Plant-based diets have increased in popularity over the last few years.
With more awareness of animal welfare, the environmental implications of the meat and dairy industry, and a focus on meat quality over quantity, there is no doubt why dietary habits are beginning to change. Aside from these factors, a plant based diet has shown promising evidence of being a cost-efficient, low-risk way of supporting sustainable weight management and reducing the frequency and severity of some long-term conditions, such as; high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and type-two diabetes.
So how can you safely switch to a plant-based diet?
1) Aim for a balanced diet
Yes, it’s that same old saying.
Plant-based diets focus primarily on eating foods derived from plants. These include, fruits, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts, seeds, oils, legumes and pulses. This does not mean meat or dairy products are never eaten, but these are consciously reduced and replaced with more foods from plant sources. Like any diet, it’s health benefits depend on the nutritional quality of the diet. This means eating sufficient amounts of protein, fat and carbohydrate, as well as sufficient vitamins and minerals to meet individual requirements. Plant-based diets can be nutritionally complete and incredibly healthy when done correctly. The issue is, many who decide to follow one are not aware of the how to adopt it correctly. The advice from public health England’s “Eatwell guide” is a good place to start. It shows the proportions and the variety of foods which should be eaten on a daily basis. Although the guide does contains meat, fish and dairy products, these can be replaced with other non-plant based products within the same category.
2) Meet your protein needs
Protein is a vital macronutrient to the human body. It provides a valuable energy source (4kcal per gram) and it’s amino-acids are used for the growth and repair of structural cells (e.g. muscles) as well as for the production of immune cells, enzymes and hormones. Amino-acids can be either be defined as “essential” or “non-essential”. Put simply, “essential” amino acids need to come from the diet, as the body cannot produce them itself. Although only nine are considered “essential”, we need all 20 amino acids to function effectively. This is why protein deficiencies can lead to serious health implications. The term “complete proteins” are used to describe those which contain all nine essential amino acids. Typically these include animal products such as meat, fish, dairy and eggs. However, there are a few plant-based, complete protein sources such as: soy and mycoproteins (e.g. Quorn). Despite there being a limited number of single ingredient plant-based “complete” proteins, there are several ways to make high and “complete” protein containing meals. This can be achieved by pairing different foods with varying levels of different amino-acids together to achieve the correct amino-acid profile. Examples of these meals would include:
- Grains and legumes
- Rice and black-beans
- Pasta and peas
- Whole wheat bread + nut butters
- Nuts and seed + legumes
- Hummus
- Lentils and almonds
By pairing foods together, the amino-acid profiles of each food combines to make a “complete” protein meal. Including “complete” proteins at every meal is not essential. However, ensuring you meet your daily protein requirements is essential. If you don’t know what your protein requirements are, a good place to start would be ~1g per kg of bodyweight. Although, if you are regularly active or trying to gain muscle mass you will need much more.
3) Check the label for calcium fortification
Calcium is an essential micronutrient required across all stages of life. It has several important functions within the body, including; helping develop strong teeth and bones, allowing muscles to contract effectively and promoting efficient blood clotting. Intakes are particularly important among adolescents, when growth rates are at their highest. A deficiency in calcium is known to lead to conditions such as ‘Rickets’ in children and ‘Osteomalacia’ in adults, which are both characterised by weak, brittle bones. Dairy products such as cheese, milk and yogurts are high in calcium. However, these foods are not as widely consumed on a plant-based diet. It is therefore essential that alternative calcium sources are eaten to prevent deficiencies arising. Vegan dairy alternatives such as soya, oat or almond milk are great substitutes as they are often fortified with calcium and contain a similar calcium content to their dairy counterparts. However, not all dairy alternatives are fortified with calcium, so it is always best to check the labels. The average person needs ~800mg of calcium per day, which can be achieved by having three portions of dairy alternative’s per day.
4) Consider your Iron intakes
Iron from the diet is found in two basic forms, haem and non-haem iron. Haem iron is typically found in animal flesh such as red meat and offal, whereas, non-haem iron is mostly found in cereals, green-leafy vegetables, pulses, beans, nuts and fruit. Haem iron is more biologically available (absorbed better) than non-haem iron because absorption of non-haem iron is affected by various factors within foods. These include; phytates (in cereals and pulses), fibre, tannins (found in tea) and calcium which can all bind non-haem iron in the intestine, reducing its absorption. Vitamin C on the other hand, found in fruit and vegetables, aids the absorption of non-haem iron when eaten at the same time. Knowing this, try drinking a glass (sticking to 100ml portions) of fruit juice with meals to improve iron absorption.
5) Taste the rainbow
Switching to a plant-based diet does not simply mean just avoiding animal products. A wide variety of fruit and vegetables need to be incorporated into your diet to meet your essential vitamin and mineral requirements to prevent deficiencies. The best way to do this is to eat a variety of different coloured vegetables at each meal, aiming to make your plate as vibrant and colourful as possible, just like a rainbow. Build your plate around vegetables, covering at least half of the plate with them. If you are switching to a plant-based diet and do not like vegetables, you either need to a) trial new ways of cooking vegetables, b) experiment with new fruits and vegetables, and/or c) take a complete, high-strength multivitamin supplement daily.