten is small. Adults require 8 amino acids for health. Whilst animal protein is rich in all 8 amino acids, plant based foods (with the exception of soya and quinoa) do not contain all 8 of these essential amino acids. If an amino acid is missing, this is known as the limiting amino acid. In cereals the limiting amino acid is lysine and threonine, in rice-lysine, in beans and pulses methionine and in maize tryptophan. This means that it is vital to complement proteins by eating them at the same meal to make up for any shortfall. Therefore protein combining is essential, as well as obtaining a constant supply.

Getting enough protein is not difficult on a plant based diet, but it is important to know the following information. So if you are doing Veganuary or are trying to eat a few more plant based meals in the week- I do the latter as I like to eat intuitively with few vegan meals in the week. So read on….


There are many forms of plant proteins which are usually obtained from a wide range of different foods, however there are 2 things to watch out for.

1) Specialised vegan/ plant based meat alternatives, convenience or ready meals are often poor sources of nutrients and tend to be over processed. This means they are often rich in carbs and poor quality fats, but lower in proteins aka amino acids.

2) If you don’t make a conscious effort to add in protein based foods, the scales quickly tip in the favour of carbs and it becomes easy to consume well over 60%+ of your energy as carbohydrates. These do not give us sufficient building blocks for repair or the generation of hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters. Also eating too many carbs makes you hungry and never truly full up. I cannot tell you how many clients I see in clinic on plant based diet that tell me that they are constantly hungry. When we up their protein sources, their satiety increases and appetite normalises.
In short, good protein sources from plants are beans, lentils, soya beans, edamame, tempeh, tofu, seitan, peans, nuts, seeds but also whole grain bread, quinoa and oats contain reasonable amounts of protein. It is about mixing them all up!

One or more of these should be eaten at each meal, with reasonable portion size. There are lots of other foods that contain good amounts of protein that can also be added into a heathy plant based diet; quinoa and rolled oats are carbohydrates that also provide us with proteins (see later for more protein considerations).  A typical portion size of one of these plant based proteins is around the size of a clenched fist!

How can you maximise your protein on a plant based diet?

Here are some great tips.

???? Try to make the protein part of your meal around 1/4 of your plate. Proteins provide amino acids that are essential for repair as well as to support hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters and a healthy immune system! They also fill us up so that we don’t start snacking straight after our meal.
???? Make sure you eat enough pulses: a portion is around a double cupped handful of cooked beans or lentils – edamame beans count too!
???? Sprinkle nuts and seeds onto your salads, soups and breakfast or eat them as snacks. Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds are particularly nutrient dense .
???? Adding Brazil nuts to your plate also increases selenium. A couple a day is a good goal.
???? Chia and linseeds can add in some extra omega 3 fatty acids as well as protein and fibre.
???? Sesame seeds (unhulled) and dark tahini paste are the best sources of calcium in the plant world.
???? Add nut butters to sauces, breakfasts and dressings.
???? Switching to red lentil, green pea of chickpea pasta also adds more protein
to your diet. Some noodles are also made from beans e.g. mung bean noodles)
???? Tofu is actually a great source of calcium (check the label as calcium carbonate is used in the setting process). Tofu (fried in cubes) makes great ‘croutons’ on soup or salads as well as in curries and stir fries! Aim for a portion size of around 125g.
???? Grains and pseudocereals also give us some plant protein such as quinoa,
rice, wheat, rye and oats which accompany protein foods. .

My last piece of advice is to mix them all up.
3 quick examples:

1. Poke bowl with tofu, seeds, nuts and quinoa is a great choice or
2. Stir fry with crispy tofu, mung bean noodles and cashew nuts with nut butter or tahini.
3. Red lentil pasta with plenty of veggies and a tomato and chickpea sauce. Top with toasted sunflower seeds.

Vegetables. We can also obtain much of our carbohydrate requirements from vegetables.

Try to choose a diverse range of vegetables. Scientists recommend eating 30 different vegetables each week to create an optimal gut microbiome (gut bacteria). It is not the amount of plants we eat that encourages a wide range of bacteria, but the diversity of the plants we eat.

Vegetables contain fibre (both insoluble and soluble) that FEED our gut microbes. Healthy microbes make short chain fatty acids from the fibre which can nourish our gut lining and help support its constant and rapid regeneration. Our gut microbes can affect so many aspects of our health including mood, immune support, digestion of food and the manufacture of certain vitamins.

Carbohydrates.

On a healthy diet it is not about eating no carbs, but eating the right carbs. There are different types of starchy carbohydrates to choose from.

Grains may include wheat, spelt, rye, oats, barley, maize, kamut etc. We generally eat these as bread, rice, pasta, pastries, breakfast cereals, biscuits or baked goods. These can be good or bad depending on whether they have been refined, or what product they have been made into! Eat mostly wholegrain versions if possible and avoid the white refined carbohydrates (white flour products, breakfast cereals, white rice, couscous) as these are low in fibre and nutrients and are more likely to spike our blood sugars, encouraging weight gain and making us more hungry between meals.  They are not as nutrient rich as their wholegrain counterparts. Again you can choose colour in red, black or wild rice.

Switch to a traditionally made bread such as sourdough made from rye, spelt or wheat as these are better for us when fermented and may be easier to digest.

Starchy vegetables are also carbohydrates. Sweet potatoes, purple potatoes and even white potatoes, parsnips, beetroot and carrots fit into this category. These can be used to replace grains at many meals.

Enjoy plenty of nuts and seeds.  Nuts and seeds as well as nut butters contain a powerhouse of nutrients, including many vitamins and minerals, such as zinc, magnesium, calcium, iron, folate and other B vitamins. Unhulled (darker coloured) sesame seeds are a rich source of calcium. Choose from sunflower, pumpkin, hemp, chia or flaxseeds; almonds, cashew nuts, macadamia, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans and hazelnuts. To increase your consumption of nuts and seeds:

Beans and Lentils should be eaten many times a week. They are a source of proteins, carbo-hydrates, fibre as well as many nutrients such as iron, magnesium, zinc, calcium, folate, B1, B2 and B3.

Pulses can be used in soups or casseroles, dips, burgers or in salads. Increasing beans and lentils can initially cause digestive issues and bloating.  If you are affected by pulses increase your serving sizes gradually. A usual serving size of cooked beans or lentils is around two cupped hands or the size of your fist; around 120-180g per meal (cooked weight). They can be added to many meals. Add edamame beans to salad, white beans or lentils to soups or casseroles, enjoy hummus as a spread, dip or accompaniment or combine beans/ lentils with quinoa in a salad. Try different flavours of hummus by adding red pepper, edamame beans, harissa spices, carrot puree or even cooked beetroot!

The problem with pulses is really down to 2 things!

1. Not knowing what to do with them and
2. Not being able to digest them properly

I use beans and lentils in lots of my recipes, so you only need to scroll down my feed to find lots of yummy recipes. the answer to point two, needs explaining! Pulses contain high levels of oligosaccharides, which can be fermented by some of our gut bacteria. This can lead to increased gas, bloating and sometimes pain. Most people find that if they increase their pulses slowly they can teach their body to tolerate them, however some people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or even SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) may find eating beans and lentils quite a challenge.

Red lentils and chickpeas are often better tolerated than other legumes. In addition soaking red lentils in water overnight allows some of the oligosaccharides to be dissolved into the surrounding water. Discard the water after soaking. You may be able to add these soaked lentils to your recipe like this, however if you are still sensitive, try cooking the lentils separately in clean water to remove even more. After cooking drain and discard the water again and add the cooked lentils to your food. Canned chickpeas may be better tolerated than when cooked at home. Ideally all beans should be well soaked for at least 12 hours before cooking if using from dried; the water should be changed before cooking. Boil vigorously for the first 5 minutes before lowering the temperature and cooking for the specified time. Cook thoroughly and remove any scum from the top of the pan. Beans can also be cooked in a pressure cooker. Never undercook beans!

Which vitamins and minerals do we need to be careful with on a plant based vegan diet?

As natural omnivores, who obtain a wide variety of nutrients through a diverse range of foods, there are certain vitamins, minerals and trace elements that are likely to be less available in the diet when food groups are eliminated. This can occur for any of the reasons given below.

Firstly, some nutrients are missing in a plant based diet and therefore make it essential to supplement. Examples here are vitamin D and B12.

Secondly, some nutrients may have a poor bioavailability meaning that nutrients may be more poorly absorbed in their plant forms, or cannot be properly used in the body. This can be caused by a few reasons:

Vitamin B12

B12 is a vitamin that is almost exclusively found in animal foods. It works closely with folate and B6 in the body. B12 supports the nervous system, energy levels, cardiovascular health, detoxification neurotransmitter health as well red blood cell health.

Adults require around 2.4mcg daily, however B12 is usually a safe vitamin to take, but care needs to be taken if supplementing the active methylated form.

B12 can be taken in its active form, called methylcobalamin or its synthetic form as cyanocobalamin. Methylcobalamin is the more active form. Some people may wish to check their methylation MTHFR and COMT genes to see if they might be at more risk of B12 deficiency. B12 can be tested for in the blood, and as methylmalonic acid in urine. Check your supplement levels with a qualified nutritionist.

Vitamin D

We all really need to be taking vitamin D whether we are meat eaters or plant based if living in the UK/ Northern hemisphere. Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol is present in very few foods naturally. Food sources include full fat dairy (not skimmed milk), as well as oily fish, egg yolks and liver. Some mushrooms contain vitamin D2 as ergocalciferol, but food sources contribute only very little towards total intake. D3 is better utilised on the body than D2. Low vitamin D3 levels can affect people following any diet and this is not strictly limited to vegan diets.

Vitamin D is completely different to most other vitamins in that it is actually a steroid hormone produced from cholesterol when our skin is exposed to the sun. Sunlight, is still the only true way to reach our recommended amounts of Vitamin D, although it is a fat soluble vitamin that can be stored in the body. In northern Europe and North America, it is virtually impossible to obtain sufficient vitamin D through the skin during winter months and supplementation is often recommended for all age groups on any diet.

Iron

The best plant based sources of iron are: dried beans and lentils, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits such as raisins, apricots and figs; cashew nuts, sesame seeds, dark chocolate, quinoa and molasses. Note: iron absorption is increased by around three to four fold when vitamin C rich vegetables or fruits are eaten at the same meal. Iron absorption can be decreased by certain anti-nutrients such as black tea (tannins), phytates (wheat, grains, bread, pasta, bran, beans, legumes, seeds, nuts) or oxalates (raw spinach, bran, beetroot). Note also that milk and eggs can also block the absorption of iron to some extent, meaning this problem is not entirely limited to vegan diets.

Recommended daily amounts for an adult women is around 14.8mg and for men around 8.7 mg. It is best to check blood levels before supplementing if possible.

Better absorbed forms of iron include iron citrate, iron malate/ fumarate, iron bisglycinate or food-grown iron whereas iron sulphate is thought to be less well absorbed.

Calcium

This is the main mineral in bones (and teeth) and is where 99% of the body’s calcium is stored. A low calcium diet can, over time, result in less calcium being available for the bone matrix and can be a factor in osteoporosis. Studies have shown that those on plant based diets are more likely to consume less calcium than omnivores. It is of course entirely possible to obtain sufficient calcium on a plant based diet. This has been proven by the many nations that do not indigenously eat dairy, however, their diet often contains many higher calcium foods that we do not regularly consume on a standard western diet. It is essential to include foods such as sesame seeds, tofu, tahini, seaweed as well as plenty of green leafy vegetables. Our adult daily requirement is usually thought to be somewhere between 800-1000mg per day.

Absorption of calcium requires adequate vitamin D levels which can determine how well it is absorbed from the diet. In addition oxalates in raw vegetables are capable of partially blocking its absorption. Calcium citrate or malate are usually better absorbed supplement forms than calcium carbonate.

Food sources include: almonds, cashew nuts, sesame seeds (dark unhulled), sunflower seeds,  tofu, green leafy vegetables such as kale, cavolo nero, broccoli, watercress, spinach, okra, spring greens, seaweed, white beans, chickpeas, lentils, hummus, soya, tahini, fortified milk alternatives.

Zinc

Zinc is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions in the body and optimal intake is essential for almost all aspects of human health, including: hormone balance and reproduction, regeneration and repair of body tissue, optimal immune response, thyroid function, production of stomach acid and much more!  Many plant foods that contain zinc also contain phytic acid, which can inhibit zinc absorption. Some research has even suggested that those on a plant based diet may require up to 50 percent more zinc than omnivores for exactly this reason.

Omega 3 fatty acids

Essential fats such as omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are unique. This is because the body is unable to make these from dietary fats. We need to eat these in foods to ensure adequate intake.

EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) are long chain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fats have been linked with many health benefits including lowering triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, lowering blood pressure and reducing the viscosity of the blood. Omega fats also form a vital structural component in all our cell membranes, nervous and brain tissue, making them very much an essential nutrient.

Omega 3 fatty acids are mostly found in oily fish such as sardines, mackerel, anchovies, wild salmon and herring as well as fresh tuna. Plant forms are found in flaxseeds, chia or hemp seeds, some nuts as well as certain forms of algae. In fact the way in which omega 3 enters the food chain in fish is via omega 3 rich algae.

The precursor effect.

EPA and DHA are the active forms and can start working quickly in the body. Most plant sources of omega 3 are in the form of  the precursor alpha linolenic acid (ALA). Studies show that conversion of ALA being converted to DHA and EPA are poor, meaning we need to eat MORE to have a similar effect.  The best way of increasing intake is with a vegan algae omega 3 supplement. This algal form is higher in DHA and has some EPA and is more comparable to krill oil as a supplement. Flax oil supplements are made of ALA which is a poor