Following a vegan diet means eating no animal products, including eggs and dairy products. A vegan meal plan emphasizes naturally low-calorie foods such as vegetables and fruits. A 1,200-calorie vegan meal plan is quite restrictive, however, and obtaining all the nutrients you need on this number of calories presents a challenge. Devising a healthy 1,200-calorie vegan meal plan requires some preparation and planning, but it can be done. Consulting a physician before beginning any diet plan, especially one low in calories, is advised.
Considerations
People follow a vegan lifestyle for ethical, religious or health reasons. Regardless of your motivation, the diet consists of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Anyone can meet all their nutritional needs with a vegan diet, notes the American Dietetic Association. A vegan diet may also help reduce risk factors for chronic conditions such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Restricting a vegan diet to 1,200 calories should result in weight loss, but the amount of food may be inadequate for some people -- particularly men or very active individuals.
Strategy
A 1,200-calorie vegan meal plan should span at least three meals, or three meals and two snacks. Eating regularly helps keep hunger under control and sustains your energy. Try to make each meal include healthy carbohydrates and a source of vegan protein, such as beans, seeds, nuts or soy. Most meals on a 1,200-calorie vegan meal plan include large amounts of watery, fibrous vegetables such as leafy greens, broccoli, summer squash, tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
Misconceptions
Vegan foods are not automatically healthy or low-calorie. Nut butters and nuts offer many vitamins and minerals and heart-healthy unsaturated fats, but are also calorie-dense. Vegan cookies, energy bars, granola, pasta and breads are often high in calorie and low in nutrition because they are made with refined flours. Choose natural, whole foods most of the time to get the most nutritional value for your calories.
Potential Deficiencies
Vegan diets may be low in certain nutrients that are most often found in animal foods, such as omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin B12, zinc and calcium. When you restrict your calorie intake, you run the risk of creating an even greater deficiency in some of these nutrients. It is challenging to obtain adequate nutrition on any 1,200-calorie diet, notes registered dietitian Joanne Larsen on her website, Ask the Dietitian. To ensure adequate nutrition, include a variety of vegetarian proteins such as tofu, hemp seeds, quinoa and lentils, daily. Include flaxseeds or walnuts each day to incorporate omega-3 acids. Nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk and meat substitutes made with soy are sources of vitamin B12. Fortified whole-grain cereals, wheat germ and beans provide you with zinc. For calcium, choose calcium-enriched orange juice or soy milk, leafy greens and tofu.
Sample Day
For breakfast, cook 1/3 cup of dry oatmeal in a cup of soy milk with ½ cup of blueberries and 1 ½ tsp. of flaxseed oil. Drink eight ounces of calcium-enriched orange juice. Make tacos for lunch with ½ cup black beans, two corn tortillas, 2 tbsp. of salsa and 1/5 of an avocado. For a midafternoon snack, enjoy ½ cup of edamame. Saute 3.5 oz. of tofu in garlic and soy sauce and serve with a half-cup of brown rice. Have a salad with 3 cups of baby spinach with a half-cup of sliced mushrooms, 1 tbsp. hemp seeds and lemon juice. This menu totals 1,187 calories.
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