Vital Vegan Info
How does the Vegan Diet work?
While vegetarians eliminate meat, fish, and poultry. Vegans take it a step further, excluding all animal products—even dairy and eggs. (Vegans are often animal rights activists who don’t believe in using animal products for any purpose.) So say goodbye to refried beans with lard, margarine made with whey, and anything with gelatin, which comes from animal bones and hooves, too. Fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes will be your staples.
Exactly how you shape your diet each day is up to you, but you’ll typically aim for 6 servings of grains, likely from bread and calcium-fortified cereal; 5 servings of legumes, nuts, and other types of protein, like peanut butter, chickpeas, tofu, potatoes, and soy milk; and 4 daily servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, and 2 servings of healthy fats, like sesame oil, avocado, and coconut, according to an American Dietetic Association guide. There’s also no
need to give up dessert: Vegans can eat baked goods (cupcakes and cobbler, for example) made without butter, eggs, or albumin.
Need more guidance? The Internet is full of good information, and countless books offer structured vegan meal plans and recipes. The Kind Diet by actress Alicia Silverstone ($21.99), for example, outlines potential benefits of going vegan, answers common questions, and contains a glossary of common terms. It guides readers through the process of converting and is packed with recipes. And the Skinny Bitch series—which includes the cookbook Skinny Bitch
in the Kitch—offers nutrition tips and recipes.
You don’t have to go cold turkey. You could start by preparing a couple meat-free dishes each week, and gradually make more substitutions—tofu in stir fry instead of chicken, say, or grilled veggie burgers instead of beef. If your aim is also weight loss, amp up your exercise routine and eat fewer calories than your daily recommended max.
While vegetarians eliminate meat, fish, and poultry. Vegans take it a step further, excluding all animal products—even dairy and eggs. (Vegans are often animal rights activists who don’t believe in using animal products for any purpose.) So say goodbye to refried beans with lard, margarine made with whey, and anything with gelatin, which comes from animal bones and hooves, too. Fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes will be your staples.
Exactly how you shape your diet each day is up to you, but you’ll typically aim for 6 servings of grains, likely from bread and calcium-fortified cereal; 5 servings of legumes, nuts, and other types of protein, like peanut butter, chickpeas, tofu, potatoes, and soy milk; and 4 daily servings of veggies, 2 servings of fruit, and 2 servings of healthy fats, like sesame oil, avocado, and coconut, according to an American Dietetic Association guide. There’s also no
need to give up dessert: Vegans can eat baked goods (cupcakes and cobbler, for example) made without butter, eggs, or albumin.
Need more guidance? The Internet is full of good information, and countless books offer structured vegan meal plans and recipes. The Kind Diet by actress Alicia Silverstone ($21.99), for example, outlines potential benefits of going vegan, answers common questions, and contains a glossary of common terms. It guides readers through the process of converting and is packed with recipes. And the Skinny Bitch series—which includes the cookbook Skinny Bitch
in the Kitch—offers nutrition tips and recipes.
You don’t have to go cold turkey. You could start by preparing a couple meat-free dishes each week, and gradually make more substitutions—tofu in stir fry instead of chicken, say, or grilled veggie burgers instead of beef. If your aim is also weight loss, amp up your exercise routine and eat fewer calories than your daily recommended max.