A vegan is a vegetarian who abstains from eating any animal foods or products including foods containing dairy or eggs. While most vegans tend to be thinner than non-vegetarians, they are not immune to the obesity epidemic. An 1,800-calorie vegan diet can help active adult men and women lose weight. It can also help sedentary women maintain their weights.
Diet Guidelines
It is important as a vegan to eat a variety of foods to make sure you meet all of your nutrient needs, especially when following a lower-calorie diet plan. The 1,800-calorie vegan diet should include six servings of whole grains, three servings of legumes or soy foods, seven servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, two servings of nuts or seeds and two servings of oil.
Serving Sizes
Portion control plays a major role in calorie balance. Knowing how much to eat and the portion sizes can help you stay within your calorie budget. Whole grain food choices and single serving sizes include 1 slice of whole grain bread, 1 cup of whole grain ready-to-eat cereal, 1/2 cup of cooked whole wheat pasta or rice or 3 to 4 whole grain crackers. A serving of legumes or soy includes 1/2 cup of cooked beans, peas or lentils, 1 cup of fortified soy milk or 1/2 cup of tofu. A 1-cup serving of leafy greens or 1/2 cup serving of chopped vegetables equals one vegetable serving. Fruit serving sizes include 1 medium piece of fruit, 1 cup of berries or 1/4 cup of dried fruit. One ounce of nuts or seeds or 2 tablespoons of nut butter equals one nuts or seeds serving. Oil serving sizes include 1 tablespoon of oil or 1 tablespoon of salad dressing.
Nutrient Needs
When following a vegan diet, you may have a hard time meeting your daily calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B-12 needs. Fortified soy milk and fortified breakfast cereals are good sources of all three of these nutrients. Including almonds, tofu, soy beans and soy yogurt in your diet can also help you meet your calcium needs. You should also try to include fortified breakfast cereals to help you meet your nutrient needs. Consult with your doctor if you think you need a vitamin and mineral supplement.
Sample Meals
For breakfast on your vegan diet, you can have 1 cup of fortified whole grain ready-to-eat cereal with 1 cup of fortified soy milk and one slice of whole grain toast topped with 2 tbsp. of almond nut butter and a medium banana. For lunch, fill up on an entree salad consisting of 2 cups of mixed greens and 1/2 cup of chopped vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers and onions, topped with 1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas and 1 tbsp. of salad dressing. Serve your lunch with six whole grain crackers and a 2-ounce whole wheat roll. For dinner, try a pasta primavera made with 1 cup of whole wheat penne pasta and 2 cups of mixed vegetables cooked in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic, served with 1 cup of fortified soy milk. For a snack, you can have a medium apple with 1/4 cup of cashews.
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