Health, Nutrition

Vegan Diet: A sample menu, grocery list, meal prepare

Vegan Diet: A sample menu, what to eat or avoid - ShedBody
08 Mar
14 min read
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Updated: April 14, 2023

A Vegan diet and vegetarian diet, both appear to be among the top food trends, is that meal plan which eliminates all animal products, including meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and honey.

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In This Article

People decide to adopt quietness for various reasons such as moral reasons or religious principles, health reasons.

When people correcting the diet, adopting such a vegan diet can lead to various health benefits, including a trimmer waistline and better blood sugar control.

Nevertheless, a vegan diet based on vegetable foods, in some cases, it may increase the risk of nutrient deficiency.

This article is a comprehensive beginner’s guide to vegetarian food. Its purpose is to cover everything you need, so you can follow a vegetarian diet in the right way.

What is vegan diet?

Vegan diets include only foods that include plants. Those who adopting this diet avoid all animal products including meat, dairy and eggs. Some people also avoid eating honey. For some, being vegetarian is a dietary option, while for others, it is a lifestyle choice.

Those who choose a vegan lifestyle may also avoid clothing, soap, and other products that use or contain parts of animals, such as leather and animal fur. Some people adopt this lifestyle for its environmental benefits as a sustainable diet.

A vegan diet includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds. Eating a range of those foods will provide a good range of important vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and proteins.

However, people following this diet should take care to obtain the main nutrients that people usually consume in animal products. That nutrients include iron, protein, calcium, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D.

Changing a completely diet can already be rough. Do not know what to eat to make change permanent. This is why your research recommends paying attention to food, breakfast, and a variety of protein choices. The health benefits of converting to a vegetarian diet are many and can be a complete game-changer in the sport of weight loss.

Benefits of vegan diet

Vegan diets can provide all the nutrients you need, and you can eliminate a number of the potential risks that research has associated with harmful animal fats. Research has linked vegan diet with a range of health benefits, including the following.

  • Vegetarian diets can promote heart health in many ways. A large-scale 2019 study linked greater intake of plant-based foods and lower intake of animal foods with lower risk of heart disease and death in adults. 1
  • Plant foods are also high in fiber, which links AHA with improved heart health.
  • In addition, people on a vegan diet often consume fewer calories than the standard Western diet. A moderate calorie intake can reduce body mass index (BMI) and reduce obesity, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.
  • According to the 2017 review, eating a vegetarian diet can reduce a person’s risk of cancer by up to 15%. This health benefit may be due to the fact that plant foods are high in fiber, vitamins, and phytochemicals – biologically active compounds in plants – that protect against cancer. 2
  • However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer reports that red meat is “probably carcinogenic”, noting that research has linked it primarily to colorectal cancer, but also to prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer. 3
  • The researchers behind a 2015 study reported that vegetarian diets were more practical for weight loss than ubiquitous, semi-vegetarian and Pesco-vegetarian diets, moreover as better for providing macronutrients. 4
  • According to a major 2019 review, following a plant-based diet may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Research linked this effect to eating healthy plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. 5
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What to eat on a vegan diet?

There are lots of options for vegetarian food and breakfast. It’s not boring as most people think it is and you can have dinner with any of your friends in (almost) any restaurant.

Eat vegetables

  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumbers
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Tomatoes
  • Bell peppers
  • Avocado
  • Zucchini
  • Mushrooms
  • Spaghetti Squash
  • Asparagus
  • Kale
  • Garlic
  • Onions (red, white, green)
  • Swiss or Rainbow Chard
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Cabbage,
  • Salad Mix (rewashed is great for quick and easy salads)
  • Eggplant

Eat fruits

  • Apples (green or red)
  • Peaches
  • Apricots
  • Berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Mangoes
  • Papaya
  • Guava
  • Figs
  • Dried fruit (dates, apricots, cranberries, figs)
  • Lemons
  • Limes

Eat foods

  • Green beans
  • Edamame (soybeans)
  • Tofutti Ice Cream Sandwiches (they are small and fun-sized and delicious ‐ they come in vanilla and mint chip)
  • Frozen Fruit medley (berries ‐ great for adding to smoothies)
  • Veggie Burgers
  • Tofu (extra firm)
  • Coconut or Soy milk yogurt (preferably plain since there is not as much sugar added)
  • Non‐dairy milk (coconut, soy, flax, almond ‐ again, to your preference but try to get the unsweetened versions)
  • Vegan Cheese (I recommend Daiya Cheddar cheese ‐ it’s pretty good but if you are really looking to lose weight)

Eat grains and legumes

  • Sprouted Wheat Bread (Silver Hills bread ‐ in the refrigerator section)
  • Manna Bread Cinnamon Date (optional ‐ in the freezer section at Mother’s and Ralph’s ‐ non-yeast bread)
  • Sprouted Wheat wraps or whole wheat tortillas (make sure there are no dairy products or lard in the tortillas)
  • Whole Wheat Vegan Noodles (make sure there are no eggs in the ingredients)
  • Brown Rice or Sprouted Grain rice (Trader Joe’s has frozen packets of Sprouted Red Rice that is amazing)
  • Brown Lentils
  • Black Beans
  • Refried Beans (fat-free or vegetarian ‐ make sure there is no lard)
  • Quinoa (cooks just like rice)
  • Raw or Roasted Nuts (Almonds, Cashews, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds)
  • Roasted Peanuts (homemade peanut sauce ‐ unless you’re allergic)
  • Nut Butters (almond, sunflower, cashew)

Eat cooking and spices

  • Coconut Oil (unrefined ‐ both in bulk and in spray form)
  • Olive Oil (spray form is great)
  • Balsamic Vinegar (great for cooking)
  • Coconut butter (coconut flesh and oil combined ‐ great addition to smoothies)
  • Spike Seasoning (the end all, be all the seasonings ‐ the best around)
  • Vegan Dressing (Annie’s Goddess dressing, regular or Lite, Light Italian dressings)
  • Vegan Mayonnaise (I recommend Just Mayo ‐ in the refrigerator section ‐ do not use very often since it is pure oil, but it’s still good to have in the fridge for recipes)
  • Fresh Herbs (basil, cilantro, mint ‐ these are all great additions to salads, wraps, and sandwiches)
  • Curry Powder (Madras Curry is the best)
  • Garam Masala (good for sweeter tasting curries)
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Capers
  • Olives
  • Pickles
  • Hummus
  • Liquid Aminos (the best replacement for soy sauce ‐ so much healthier and tastes better too)

Eat extras

  • Vegan Protein Powder
  • Vitamin and Mineral supplement with Vitamin B‐12 and Iron
  • Kombucha (fermented tea with probiotics and antioxidants ‐ it’s an acquired taste but great for helping you feel regular)
  • Vegan Protein Bars (great for snacks and when you’re a little hungry)
  • Trail Mixes or Nut mixes (try to go for raw nuts and seeds since they have the best proteins and amino acids)
  • Dried Herbs (rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme, etc)
  • Nutritional Yeast (great source of Vitamin B‐12)
  • Chia Seeds (great for smoothies, adding to granola or yogurt, or making Chia Pudding)
  • Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar (good sweeteners that have a low glycemic index, so they will not spike your blood sugar – and no, honey is not vegan)
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Vegan diet sample menu

1. Breakfast: No-Bake Almond Butter Coconut Bites

IngredientsAmounts
Coconut Shreds or Flakes
(unsweetened)		¾ cup
Pure Maple Syrup¼ cup
Rolled Oats¾ cup
Ground Flaxseed¼ cup
Almonds with Raisins¼ cup
Almond Butter¾ cup

How to prepare: No-Bake Almond Butter Coconut Bites

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients: coconut, oats, flax, and almonds.
2. In a medium bowl, mix the wet ingredients together: almond butter and maple syrup.
3. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture. Using a strong color, twist together until well incorporated.
4. Scoop mixture into your hands. Roll and press into the bite. If the mixture is slightly dry, add a little more almond butter or maple syrup. Enjoy it.

2. Morning snack: Apple Almond Butter Sandwiches

IngredientsAmounts
Apple1 Large
Almond Butter2 tablespoons

How to prepare: Apple Almond Butter Sandwiches

1. Slice apple like you would a loaf bread into thin/medium slices starting on one side until you reach the core.
2. Do the same on the other side. Spread almond butter onto apple slices and make a sandwich. Enjoy!

3. Lunch: Crunchy Kale Chips

IngredientsAmounts
Kale
(any variety, fresh, organic)		1 cup
Coconut Oil
(Organic, Raw)		1 tsp
Spike Seasoning1 ½ tsp
Curry Powder½ tsp

How to prepare: Crunchy Kale Chips

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Remove the stem, and break the bud leaves into it shaped pieces. (Make sure the banana is dry because you don’t want to steam it during baking – salad spinners actually work great for drying the bananas.)
3. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, ensuring that each piece is evenly coated.
4. Arrange the bananas in a single layer on a baking sheet with tin foil and bake for 5-8 minutes.
5. Stir the pieces and bake for an additional 5 minutes. The bud should be crispy but not too brown.

4. Evening snack: Vegan Apple Pie Granola Bars

IngredientsAmounts
Rolled Oats1 cup
Whole-grain Spelled Flour¼ cup
Coconut Sugar¼ cup
Ground Cinnamon½ tablespoon
Freshly Grated Nutmeg¼ teaspoon
Salt¼ teaspoon
Dried Apples
(chopped small)		1 cup
unsweetened applesauce¼ cup (+) 1 tablespoon
Coconut Oil
(Organic)		3 tablespoons
Pure Vanilla Extract¾ teaspoon

How to prepare: Vegan Apple Pie Granola Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly lubricate a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with coconut oil.
2. In a large bowl, shake the oats, flour, coconut sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt together. Fold in pieces of dried apple. Add to apple, coconut oil, and vanilla and mix completely one more time included. Transfer to your prepared baking pan and use a spatula to flatten it into the pack, even layer. It is important to pack the mixture down so that they can hold their shape once the bars are baked.
3. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the top turns light brown.
4. Remove from the oven and permit cooling down completely. Flip the pan upside down to leave the bars on a cutting board (they should pop out relatively easily), then slice into 5 pieces.
5. Store leftover granola bars in the fridge in an air individually tight container or individually wrap for easy access. They also freeze well.

5. Dinner: Baked Apple Chips

IngredientsAmounts
Apples2 whole
Cinnamon (to taste)1 pinch

How to prepare: Baked Apple Chips

1. Remove the apple core. I most likely did it wrong because half of the apple was missing when I removed it, but you get the idea.
2. Finely chop the whole apple.
3. Line a cooking utensil with parchment paper and place apple slices thereon.
4. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
5. Bake at 275 degrees for two hours. Check every half an hour to make sure they are not burning. At the end of the first hour, flip them so that they bake evenly.
6. Remove and let cool. They will keep in a plastic bag for 2 days. Enjoy them with Coconut Milk Curd!

ALSO READ:  Banana Apricot Smoothie Recipe Step-by-step

6. Meal-6: Zucchini Chips

IngredientsAmounts
Zucchini1 large
Olive Oil2 tbsp
Kosher salt—

How to prepare: Zucchini Chips

1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 large baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper (you can use two 17-inch baking sheets).
2. Slice your zucchini onto a mandolin. Mine was 1, 2, or 3 for thickness and I used 2.
3. once you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of towel (paper) and take another towel (paper) and sandwich the zucchini slices and precede them. This helps to flush out the liquid, so it will cook a little faster.
4. Line the zucchini slices on a tightly prepared baking sheet next to each other in a straight line, to ensure that they cannot be overlaid.
5. In a small bowl, pour your olive oil and take a pastry brush to brush olive oil over each zucchini slice.
6. Sprinkle salt in the baking sheet. NOT over the season, in fact, it is better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; So if you are over the season, it will be very salty! You can always add more later.
7. Bake for 2 + hours until they start to brown and become boring and crisp.
8. Allow cooling before removing and serving.
9. Do not keep in an airtight container for more than 3 days.

Supplements to consider on vegan diet

Some vegetarian people may find it difficult to eat nutritious or fortified foods to meet their daily needs. In this case, the following supplements may be particularly beneficial:

  • Vitamin B12: In cyanocobalamin form is the most studied and works well for most people.6
  • Vitamin D: D2 or vegetarian D3 forms such as those made by Nordic Naturals or Viridian.
  • EPA and DHA: Sour with Algae Oil.
  • Iron: Should be supplemented only in case of a documented deficiency. Including too much iron from a diet can lead to health complications and prevent absorption of other nutrients. 7
  • Iodine: Take a supplement or include 1/2 teaspoon of iodized salt in your diet daily.
  • Calcium: Calcium is best absorbed when you have taken in doses of 500mg or less at a time. Taking calcium at the same time as zinc or iron supplements may reduce their absorption. 8 9
  • Zinc: Zinc is taken in gluconate or zinc citrate forms. Calcium supplements should not be taken at the same time.9

Sources

  1. Hyunju Kim PhD, Laura E. Caulfield PhD, Vanessa Garcia‐Larsen PhD, Lyn M. Steffen PhD, Josef Coresh MD, PhD, and Casey M. Rebholz PhD [email protected]. “Plant‐Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All‐Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle‐Aged Adults.” Journal of the American Heart Association. 2019;8:e012865. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.012865.[↩]
  2. Monica Dinu, Rosanna Abbate, Gian Franco Gensini, Alessandro Casini & Francesco Sofi (2017). “Vegetarian, vegan diets and multiple health outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis of observational studies.” Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 57:17, 3640-3649, DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2016.1138447.[↩]
  3. Lyon, France, 26 October 2015. “IARC Monographs evaluate consumption of red meat and processed meat.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organization. Available from: https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr240_E.[↩]
  4. Turner-McGrievy GM, Davidson CR, Wingard EE, Wilcox S, Frongillo EA. “Comparative effectiveness of plant-based diets for weight loss: a randomized controlled trial of five different diets.” Nutrition. 2015 Feb;31(2):350-8. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.09.002. Epub 2014 Oct 18. PMID: 25592014.[↩]
  5. Qian F, Liu G, Hu FB, Bhupathiraju SN, Sun Q. “Association Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.” JAMA Intern Med. 2019 Oct 1;179(10):1335-1344. doi: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.2195. PMID: 31329220; PMCID: PMC6646993.[↩]
  6. Obeid R, Fedosov SN, Nexo E. “Cobalamin coenzyme forms are not likely to be superior to cyano- and hydroxyl-cobalamin in prevention or treatment of cobalamin deficiency.” Mol Nutr Food Res. 2015 Jul;59(7):1364-72. doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201500019. Epub 2015 May 12. PMID: 25820384; PMCID: PMC4692085.[↩]
  7. Manoguerra AS, Erdman AR, Booze LL, Christianson G, Wax PM, Scharman EJ, Woolf AD, Chyka PA, Keyes DC, Olson KR, Caravati EM, Troutman WG. “Iron ingestion: an evidence-based consensus guideline for out-of-hospital management.” Clin Toxicol (Phila). 2005;43(6):553-70. doi: 10.1081/clt-200068842. PMID: 16255338.[↩]
  8. “9 Iron.” Institute of Medicine. 2001. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10026.[↩]
  9. “12 Zinc.” Institute of Medicine. 2001. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10026.[↩][↩]
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