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If you are a beginner of vegan diet then you would be looking for simpler ways to stick to it. Your mental preparedness is the foremost thing that needs to follow a diet you choose. You need it more for a vegan diet as it brings the transitional changes to your eating habits. Thanks to its benefits that motivates the followers. But still it can be tough to get on the complete vegetarian diet. So, why don’t you practice for a week? Vegan diet for a week is like a small step that can take prior to going vegan forever.
Vegan diet for a week can tell you the body changes, results, benefits and many more. If you don’t plan your vegan diet with healthy parameters then it leads to nutrition deficiency. You can have a look into our guidance on vegan diet for a week.
Veganism is correlated to various incredible health benefits. Knowing how a vegan diet boosts your health can be your fuel to stand strong on it. The other few easy steps and tips can help you better which are mentioned below to make the vegan diet simpler for you.
What is a Vegan Diet?
If you are thinking that vegan and vegetarian are the same then you are mistaken. Vegetarians eat products which come from animals like milk, honey. But vegan is only eating plant based food by excluding all the animal based foods like meat, eggs, dairy, honey is called a vegan diet. The clear objective of this diet is to not include any kind of animal based foods but eat plant based foods throughout a duration or forever.
There are various reasons for following vegan eating which include religious beliefs and ethical values. Healthy eating for weight loss can be the other common reasons that people go vegan.
How to start a Vegan Diet? Complete Beginners Guide?
I would stress on being mindful before starting your vegan diet. The foods like diary, honey and honey became the staple options in most of the house. Cutting off these foods can be a challenge from shopping the grocery to not including it in your platter.
There are some more helpful things to start a vegan diet and stick to it. We are providing a simple beginner guide that can encourage you to kick start your vegetarian diet.
1. Mental Preparedness
Vegan diet needs mindfulness before starting it. As you are going to exclude some of the very common foods, you must be prepared for it.
Avoiding foods like honey and dairy is not an easy thing as soon as you start your diet. Also You may find it too much while you are on your diet. Which You may crave for these foods but what helps you is preparedness. You must be knowing how to stop your cravings to make it a successful vegan diet.
2. Vegan grocery list
Grocery stores are a point where various foods are available. So, know what to pick and what to not for your vegan diet. Make a vegan grocery list that has the foods of vegan diet for a week.
Picking the animal based products and storing at home is not advisable as you are on a vegan diet. At first, don’t buy the foods that must be avoided. Preparing a grocery list can help you achieve this first goal of a vegan diet.
3. Look for healthy alternatives
When you are a vegan diet, look for healthy alternatives of plant based foods. For example, lentils, tofu, soya chunks are the best substitutes for protein. You have many such options to make your vegan diet nutritional and healthy. These options avoid vitamin and mineral deficiency.
4. Start at right time
A few vegan foods are expensive compared to the regular foods. So, be sure about the financial management before starting the diet. Of course,you must look for the foods that come within your budget, healthy and mainly vegan at first.
You make real efforts to stay on a vegan diet and a happening get together comes your way. There starts your cravings and you may find it tough to hold back yourself. So, check your calendar before starting your vegan diet.
5. Consider your health condition
If you were suggested specific foods to benefit your health then don’t start your vegan diet. Health must be your first priority. People are advised to eat eggs, lean meats and other foods to improve their health. We tell you not to cut off these important foods which must be a part of your routine diet. Dropping the nutritional levels is a big no when you are on a vegan diet which is ultimately linked to your health condition.
6. Take smaller steps
The very purpose behind the vegan plan for a week is for you to practice. As you have been on the diet for a week, it won’t be overwhelming as it was for the first time. This is how a week of vegan diet will help you.
Stop eating animal based foods one by one. A sudden changeover of your diet can trash your whole diet plan for a week. Prior to starting the vegan diet, avoid a few foods and then a few more. Then start of your
There are only two reasons for starting or stopping a diet- one is you want a change and other is you are not seeing any change at all. So, before starting or cancelling your vegan diet, learn to take smaller steps. You will accept the changes in your body which makes it easier further.
7. A healthy diet plan
Have a health diet plan that balances all the nutrients. Your vegan meal plan must be a package of vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, fewer carbs. Try a combination of foods to fill your platter for an energetic meal.
Variety of green leafy vegetables, veggies and fruits, nuts, seeds can be part of your diet. With plenty of food options, you can normalize a vegan diet. But then, a diet plan is a must.
8. Don’t run after the results
If you are running after the weight loss results of any positive health change then you become impatient. It is always good to watch the change but running after it takes you nowhere but ending up the diet itself.
Give it some time to show the results. Monitor your health and weight only after a period of time. This can be a source of motivation to continue your vegan diet.
9. Get ready with vegan recipes
You must have a few easy vegan recipes. Otherwise, the routine foods can bore your taste buds and call off your vegan diet. Handful of tasty recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner must be handy with you.
With different vegetarian foods, you are also consuming the nutrients. So, make sure your diet has a variety of tasty recipes.
List of plant based diet foods
One thing that you must register in your mind before starting a vegan diet is “plant based food”. All the plant based foods are super versatile to try out the tasty recipes. Shuffle the foods to make a nutritional vegan diet for a week.
- Fruits and vegetables -to include all nutrients
- Nuts and seeds- to include iron and multivitamin replacement
- Nut milk, coconut milk, soy chunks, nut butter and tofu- to include protein
- Legumes and Lentils-to include multi vitamins and minerals
- Vegetable oils- to include healthy fatty acids
- Rice, bread, pasta- to include fewer carbs
What You Should Not Eat When You Are on a Vegan Diet?
It is also important to know what not to eat for a vegan diet. Make sure that your diet is free from the below foods for a complete vegan diet that you were planning for.
- Beef, pork, lamb and any red meat or lean meat
- Any type of fish or fish oils
- Whole eggs, egg white or yolk
- Dairy products- milk, cheese, butter
- Mayonnaise as it consists eggs
- Honey as it extracted from bees
Vegan Meal Plan For A Week
Day 1
Breakfast- Oatmeal with fresh berries, pumpkin seeds and apple slices
Lunch- Chickpea burger with lettuce and boiled sweet potato
Dinner- Salad with cucumber slices, carrot sticks, parsley and olives and peppers
Snacks- Handful of nuts. Don’t eat heavy crabs
Day 2
Breakfast- Vegan hummus sandwich with stuffed veggies
Lunch- Brown rice with greens curry including Swiss chard, parsley and peppers seasoning
Dinner- Salad with tomatoes, greens, corns, bell peppers and onions
Snacks- Walnuts and vegan protein shake
Day 3
Breakfast-Sweet potato wedges topped with nut butter
Lunch-Tofu salad with bell peppers, beans, cilantro
Dinner-Veg paella with brown rice, vegetable oil cooked onions and tomatoes, bell peppers, chickpeas
Snacks-Almonds, carrot sticks and a fruit
Day 4
Breakfast-Fruit salad with berries, frozen banana and topped with nuts
Lunch- Steam sauteed mushrooms, olives, sprinkled with ginger garlic
Dinner-Baked tofu with red cabbage, brussels sprouts
Snacks-Popcorn, kale chips and fresh a kiwi fruit
Day 5
Breakfast-Almond milk yogurt with raisins, walnuts and chia seeds
Lunch- Quinoa with green leafs, cherry tomatoes, cucumber cubes, eyed beans
Dinner-Zucchini wrap with fresh basil, oregano, garlic powder, sea salt
Snacks-Veggie smoothie with spinach, kale, berries and bananas
Day 6
Breakfast-Asparagus pasta with, kale and onions
Lunch-Baked cauliflower with spinach, bell peppers
Dinner-Healthy bowl with black beans, chopped avocado, frozen corn, garlic powder, pinch of salt
Snacks-Oatmeal with fruits, nuts and seeds
Day 7
Breakfast-Whole Grain toast with avocado spread, vegan protein shake
Lunch-Steamed baby corn, seasoned with cooked spring onions
Dinner-Tortilla with lettuce, hummus spread, sliced cucumber, hot sauce
Snacks-Dried coconut with dark chocolate chips
Things to be considered while following the vegan diet
If starting a vegan diet seems easy then you remember that it’s a long way. Don’t distract your smooth diet with the unintentional mistakes. You must consider a few things while you are on a vegan diet.
- Don’t dine outside
- Always prefer homemade food
- Look for the substitutes
- Balance your diet with all nutrients
6 Significant Health Benefits of Vegan Diet
Vegan diet leading to nutrient deficiency is not all the time. If you can count and consume adequate amounts of nutrients then it is one of the best diets. As the animal fats are completely removed with a vegan diet,it contributes for health benefits.
1. Healthy blood sugar levels
Studies say that a vegan diet keeps the blood sugar levels lower compared to a non vegan diet. It increases the insulin sensitivity and lowers the risk of Type 2 diabetes. (R) It is advised to eat plant based foods to make a complete vegan diet. You can eat legumes, nuts, seeds along with fruits and veggies.
2. Helps for weight loss
It is a science based fact that vegan diets promote weight loss effectively than other diets like non vegetarian diets or semi vegetarian diets. The foods that are produced from animals contain high fats and add calories to your diet which makes you gain weight. Moreover, stop eating meat can benefit your health in various ways apart from just losing weight.
3. May prevent cancer
Another benefit of going vegan is protection from cancer. (R) Most of the cancers are preventable with diet habits. If you are starting your vegan diet then you must include legumes to it as it can reduce the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 9-18%.
Even adding fruits and vegetables to your diet may protect you from certain cancers. Women are advised to take soy products as it can keep them away from breast cancer which is a common life threatening disease in females.
It is good to eat less or no animal products as it lowers the risk of various cancers like prostate, colon and breast cancer as well.
4. Reduces arthritis pain
Studies show that vegan diet can relieve the symptoms of different types of arthritis. It is observed that raw vegan foods reduces the symptoms like pain, swelling in joints, stiffness. The nutrients in plat based foods aid in easing the inflammation which also fights rheumatoid pains.
Including whole foods, raw vegan foods and probiotic rich foods can treat arthritis compared to the omnivorous diet.
5. Reduces risk of heart diseases
Fiber rich foods can keep you away from the risk of heart diseases as it keeps the blood cholesterol low. You must consume soluble fibers which come from whole grains, nuts, fresh fruits, bran and many other foods. Add loads of dietary fibers to save your heart health.
There are many observational studies supporting that dietary fiber promotes the risk of cardiovascular diseases. (R)
Results on our Body when we go through vegan diet
As you eat more of fiber rich foods through your vegan diet, you will fell full for longer time. But adding protein rich foods and vitamins to your vegan diet can make it healthier. If you are not able to balance your diet then you may experience low energy and tiredness. It also leads to vitamin deficiencies too.
Wrap up
Never get a though whether the diet is simple or hard to follow. Instead think whether it is healthy or unhealthy. Vegan diet is a healthy diet only if you plan for it rightly. More than anything, you must be mentally prepared before going vegan. You can notice the body changes, energy levels after following the vegan diet for a week. Your health condition must cooperate for you to start the diet. Considering your health and well being, go vegan and only then you can enjoy the benefits of vegan diet.
