Vegan nutrition is now on everyone's lips. Because the decisive advantages are obvious. However, there are often concerns that primarily concern the practical feasibility and concerns about a possible nutrient deficiency. However, you shouldn't let that dissuade you from the idea of eating vegan. Because with a few tips and good information, it is easy to eat vegan and healthy at the same time and to keep it up in everyday life.
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Tips for getting started with a vegan diet: the basics
There are plenty of reasons for only eating vegan. But regardless of whether you have reasons of conscience or think primarily about your health - there are a few important principles. First of all, you should not only keep in mind what you can no longer eat. Because the new diet should be fun and not just about doing without. In addition, vegan does not necessarily mean boring, since the foods in question can be quite diverse and there are many ways of preparing them. You can also make new, interesting discoveries. Plenty of staple foods are, fortunately, fundamentally vegan. Therefore, before you start, you should keep in mind what else is allowed. Of course, this includes all types of fruit and vegetables as well as grains. These components should generally be part of a balanced diet - regardless of whether you are a meat eater, vegetarian or vegan. You only have to replace or omit dairy products from now on.
These are your basics if you eat vegan
In addition to bread (many types are vegan ) and cereals you can eat fruit and vegetables in all variations, i.e. raw, steamed, fried and boiled. Of course, raw fruit is the healthiest because of the vitamins it contains, but other ways of preparing it create variety from time to time. You can eat fruit right in the morning, either in muesli or porridge or as a snack with bread. You can also use it to bake, while saving on sugar. Of course, it also makes sense to mix smoothies yourself, depending on your taste. Potatoes are probably the most filling of all vegetables. So one of our tips for starting a vegan diet is to prepare plenty of potato dishes so that you don't give up quickly due to a lack of satiety.
Be sure to include legumes in your vegan diet
In order to take in important carbohydrates and fiber, legumes are also an important component vegan diet. Check out grocery stores to see what's available. You will surely be surprised. Beans and lentils come in many different varieties. Add peas and chickpeas. All legumes contain many proteins that are essential for vegans. They ensure a good satiety and also stimulate digestion. You can add spices like fennel and cumin to make them more digestible. Red lentils, for example, don't even have to be soaked, so the preparation is particularly quick. You can of course use cans if you don't have much time to cook. Pulses are suitable as a side dish, in salads and soups as well as in homemade burgers and patties. Incidentally, flour made from legumes, such as lentil flour or chickpea flour, is often even available in supermarkets. You can use it to bake something delicious with extra fiber and protein.Tofu, tempeh and seitan are other products commonly used by vegans. They are made from soybeans and can be used flexibly. By combining them with spices, they can be processed and spiced up in a variety of ways. Seitan can even be used for cakes and desserts, for example, while tofu and tempeh can be fried to give them that certain something.
Prevent nutrient deficiency with nuts and seeds
With the frequent consumption of nuts and seeds you prevent a nutrient deficiency. They contain many essential fatty acids and other important nutrients, which also applies to oils. For a healthy vegan diet for beginners, it is best to always put a bowl of nuts on the table to snack on from time to time. Of course, they can also be used as a topping for salads or added to muesli. Nuts are high in calories unless you're trying to lose weight. They are also good ground, for example in baked goods. As oils you should prefer good rapeseed oil, virgin olive oil or coconut oil.
Vegan substitute products - yes or no?
So-called vegan substitute products are now being found more and more frequently. They are purely plant-based and imitate the taste of meat or sausage, so to speak. You have to decide for yourself whether and how often you incorporate them into your vegan diet. They are not absolutely necessary for a vegan diet for beginners. But if you ever feel like the taste of meat or you want it to be quick, vegan schnitzel or nuggets are a good alternative. Vegan cheese, yoghurt or vegan cream, on the other hand, are advisable alternatives, as an exchange is not always possible. But here, too, you should make sure that the products do not contain too many artificial additives. Plant-based drinks such as oat or rice milk are probably unavoidable for vegans. Because even if it is possible to mix oat flakes or muesli with just water, for example, many people may still lack something in terms of taste.
Caution - not vegan
If you use finished products, you should always check the list of ingredients as a beginner. Because there can be a lot hidden here that is not vegan. Examples are ready-made soups, preserves or vegetable stock powder, to which milk powder or egg powder may have been added. Some types of pasta may also contain eggs. As a vegan, you should of course also avoid gelatine, for example in gummy bears and the like. It's even more complicated with store-bought bread and baked goods, as there isn't always a list of ingredients to be found. Either you ask for it in the bakery or you prefer to bake it yourself. This way you can avoid cow's milk, butter, honey and eggs. Especially if you were used to buying snacks for in between meals, as a vegan you will certainly have to change. Because animal ingredients can often be found here, especially in prefabricated products - which can often be found at the usual baking stand.
Make your own snacks
In order to avoid the difficulties of buying ready-made food, it is advisable to make your own snacks or lunch break food. As with Low Carb Meal Prep, you can already find many vegan recipes and ideas online. Some of it is really quick and you don't have to spend long in the kitchen to make it. Whole food biscuits, salads with delicious toppings, vegan burgers, muesli bars and roasted nuts are just a few suggestions for on the go. If you have a few suitable containers and lunch boxes to change into, safe transport is also not a problem. With stainless steel cans instead of plastic you are also doing something in terms of the environment and sustainability.You can even prepare many dishes in advance and put them in the freezer. So you always have enough options to eat vegan when there is no kitchen available or you just don't have the time.
