What is Vegan diet?
We all are aware of vegetarian and non vegetarian diet. Non vegetarians have meat, beef, fish and eggs while vegetarians eat vegetables and milk products. But there is another kind of diet called ‘Vegan’ which leaves out not only meat but also dairy products. Vegetarian food excludes meat but they still take dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and curd. The people who follow Vegan diet remove animal food forever from their diet. And not only that, some of them even don’t use any animal products such as honey, silk or leather. Today people are becoming more aware about how they are harming animals. That’s why some people follow it for ethical reasons due to their love and concern for animals. This type of diet usually consists of healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and soya products.
We all are aware of vegetarian and non vegetarian diet. Non vegetarians have meat, beef, fish and eggs while vegetarians eat vegetables and milk products. But there is another kind of diet called ‘Vegan’ which leaves out not only meat but also dairy products. Vegetarian food excludes meat but they still take dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and curd. The people who follow Vegan diet remove animal food forever from their diet. And not only that, some of them even don’t use any animal products such as honey, silk or leather. Today people are becoming more aware about how they are harming animals. That’s why some people follow it for ethical reasons due to their love and concern for animals. This type of diet usually consists of healthy foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and soya products.
Benefits of Vegan diet.
All over the world, Vegan is becoming a new trend. And why it won’t? After all, it has so many benefits. Eliminating animal products helps to reduce dietary cholesterol and helps in preventing major health issues like cardiovascular diseases, blood pressure, and diabetes. Not only that but it also gives you a healthy Body Mass Index, increased energy, glowing skin, stronger hair and longer life.
How to plan a balance Vegan meal?
Wait; stop before you plan to go Vegan. You need to consider few things before you adapt to this new food diet. Your meal plan must include vitamins, fiber, minerals, adequate carbohydrates and protein. If we talk about calcium, you can replace cottage cheese or cheese with calcium fortified tofu. Even almonds, spinach, broccoli, kidney beans and green leafy vegetable are good source of calcium.
You can easily obtain protein from different pulses, nuts, whole grains and vegetables. Don’t forget that good amount of protein is needed for energy as well as muscle repair. So make sure to include adequate protein rich food in your diet.
Green leafy vegetable like spinach are a good source of iron. Even pulses like kidney beans have plenty of iron.
You might need to take supplements of Vitamin D and vitamin B12 to meet your daily needs, if you are going to follow Vegan diet. But keep in mind that it is not easy to follow this diet if you have any medical conditions. So be sure to consult with your physician before bringing out any radical changes in your diet. Also, all restaurants don’t serve this food. So if you are a strictly Vegan, finding proper food might be a problem at times. Latest researches show that people who follow Vegan diet lack an essential nutrient, called vitamin B12. So they might need to fortify their food.