Can a vegan diet meet your nutrient needs? What are the nutritional concerns about the vegan diet? What nutritional concerns with a vegan diet should I be concerned about? I answer your top questions about this hot topic and share my top ten nutrient-dense vegan recipes.
As a registered plant-based dietitian, I take so many questions about whether vegan diets can provide adequate amounts of essential nutrients such as protein, calcium, iron and zinc. I spend a lot of time addressing nutritional concerns about the vegan diet, both in my books, such as The plant-based dieton my blog and in my speeches. It is important to note that plant foods provide plenty of essential vitamins and minerals to help your body function optimally. With the exception of vitamin B12which must be consumed with supplements or fortified foods, well-planned vegan diets can meet your nutrient needs for all ages, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. It’s all about understanding the types of nutrients your body needs, the plant sources for those nutrients, and how to plan a balanced diet that allows you to consume all of these essential nutrients. Incorporating more legumes, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, while cutting down on highly processed, low-nutrient foods is the way to go. And the beauty of a plant-based diet is that this style of eating exceeds the average intake of many essential nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, E and K, folate and potassium, not to mention phytochemicals. That’s why a body of evidence links them to health benefits! Today, I’m here to answer your top questions and concerns about the nutrients you need in a vegan diet. Be sure to check out this blog on how to meet your nutrient needs on a plant-based diet for more information.
Inquiry: Can you get adequate amounts of protein on a vegan diet?
Sharon’s response: Yes, it is very possible! Studies show that, on average, vegans meet their protein needs. That’s because humans don’t need that much protein—the requirement is 0.8 grams per kilogram of ideal body weight. It’s not much! It is important to consider a little more protein because of the lower digestibility of plant proteins and some people need more protein. It may be a good idea to get more than 1 – 1.1 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight on a vegan diet, which is still very achievable. But we tend to place a high value on protein and actually overestimate our needs. All you need is to get a good source of plant protein—legumes, soy foods, grains, nuts, seeds—on your plate at every meal and snack, along with other healthy plant-based foods like whole grains and vegetables to meet your needs. If you have higher protein needs due to your activity levels or metabolic needs, you can push in extra plant-based protein through high-protein smoothies and snacks. Learn more about getting plant-based protein here.
Inquiry: Do vegans tend to suffer from vitamin deficiencies more or less than someone who eats meat, dairy and eggs?
Sharon’s response: For many nutrients, vegans get more than carnivores. while other nutrients (calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D) vegans tend to get less. However, this does not mean that intake is at deficiency levels. For example, vegans typically eat far more fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, soy foods, nuts and seeds than non-vegans, and these foods are packed with vitamins A, C, E, K and B vitamins, potassium and magnesium. You can get enough calcium, vitamin D, iron and zinc on a vegan diet, but that means you need to make sure you’re focusing on a healthy, balanced diet full of the main food groups, such as plant-based protein, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, vegetables and fruit. You can’t gorge yourself on low-nutrient junk food and get enough of those nutrients. However, the same goes for non-vegan diets! Vitamin B12 it’s the only nutrient you can’t get on a vegan diet, without supplements or fortified foods.
Inquiry: Is dairy necessary for building strong bones? How else can vegans get adequate amounts of calcium?
Sharon’s response: You don’t NEED to consume dairy for healthy bones. You can get calcium and vitamin D (which is fortified in dairy – not found naturally) with plant-based diets. Calcium can be found in tofucruciferous vegetables, oranges and some grains, nuts, legumes, seeds, In addition, you can get vitamin D from the sun and from mushrooms that are exposed to ultraviolet radiation. It is important to note that other nutrients, such as antioxidant compounds, are important for bone health. It’s more than just calcium! Remember that most of the world’s population does not consume milk and even lack the enzymes to digest it, and they have found a way to get healthy bones over the millennia. In fact, Western diets—high in dairy—are associated with higher rates of osteoporosis than regions that consume little or no dairy. Learn more about plant sources of calcium here.
Inquiry: Does eating a vegan diet affect hormone levels such as testosterone/estrogen? How does this compare to a diet high in meat and dairy?
Sharon’s response: There is some evidence that vegan diets have lower levels of certain hormones compared to diets high in meat. However, studies have not documented any negative effects of these lower levels. We need more research in this area. It is interesting to consider that estrogen has been linked to some cancers and perhaps it could be related to the lower breast cancer risks we see in vegans. But we need more research to fully understand this issue—it’s too early to know for sure.
Inquiry: Does a vegan diet help with weight loss?
Sharon’s response: Yes, the research shows very strongly that a vegan diet is associated with healthy weight, weight loss and lower BMI. Scientists believe it is the high fiber content in the diet, as well as the lower levels of fat. This is based on diets higher in whole plant foods, not junk food though. And many people do not experience weight loss on a healthy vegan diet. While many people lose weight, others may struggle to achieve it based on their own unique genetic makeup and body type, as well as their dietary choices. Learn more about vegan weight loss here and read about eating a high-fiber diet here.
Top 10 Vegan Recipes Rich in Nutrient Ingredients
Check out the other nutrition questions I answer on The Plant-Powered Dietitian:
