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Thinking of becoming a vegan? Here are things you can and cannot eat

Photo by Vegan Liftz from Pexels
Photo by Vegan Liftz from Pexels

The vegan diet is all the rage these days, as more people are looking for alternatives to animal-derived foods. Some such people believe that having a vegan diet is healthier than other diets, for example, to reduce their cancer risk. Many other people stay cutting out meat since they believe it will end up causing problems for animals, or maybe because they wish to help the planet.

Are you planning to kick-start a vegan diet? While it can be very fulfilling to become completely vegan, it is essential to keep in mind that there are many restrictions that you will have to deal with if you go this route. With the variety of tasty and healthy alternatives around, you'll want to know what you can and cannot consume to make the transition easier for you. To help you start, check out the list of foods you can and cannot eat on your vegan diet.

The food you CAN consume -

A vegetarian diet or a vegan diet is one of the healthiest and most nutritious diets. Most people believe that vegan diets are health insurance policies. These diets are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, fibre, and phytochemicals, essential nutrients for a healthy body. These diets have low-fat and high-fibre contents.

Also read:

5 foods every vegetarian should eat

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Some of the most vital ingredients for a healthy vegan diet include fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes (especially black beans), and seeds. Since animal meats consist of a large amount of fat, you must substitute it with nuts, olive oil, and avocados. However, make sure that you avoid overeating fat by choosing healthy fats such as nuts and seeds. Seeds and nuts are full of protein and nutrition, but avocados contain high amounts of calories. It is recommended to add these foods into your diet for weight loss and to ensure better health.

It can be tempting to fall into the trap of thinking that all-natural, organic foods are the healthiest choice, but these types of foods do not always provide the most nutrients for Vegans. Some of the more popular plant-based foods for Vegans include soy milk, hemp seed, hemp oil, coconut milk, and tofu.

As a general rule, it is best to avoid fruits and vegetables that are grown using chemicals. This includes tomatoes, squash, broccoli, carrots, corn, cucumbers, cabbage, beans, spinach, kale, cabbage, parsley, and beets.

Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels
Photo by Taryn Elliott from Pexels

Nonetheless, people on a vegan diet should be able to eat fresh produce that plants, such as produce (a more handy list)

  • Fresh (seasonal) fruits and veggies

  • Grain products

  • Legumes such as peas, beans, and lentils

  • Almonds, nuts, seeds and seasonings

  • Bread, rice, and pasta

  • Dairy alternatives such as soy milk, coconut milk, and almond milk

  • Vegetable oils

  • Chocolate chips

  • Packaged vegan cuisine

The food you CANNOT consume -

Vegans are individuals who refuse to eat, consume, and use any type of animal products. This means that they do not eat eggs, milk, cheese, or any other dairy products, nor do they eat fish, meat, or other animal products. Some would say that Vegans can't eat certain foods from animals because they may be contaminated with animal by-products. However, it has been proven time again that most of these products, even if they were not contaminated initially, are often contaminated now.

Vegans do not consume processed foods such as canned, boxed, or frozen foods. These processed foods are loaded with chemicals, additives, preservatives, artificial colouring and flavouring, and other harmful substances harmful to our bodies. Even some vegans who do consume these foods feel sick or sluggish after eating these types of food.

Pexels
Pexels
  • Red meats like beef, pork, lamb, and poultry.

  • Typical types of seafood, such as crabs, clams, and mussels

  • Eggs

  • Powdered cheese, butter

  • A selection of milk, cream, ice cream, and other dairy products

  • Mayonnaise (because it includes egg yolks)

  • sweet nectar/honey

Vegan diets have significant benefits for people's health:

As you follow this eating plan, you can benefit from excellent health benefits such as the lowered risk of diseases because of the reduced consumption of animal products.

According to various studies, those who follow a plant-based diet are likely to have better cardiovascular health. People who eat many fibres are less likely to become obese, have high cholesterol and hypertension, and heart disease.

Suitably, vegans are much less likely to get diabetes and cancer. When you follow a diet that includes only fruits and vegetables, you may even have a longer life expectancy.

Wrapping-up

While it may be challenging to get used to not eating animal products, you can overcome this obstacle with a bit of creativity and ingenuity. The best way to transition to a vegan diet is to research what foods are alright and what foods are not OK. There are various websites and blogs dedicated to helping people make the transition to a healthy vegan lifestyle. So, think vegan and eat vegan.