Let’s talk about nutrient bioavailability. It’s a concern that has come up frequently the more I share plant-based recipes. Do vegan foods have less nutrient bioavailability? Yes and no. It’s not a clear cut answer because there is a lot to be considered. The body is very complex and the tools available for measuring what we are absorbing don’t always take the full picture into consideration.

There are many things that can negatively impact nutrient absorption. On the other side of the spectrum, there are a lot of things you can do to help improve nutrient absorption. First things first, let’s talk about the general things that impact absorption for everyone, not just vegans.

>> Download Your Reference Nutrient Absorption Chart <<

What Impacts Nutrient Absorption

• Inhibitors. Some vitamins and minerals can be bound to compounds found in plants that inhibit absorption. These compounds include phytates, oxalates, lectins, tannins, etc.
• Age and life cycle considerations. Your absorption rates for various nutrients can be impacted and changed throughout your life. Nutrient needs vary and change throughout childhood, with pregnancy and as we head into old age.
• Competing nutrients. Some nutrients are better absorbed in or out of the presence of other nutrients. This might result in you needing to take in certain nutrients/supplements between meals to better absorb specific nutrients.
• Existing nutrient deficiencies. Our bodies adapt to a lot of internal changes including when we are deficient in a nutrient. For example, if you have low ferratin levels (iron stores), your body will start to absorb more iron from plant-based sources compared to when your stores are normal.
• Dosage. How much or little you consume of a nutrient also impacts how much you may absorb it. Some nutrients are better absorbed at higher doses like B12, whereas other nutrients like calcium, iron or zinc are absorbed better when smaller doses are taken throughout the day.
• Stress. We often underestimate how much stress can impact digestion. Beyond just changes in the types of foods we may gravitate towards, some research suggests that stress can lead to increased metabolic needs for certain nutrients.
• How you eat. Chewing, stomach acid production, the enzymes your body uses to break down food can vary person to person and throughout the lifecycle.
• What foods you’re eating together. We don’t eat foods in isolation, we generally vary the types of foods we are consuming throughout the day. There are also many different ways in which we prepare and pair these foods together, which can impact how that food is digested.
• Medical interventions. Different medications you take or different medical procedures you get can impact how well you absorb nutrients. For example, if you get gastric bypass, this alters the route and ability for your body to absorb nutrients normally. As a result, you will need to take specific supplements to fill in many of the vitamin and mineral gaps.

10 Tips for Increasing Nutrient Absorption

So now that we know what can impact absorption, how can we make the most it? There are different strategies available to help maximize absorption of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and even protein.

Vitamins, Minerals and Antioxidants

Iron + Vitamin C

I have expanded on this discussion in my Guide to Iron for Vegans. Ultimately, combining foods high in vitamin C with iron-rich foods can help maximize iron absorption. Aim for foods with 50 mg or more of vitamin C. This can look like 1 kiwi fruit, 1/4 cup of bell peppers or 3/4 cup of citrus fruits like oranges, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, collard greens, cantaloups, strawberries or even a big salad.

Fat Soluble Vitamins and Antioxidants + Fat

There are many examples of the benefits of combining fats with foods containing fat soluble vitamins and antioxidants. One that is particularly impressive is combining tomatoes with a fat (think cooking down tomatoes in a pan with olive oil for a sauce or adding cherry tomatoes and avocado to a salsa). This combo helps to enhance the absorption of the antioxidant lycopene found in tomatoes by 4-fold. And you can get this benefit by combining other carotenoid rich foods (think yellow and orange colored fruits and veggies) with various different fats (oils, avocados, nuts, etc.).

Curcumin + Piperine Turmeric

You might be more familiar with their common names, turmeric and black pepper. One of the main antioxidants in turmeric, curcumin, known for it’s anti-inflammatory is better absorbed when taken together with black pepper. On it’s own, curcumin isn’t as readily absorbed, but adding a small amount of black pepper can enhance absorption of the curcumin by up to 2000%.

Calcium + Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps to better absorb calcium in the diet, which supports our bone health, among other processes in the body. You can get calcium from a variety of fortified foods like calcium set tofu, fortified milks, beverages and cereals as well as low oxalate vegetables like broccoli, bok choy, kale, napa cabbage, watercress, mustard greens and turnip greens. To absorb that calcium, make sure you are keeping your vitamin D levels up through a mix of supplementation, fortified foods or adequate sunlight.

Iron and Zinc + Sulfur

Ingredients like onion and garlic when combined with foods containing iron and zinc help to increase absorption of these nutrients by 50%! The best part, you might already be doing this without realizing it. If you are making a stir fry using grains and sauteing them with onion and garlic or cooking a pot of beans with onions and garlic, you are not only getting more flavor in your food but also benefiting from absorbing more iron and zinc.

Preparation

Cooking

This is such a complex aspect of nutrient absorption. Cooking absolutely has an impact on what we absorb. In some instances, depending on how something is prepared, you can lose a significant amount of nutrients. However, with the right amount of heat and time, you can enhance nutrients significantly and even reduce inhibitors like phytates and oxalates.

Big take away, cooking is a means to break down some of the fiber and cell walls in plant-based foods, which makes absorbing nutrients a lot easier. Just, don’t over do it and pick the appropriate cooking method to enhance absorption. Example, cooking carrots helps to make absorbing carotenoids in carrots so much easier compared to when eaten raw.

Grinding or Juicing

The fibers and cell walls in plants are often what decreases the amount of nutrients we absorb from foods. The tougher those cell walls are, the more we struggle to get those nutrients. We already mentioned cooking as a way to reduce this issue, but other things that can help improve absorption are grinding and blending. For example, grinding flaxseeds helps make omega 3s in the seeds more absorbable. Similarly, in the process of juicing we are able to remove fiber, which can make some nutrients like beta-carotene more available for absorption.

Soaking/Sprouting

Soaking and sprouting help reduce common nutrient inhibitors and may significantly enhance nutrient absorption for protein, iron, zinc and calcium. This is a great strategy to use for things like legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, which tend to have lower digestibility on their own. Soaking beans for a few hours in water and then discarding the liquid and rinsing the beans well can help significantly reduce a number of anti-nutrients.

Protein Digestibility

Can you meet your protein needs on a plant-based diet?

You can meet your protein needs using plant-based sources. The main consensus is to eat enough calories to meet your needs, consume a variety of plant based foods, and incorporate 3 servings (1/2 cup cooked) of legumes or some soy foods to help make meeting your protein needs easier.

How do you measure protein digestibility?

Protein digestibility is impacted by many factors that we’ve already discussed so far including nutrient inhibitors, amounts of amino acids available in foods, etc. We actually have protein scoring systems like the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) and the newer Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) that provide some information regarding how we may absorb different proteins. Overall, more isolated proteins have a higher digestibility score compared to more whole food sources of protein like beans.

Should I be concerned about protein digestibility?

It’s important to note that these scoring systems are helpful, but do have limitations. They are based on isolated consumption of certain foods and it’s not a fully comprehensive list. More human based studies are also necessary for accurate interpretation. Current studies are showing that some plant based proteins are comparable to non-plant based sources. For example, research on soy protein and muscle synthesis have shown it is comparable to whey protein. At best, what we can do is take this information and use it to help cover our protein bases. So it is recommend that vegans consume slightly more protein, which is an extra 10% to normal protein recommendations. For reference, we recommend 0.8 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight for the general population and 0.9 grams of protein per 1 kg of body weight for vegans.

Tips for Improving Protein Absorption

We can also focus on things that can help us absorb that protein better.

• Soaking/Sprouting: This is especially helpful for things like beans, grains, nuts and seeds to help make those proteins more available. Longer soaking periods helps to increase availability even more.
• Variety: We don’t eat food in isolation, so take advantage of combining different foods on your plate to help get the most protein.
• Good Sources of Protein: Include a serving at most meals or incorporate into snacks. This includes soy (tofu, tempeh, soy milks, etc.), seitan, beans, chickpeas, lentils and peas (pea milks or protein powders).

Putting It Into Practice

Focus On What You Can Control

This will be different for everyone. We all live different lives, have different needs and different capacities to take on more things on our plate. There is no pressure to do everything listed in this guide. Take the bits and pieces that apply to you.

If it’s a struggle and a concern, talk with your healthcare providers and discuss options like taking supplements to support your needs. We don’t live in a perfect world or healthcare system, but if you have access to a dietitian that is knowledgeable in plant-based nutrition they can further help with assessing your needs and providing better guidance to help you in your specific situation.

Maximize Nutrient Absorption In Meals

Iron

• Buffalo Chickpea Salad
• Vegan Burrito Bowl with Spiced Lentil Taco Meat
• Orange Tofu
• Citrus Infused Couscous Chickpea Salad

Calcium

• Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats
• Sriracha Noodles with Tofu and Broccoli

Zinc

• Red Pesto Pasta
• Winter Farro & Kale Salad

Protein

• Vegan Fajitas with Soy Curls
• Easy Homemade Seitan Stir-Fry
• Chili Lime Tofu Skillet

Antioxidants

• Kale Orzo Salad with Maple Lime Vinaigrette
• Vegan Turmeric Latte

Summary

I think it’s important to end this article by saying, if you are consuming a varied and well planned plant-based diet, being mindful of the nutrients you need to watch out for, and not following extreme diet advice or anecdotes, you’re probably doing just fine.

If you have the ability and accessibility to focus on maximizing nutrient absorption, here are my best tips.

1. Include varied whole food plants in a balanced way. You can use the plate method to get a general sense of how to healthfully include your food groups within your main meals to maximize your nutrient intake.
2. Make sure you’re consuming enough calories to meet your needs. Remember, your needs can be impacted in various ways, so take that into consideration and consult your healthcare team if making any major dietary changes.
3. It’s okay to use supplements and fortified foods. If you’ve tried meeting your needs without supplements and still struggling to meet them, it’s okay to use a supplement. Supplements are there to supplement your diet and help fill in the gaps. Take what you need, and no need for anything fancy, expensive or in excess that your body doesn’t need. That does not make you inadequate or a failure. It means you are responsible and aware of what your body needs.
4. Always consult your medical team when making dietary changes. This helps to make sure that your individual needs are being met to the best of your abilities.

More Vegan Article Suggestions

• How to Build Balanced Plant Based Snacks
• Vegan Meal Planning for Beginners

The post 10 Tips for Increasing Nutrient Absorption first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post 10 Tips for Increasing Nutrient Absorption appeared first on Plant Based RD.

Let’s simplify snacking and make it a powerful tool for us to get nourished. While snacking might not be for everyone, there are a number of individuals that can benefit from it. And the benefits become more apparent when you focus on balancing those snacks.

If you are a desk job person or student, having something that’s easy to pick at is great. Snack boxes like these were a staple for me when I used to counsel clients back to back. In between sessions I could pop a snack in my mouth to stay energized when I couldn’t have a proper lunch time.

What Do Balanced Plant Based Snacks Look Like?

A balanced snack is one that can provide a boost of nutrition by providing at least 2 macronutrients that can help keep you feeling more satisfied and energized between meals.

Think of it similarly to how I explained balancing your vegan plate. The main difference is that a snack may be smaller in size and may just be made of two macronutrients. Think of any of these combinations:

• Carbohydrate + Protein
• Carbohydrate + Fat
• Protein + Fat

Snacking in Practice

I like to think of it as a mix and match game. So as an example, an apple by itself might make you feel full immediately after eating, but since it’s mostly simple carbohydrates, this alone may make you feel hungry pretty shortly after.

Now let’s take that same apple and pair it with peanut butter. The carbohydrates of the apple when combined with the fat and protein of the peanut butter will help to keep energy levels more stable because the carbohydrate is released much slower through digestion.

Benefits of Balanced Snacking

• May help stabilize energy through the day thanks to the combo of protein, fiber and complex carbohydrates
• Convenient to make with minimal prepping involved compared to full meals
• Can double as a convenient lunch option especially when traveling
• Helps fill in the gaps of nutrition between meals
• A solution for those that may not be able to tolerate large meals filled with fiber
• Makes it a little more fun to get your veggies in since we are mixing and matching different ingredients

Building a Vegan Bistro Box

When it comes to building your own plant based snacks I think it’s always helpful to know what to include. So now that we know what nutrients to include, here are some ideas. Pick at least one option from each category and stuff them into your favorite snack containers:

Choose a Protein or Healthy Fat

• Edamame
• Roasted Chickpeas
• Roasted Lentils
• Vegan Yogurts
• Nuts/Seeds
• Nut Butter/Seed Butter
• Hummus
• Pesto
• Marinated or Baked Tofu
• Chickpea Salad
• Avocado or Guacamole

Choose a Carbohydrate

• Whole Grain Bread
• Whole Grain Crackers
• Pita
• Rice or Rice Paper
• Quinoa
• Roasted Potato
• Plantain Chips

Bonus: Choose a Fruit or Veggie

• Apples
• Grapes
• Orange Slices
• Berries
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Salsas

Tips Building Balanced Plant Based Snacks

• Feel free to rely on premade ingredients. They are there to make life easier. You might not be into cooking and if buying a pack of flavored roasted chickpeas reduces the number of barriers to building a balanced meal, then take advantage of that!
• Plan these boxes around cravings. If you know you’re a snacker, plan it ahead so it is ready when a craving starts.
• You don’t have to eat everything in your snack box all at once. You can eat small parts of it when you start to feel hungry and if there are things you don’t get to, save them for your snack box the next day.
• Mix and match. Make these your own by prioritizing the things you love and adjusting seasonings and flavors based on preference.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Vegan Snack Recipes to Try

• Mango Lime Chia Pudding
• Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
• Chocolate Cherry Granola
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Bites
• Homemade Vegan Nutella
• Chocolate Churro Rice Crispy Bars

More Vegan Articles to Read

• Vegan Meal Planning for Beginners
• A Guide to Balancing Your Vegan Plate
• Realistic Vegan Shopping Tips for Beginners
• A Guide to Iron for Vegans

How to Build Balanced Plant Based Snacks

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• Author: Catherine Perez
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 3 snack boxes
• Category: Snacks
• Method: Stove Top
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

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Description

This guide will help you become a snacking expert. Learn how to build more balanced plant based snacks and get 3 new DIY bistro box ideas to try yourself.

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Ingredients

High Protein Rice Ball Bistro Box

• 1/2 cup cold leftover cooked white Jasmine rice
• 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• Pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup thawed unshelled edamame
• Pinch of Everything But the Bagel Seasoning
• Toasted Nori Sheets
• Cucumbers
• Baby Carrots

Roasted BBQ Chickpeas with Veggies and Tahini Ranch

• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3 tbsp plain vegan yogurt
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dry dill
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Whole Grain Crackers
• Cucumbers
• Cherry Tomatoes
• 1/2 cup roasted chickpeas

Peanut Butter and Blueberry Chia Jam Cracker Sandwiches

• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• Zest and juice of half a lemon
• 1–2 tsp maple syrup, optional
• 6–8 Whole grain crackers
• 1–2 tbsp nut or seed butter
• 1/2 cup vegan yogurt
• 1–2 tbsp pepitas
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries of choice

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Instructions

High Protein Rice Ball Bistro Box

1. For the rice balls combine the cold leftover rice with the rice wine vinegar, salt and toasted sesame seeds. With damp hands take a portion of rice and squeeze and rotate the rice in your hand until a ball starts to form. Repeat this with the remaining rice.
2. In your box add the edamame and sprinkle with the everything seasoning. Serve with rice balls, roasted Nori, and veggies.

Roasted BBQ Chickpeas with Veggies and Tahini Ranch

1. In a small jar combine the tahini, yogurt, lemon, mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, and dill until it starts to thicken. Add a tablespoon of water while mixing and continue to add and mix until your desired consistency is achieved.
2. Add some pre-roasted chickpeas, veggies and extra whole grain crackers and serve with the tahini ranch dip.

Peanut Butter and Blueberry Chia Jam Cracker Sandwiches

1. Make the homemade chia jam by combining the frozen blueberries and chia seeds in a saucepan and heat up until the blueberries are thawed and soft. Mash the berries then add the zest and juice of half a lemon and a splash of maple syrup. Let the jam sit and cool completely until thickened to your liking.
2. To a cracker add peanut butter and a little jam and squish together with another cracker to make the sandwiches. Place the cracker sandwiches in a container with some vegan yogurt, berries, and pepitas.

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Notes

Feel free to rely on premade ingredients. They are there to make life easier. You might not be into cooking and if buying a pack of flavored roasted chickpeas reduces the number of barriers to building a balanced meal, then take advantage of that!

Plan these boxes around cravings. If you know you’re a snacker, plan it ahead so it is ready when a craving starts.

You don’t have to eat everything in your snack box all at once. You can eat small parts of it when you start to feel hungry and if there are things you don’t get to, save them for your snack box the next day.

Mix and match. Make these your own by prioritizing the things you love and adjusting seasonings and flavors based on preference.

If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.

★ Catherine

This post contains affiliate links which means I will make a small commission if you purchase from those links. I only recommend and share products that I know, trust and personally use myself!

The post How to Build Balanced Plant Based Snacks first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post How to Build Balanced Plant Based Snacks appeared first on Plant Based RD.

Whether you are new or old to veganism, figuring out what you need or want to eat each week can sometimes seem overwhelming. And having a plan of action can often times make or break what ends up happening by the end of a long and busy day.

This guide is here to simplify and break down the struggles of meal planning, but also to provide some solutions and ideas to help keep the execution of meal planning exciting and doable. I’m also including a special printable guide for you to use as you get those meals organized.

What Does Meal Planning Actually Mean?

If you’ve heard about meal planning before you might have an image in your head of someone prepping 4-5 recipes on a Sunday. Your image might also include those recipes being placed in Tupperware containers that those individuals would then pick from through out the week with meals often repeating frequently.

I definitely think of meal planning much differently. When implemented affectively, meal planning can be a great tool in decreasing decision fatigue.

Decision Fatigue

Decision fatigue refers to the overwhelm that occurs due to the hundreds of choices we have to make in a given day. Sometimes there are so many decisions that when you near the end of the day, you want to ultimately not really think much about deciding on anything. Anything can often times be what we eat.

“What do you want to have for dinner?” Sometimes that simple question breaks us because we aren’t exactly sure what we want for dinner. We might have so many options or we have doubt about what we want to be eating and then we find ourselves going for the automatic choice like takeout.

So Why Should You Meal Plan?

As a dietitian, I am not here to tell you exactly what you need to eat everyday. What I am here to do is to help make those decisions easier. Meal planning in general can do some of the following:

• Help you save money
• Keep your meals nutritious and balanced
• Can help you save time
• Less stress because you already know “what’s for dinner”

Consider These 3 Things Before You Begin to Plan

Planning Doesn’t Need to Be Perfect. Be gentle with yourself and take on the amount of planning that makes sense for your life. Use planning as a way to better understand your time and what is realistic.

You Don’t Need to Prepare Every Single Thing You Want To Eat for the Week. I mean you technically can, but you also don’t have to. If your style involves just prepping a few vegetables for the week or just knowing what you want to eat for the week, then that’s plenty!

Focus on Your Needs. Note that your portions or nutrients of concern are specific to you. If you know you need to get more fiber in your day, focus on meals that will help to increase that fiber.

How to Make Planning Fit Your Life

Determine What Time You Have for Meal Planning

Be realistic to the amount of time you have. Look at how you spend your time. Make note of your day to day schedule based on work, home life, or even commuting time. Once you see how much time you do have to devote to planning, set some time to go over your upcoming week.

• What meals would be interesting to you to eat?
• Do you have the ingredients? Or do you know what you’ll need from the grocery store?
• Will you have time to batch cook something or do you need to rely on some pre-chopped or prepared items?

Determine how much time this might require and reconsider the plan if needed. For example, I don’t actually have time to wait for rice to cook in my rice cooker. I’ll use frozen rice to help save time on meal prepping a side for the week.

Find Your Balance

When it comes to balancing meals, I love to make sure to bring reference to your own specific nutrient needs. If you are new to vegan and are trying to figure out what nutrients you need, I have an article that breaks down how to balance your meals.

Regardless, one simple way to help balance your meals is to think in 3s. At the bare minimum, it’s worth making sure the base of your meal contains:

• One piece of your favorite produce (fruit or vegetable)
• Starch to help refill your energy
• Plant protein to help stabilize that energy

Plan for the Unexpected

Inevitably, something will come up. You might change your mind about what you want to eat or you run into an issue that makes it difficult to follow through. In either scenario, that is totally okay! Think about how you want to handle those situations if they do inevitably pop up.

• Choose a few places you like to eat out at. Look through their menus and keep a list of the dishes you like or want to try.
• Keep a few canned or frozen meals on hand to use as a quick back up. Just make sure to replenish as you eat them. If you need some ideas for easy meals made with convenience items, download my vegan grocery list here.
• Realize that it’s okay to not always have a solution or backup. The best attitude to have with meal planning is to use it as a guide to help with decision making. The goal should be to have this help make decisions easier by learning more about your behaviors and tendencies.

Get Others Involved

If you live with others, see if they are going to be involved with meal planning or if you need to factor them into meal planning. This will help to make sure you are making the appropriate amount of food so that you don’t end up running low on things. These people might also be helpful to you for some prepping if they are open to it.

Simplify Vegan Meal Planning

One of the biggest tips I give to those looking to meal plan is to keep it simple. You are not obligated to plan every single food item that goes past your lips. However, there may be things you can tackle that can make your week easier. When something feels easier, you will often make that choice. So here are some ways you can help yourself out that doesn’t involve meal prepping the same recipe to eat 7 days in a row.

1. Take Advantage of the Cutting Board

If you have your cutting board out already to chop some vegetables for a specific recipe, cut some additional veggies to save for a future meal during the week. For example, if I’m already chopping onion, I will chop an extra onion to save for my meal tomorrow. This means there is less chopping for future you. And honestly, it’s just such a relief when you don’t have to chop something because it’s already done for you.

2. Batch Cook Things That Make Sense

I am not the type of person that likes to eat the same meal everyday. However, there are sides I do know that I always love to have on hand to build a unique meal. Those are the things that you should batch cook. So often, I will prep at least one to two of the following for the week:

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Baked Tofu
• Chickpeas
• Lentils
• Steel Cut Oats
• Granola

The great thing about a lot of these items is that they are easy to make and do not require a lot of hands on time to prepare especially if you have a rice cooker or instant pot.

3. Keep Sauces on Hand

Keep your favorite easy flavorings on hand. My go to is to keep stock with some different sauces. I love premaking one to two of my favorite sauces for the week. Definitely comes in handy when it comes to bringing a bowl together quickly with something flavorful. You can try some of the following homemade sauces and dressings:

• Peanut Sauce
• Sriracha Ginger Sauce
• Cashew Mustard
• Sesame Miso Dressing
• Lemon Tahini Dressing
• Pesto

But, don’t be ashamed to purchase pre-made sauces for yourself if that makes your life easier! This can look like picking up any of the following pre-made sauces to make your week easier.

• Barbeque Sauce
• Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Vegan Buffalo Sauce
• Teriyaki Sauce
• Hummus
• Stir-Fry Sauce

4. Invest in Storage

Make sure you have enough containers available to store the things you plan to prepare. It’s also smart to pay attention to how stuffed your freezer or fridge is. If you don’t have a place to put what you’ve prepped, that might create more problems than solutions.

Meal Planning When You’re Feeling Lazy

You’re not always going to want to stick to plan. Knowing this can help you still plan for the best possible outcome. One thing one of my mentors taught me early on in my career is that we all tend to gravitate towards “go to” meals or items. So list at least 3 of your favorite go to meals and snacks that you never get tired of or that are just so automatic and easy to put together. When you feel stuck with planning, these meals can help fill a lot of voids.

Now It’s Time To Start Planning

Like I’ve mentioned, meal planning looks completely different for everyone because we all have different life experiences, access to food, access to equipment, energy, and the list goes on and on.

However, knowing what you have access to and what you love can help make the planning process easier. So let’s visualize this. Here’s a print out you can use for getting started with planning your meals.

7 Day Weekly Meal Planner – Download PDF Here

Then, if you need more help with building the framework, you can download this guide that includes a full meal building planner with grocery lists for different meal ideas plus your own personal Go to Meal Planner.

Ultimate Meal Planning Guide with Shop By Meal Lists – Download PDF Here

Vegan Meal Planning for Beginners – Overnight Oatmeal Cookie Jar

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• Author: Catherine Perez
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Soak Time: 6-8 hours
• Total Time: 0 hours
• Yield: 1 oatmeal jar
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: No Cook
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Print Recipe

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Description

This Overnight Oatmeal Cookie Jar is delicious and super easy to make for meal prep the week ahead. Loaded with cinnamon and raisins and topped with tasty oatmeal bites on top. 

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tbsp chia seeds (can be subbed for ground flax)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 1–2 tbsp raisins
• 1/2 banana, mashed
• 1 tbsp cashew butter or nut/seed butter of preference
• 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

Cookie Dough Bites (optional)

• 3 tbsp quick oats
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp ground flaxseed
• 1 tbsp natural nut butter
• 1 tbsp raisins
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon 

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Instructions

1. Combine the oats, chia seeds, cinnamon, salt and raisins and mix well.
2. To the jar, add in the banana, cashew butter and milk then stir again making sure all the dry and wet ingredients are fully combined.
3. Seal your jar and store it in fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight to thicken/soften.
4. To make the cookie dough bites, combine the dough ingredients in a small bowl to form a dough. Take the dough in your hands and roll into small bite size pieces to use on top of your oats. 

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Notes

These jars are best set up overnight. If you’d like to prep some for the whole week, I would suggest just adding the dry ingredients to jars and then adding the wet ingredients the night before you plan to enjoy. 

LOOKING FOR MORE TIPS?

» Head over to my last nutrition article and learn all about Iron for Vegans.

Share your favorite vegan finds by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

★ Catherine

The post Vegan Meal Planning for Beginners first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post Vegan Meal Planning for Beginners appeared first on Plant Based RD.

What is Iron?

Iron is a mineral that is responsible for many functions throughout the body including oxygen transport, DNA synthesis, energy production, immunity, and even some hormone production. Iron is also an important mineral needed for growth and development.

For healthy vegans that focus on maintaining balance and variety in their eating, maintaining appropriate iron status should not be a challenge as there are many foods rich in this mineral. This guide was developed to help you better understand iron and learn how to improve your intake and absorption of it. 

Types of Iron

• Non-Heme Iron: Typically found in plant and iron-fortified foods. This type of iron tends to be absorbed at a lower rate. 
• Heme Iron: Typically found in meat, seafood, and poultry, but they also contain some levels of non-heme iron as well. Heme iron tends to have a higher absorption rate compared to non-heme iron.

It’s important to note that vegetarians and vegans will predominantly be consuming and absorbing non-heme iron. This will help regarding recommendations to help maintain good iron status.

Iron Recommendations

The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) have developed recommendations for iron and other nutrients based on stages of the life cycle and gender for Americans. These recommendations are based on what is believed to be appropriate intake levels for nonvegetarians.

• Men 19-50 years old: 8 mg daily
• Women 19-50 years old: 18 mg daily
• Pregnant Women 19-50 years old: 27 mg daily
• Lactating Women 19-50 years old: 9 mg daily
• Men 51+ years old: 8 mg daily
• Women 51+ years old: 8 mg daily

According to the FNB, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for vegetarians should be set 1.8 times higher than their nonvegetarian counterparts. To put this in perspective, an adult vegetarian woman would need to consume about 32 mg of iron daily, which can seem like a lot!

It is important to note that this recommendation is based on two studies that are inconclusive. There needs to be studies focused on observing iron status of vegetarians over longer periods of time to determine the effects of a vegetarian or vegan diet on iron status. These recommendations also do not take into account the fact that lower iron stores can often lead to adaptation that leads to improved absorption of iron over time in vegetarians and vegans.

Iron needs can also vary from this list under different conditions that result in blood loss, medications or digestive tract diseases. Under these conditions, it might require guidance to likely utilize techniques that help to improve iron intake and absorption or to include a supplement.

Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is the most commonly known nutrient deficiency. Diets low in iron may not initially result in symptoms due to the presence of iron stores in the body. However, when those stores run out, you may develop iron deficiency anemia. This results in smaller and less efficient red blood cells that carry less oxygen throughout the body.  

Some groups may be more vulnerable to iron deficiency. Those at risk:

• Menstruating teens and women with heavy periods
• Athletes
• Pregnant women
• Infants
• Frequent Blood Donors
• Chronic Illnesses including cancer, gastrointestinal disorders like Celiac’s Disease, or those with heart failure
• Those eating a poor diet

Symptoms of iron deficiency can often represent itself in physical symptoms including fatigue, rapid heart rate, palpitations, and rapid breathing. You might also experience things like pale skin, brittle fingernails, weakness, loss of appetite, hair loss, impaired immunity, inflammation of the tongue, and gastritis. Never use these symptoms as a means to self-diagnosis. You should always consult your primary healthcare provider for additional testing.

If you or your primary healthcare provider is suspicious of iron deficiency, your primary healthcare provider may run a blood panel test to evaluate your iron status. You can normally determine your iron levels by looking at your hemoglobin and hematocrit values with your healthcare providers.

As mentioned, anemia is a consequence of iron deficiency. It is important to note that iron deficiency is not the only cause of anemia and may be the result of other health issues including, but not limited to low vitamin B12 levels.

Impaired Iron Absorption

Phytates. Plant-based foods rich typically contain non-heme iron binding nutrients called phytates. Phytates can interfere with absorption of iron. 

Calcium. Inhibits both heme and non-heme iron absorption. This may be of concern for individuals that take calcium supplements. It would be recommended to take such supplements between meals and consult your healthcare provider about recommended doses. 

Teas and Coffee. These beverages contain polyphenols like tannins that can inhibit iron absorption. This includes coffee, cocoa, black, green and some herbal teas. It is recommended for those with iron deficiency to avoid drinking coffee and tea for one hour before or after meals.

Can You Take In Too Much Iron?

It is uncommon to reach toxic levels of iron through plant-based sources of iron. However, taking supplements without guidance may increase risk for taking in too much. 

If taking in too much iron, you may notice symptoms like constipation or diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, liver dysfunction, and oxidative damage.

Foods Rich in Iron

Iron is found in many foods, and while you may be concerned about consuming enough, I think that half the fear you might have could be resolved with knowing where to find it. Here is a list of those iron rich plant based foods:

Legumes, Peas, Lentils (1 cup, cooked)

• Firm Tofu: 6.8 mg
• Lentils: 6.6 mg
• Black Beans: 5.2 mg
• Black-eyed Peas: 5.2 mg
• Navy Beans: 4.8 mg
• Chickpeas: 4.7 mg
• Tempeh: 4.5 mg
• Kidney Beans: 3.9 mg
• Pinto Beans: 3.6 mg
• Edamame: 3.5 mg
• Split Peas: 2.5 mg

Grains (1 cup, cooked)

• White Rice: 2.8 mg
• Brown Rice: 1.1 mg
• Quinoa: 2.7 mg
• Corn: 1.1 mg
• White Pasta: 1.5 mg
• Whole Wheat Pasta: 2.0 mg
• Oats: 2.1 mg
• Millet: 1.1 mg
• Wild Rice: 0.9 mg
• Bulgar: 1.7 mg
• Buckwheat Groats: 4 mg

Nuts & Seeds (1 oz)

• Cashews: 1.8 mg
• Almonds: 1 mg
• Pistachios: 1.2 mg
• Walnuts: 0.9 mg
• Sunflower Seeds: 2.2 mg
• Pumpkin Seeds: 2.3 mg
• Flax Seeds (1 tbsp): 0.5 mg
• Chia Seeds: 2.`9 mg
• Hemp Seeds (3 tbsp): 2.3 mg

Nut & Seed Butters (2 tablespoons)

• Peanut Butter: 0.6 mg
• Almond Butter: 1 mg
• Cashew Butter: 1.6 mg
• Tahini: 1.2 mg

Vegetables (1 cup, cooked)

• Spinach: 6.4 mg
• Broccoli: 1.1 mg
• Kale: 1.1 mg
• Swiss Chard: 4 mg
• Brussel Sprouts: 1.2 mg
• Green Peas: 2.4 mg
• Beet Greens: 2.7 mg
• Sweet Potato: 1.4 mg

Dried Fruit (¼ cup)

• Raisins: 0.7 mg
• Apricots: 0.5 mg
• Prunes: 0.4 mg
• Dates: 0.3 mg

I think one thing to remember when it comes to improving iron status is that overwhelming yourself and being meticulous with every single milligram of iron going in will not be helpful or realistic for you to do. It is in your best interest to instead pay attention to methods for improving iron intake and absorption.

If you are new to veganism, make sure you are balancing your plate appropriately and eating enough. It may be in your best interest to consult with a dietitian knowledgeable in plant based eating to help make sure you are replacing nutrients appropriately.

Tips for Increasing Iron Absorption

Pair Iron with Vitamin C

When consuming iron-rich foods, it’s always a good idea to pair it with something that has vitamin C because it actually increases the bioavailability of non-heme iron even when those foods include iron inhibitors like phytates and polyphenols. Good examples may include things like

• Adding a fresh squeeze of lemon juice over lentils or bean curry
• Serving your black bean burrito bowl with some diced raw bell peppers
• Topping your oatmeal with some strawberries

Include Lysine-rich Foods

L-lysine is an amino acid that is abundant in plant based foods like legumes, peas, lentils, quinoa, and peanuts. These vegan protein sources rich in lysine actually help to improve absorption. Considering they are high in protein, L-lysine and iron, these become a really great source to focus on for maintaining good iron status.

Soaking and Sprouting

I have discussed sprouting previously, and an important thing to note is that this method and process does help to reduce the phytate content for certain plant foods like beans and grains. This study suggests that soaking and sprouting, decreased phytates which leads to improved availability of minerals like iron.  

Whole Grains vs Enriched, Refined Grains

Including a mix of both whole and refined grains has it’s advantages for iron intake. While whole grains will naturally have additional minerals available, enriched grains may have a little more added to it that can be an advantage for those struggling to meet their needs. 

If You Can, Include Soy Foods

While still containing phytates, the type of iron in soy foods does not seem to be impacted by it during absorption. And if you are a fan of fermented soy like tempeh, the fermentation process actually helps make iron more available. 

Include More Iron-Rich Foods Regularly

If you are healthy, one way to make sure that you are getting adequate iron is to make sure you are prioritizing balanced and varied meals that include iron-rich foods like legumes, grains, nuts and seeds.

Cooking Tools

In theory, items like cast iron pans and the Iron Fish (ingots) can be cooking tools you use that leach some iron into your food. The amount of iron made available from these tools is dependent on the acidity of the food being cooked, the cooking time, and the age of the skillet. There is still limited evidence regarding the efficacy of iron-containing pots and ingots when it comes to reducing iron deficiency. 

Supplementation

Is an option that may be appropriate for vegans and non-vegans if determined to have consistently low iron status or with clinically determined anemia. Your healthcare provider should help with determining the appropriate amount and how long to prescribe this supplementation to help correct iron status. It’s important to seek out qualified medical professionals when determining needs to prevent taking doses that could be harmful.

Iron-Rich Recipes

Breakfast Ideas

• High Protein Strawberry Oatmeal
• Coconut Cardamom Baked Oatmeal
• Herb Tofu Breakfast Sandwich
• Fluffy Tofu Scramble

Lunch Ideas

• Lentil Tahini Pasta
• Pesto Pinwheels
• Edamame Crunch Salad
• Buffalo Cauliflower Chickpea Wraps

Dinner Ideas

• Vegan Walnut Taco Meat with a fresh squeeze of lime juice
• Lemon Basil Tofu
• Chickpea Coconut Curry
• Latin Nourish Bowl

Snack Ideas

• Chickpea Cookie Dough Bites
• Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bars
• Chocolate Chip Quinoa Cookies
• Black Bean Brownies

Summing It Up

Iron is an important mineral that is easy for healthy individuals that eat a varied diet to maintain. This can be done through use of non-heme iron-rich plant sources in the case of vegetarians and vegans.  

There are individuals who might be at risk of iron deficiency. In these cases they should be tested and provided support to help improve iron intake and absorption. There are many plant foods that are rich in iron. Focusing on including foods like legumes, chickpeas, lentils, peas, whole grains, nuts and seeds regularly can be really helpful to improve iron intake. To help improve absorption, it might be in your best interest to utilize methods like including vitamin C rich foods at main meals and reducing iron inhibitors as best as possible.  

For further reading and more in depth discussion on Iron, I recommend the Iron Part I and Part 2 articles written on Vegan Health.

Resources

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021). Office of Dietary Supplements – Iron. NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/.

Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci. 2014;19(2):164-174.

Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Arsenic, Boron, Chromium, Copper, Iodine, Iron, Manganese, Molybdenum, Nickel, Silicon, Vanadium, and Zinc : a Report of the Panel on Micronutrients. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2001.

Geerligs PD, Brabin BJ, Omari AA. Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries: a systematic review. J Hum Nutr Diet. 2003 Aug;16(4):275-81. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-277x.2003.00447.x. PMID: 12859709.

Alves C, Saleh A, Alaofè H. Iron-containing cookware for the reduction of iron deficiency anemia among children and females of reproductive age in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review. PLoS One. 2019;14(9):e0221094. Published 2019 Sep 3. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0221094

Luo Y, Xie W. Effect of soaking and sprouting on iron and zinc availability in green and white faba bean (Vicia faba L.). J Food Sci Technol. 2014;51(12):3970-3976. doi:10.1007/s13197-012-0921-7

Shi Z, Hu X, Yuan B, et al. Strong negative association between intake of tofu and anemia among Chinese adults in Jiangsu, China. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008;108(7):1146-1153. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2008.04.036

Bo Lönnerdal, Annika Bryant, Xiaofeng Liu, Elizabeth C Theil, Iron absorption from soybean ferritin in nonanemic women, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 83, Issue 1, January 2006, Pages 103–107, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/83.1.103

Platel K, Srinivasan K. Bioavailability of Micronutrients from Plant Foods: An Update. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(10):1608-1619. doi:10.1080/10408398.2013.781011

Li L, Zhong W, Kong H, Sun J, Zhang X, Su Y. Evaluation of the Effect of Sprout Soybeans on the Iron Status of Anemic Adolescent Girls in Rural China. Plant Foods Hum Nutr. 2019;74(1):28-33. doi:10.1007/s11130-018-0697-7Cook JD,

Dassenko SA, Lynch SR. Assessment of the role of nonheme-iron availability in iron balance. Am J Clin Nutr 1991;54:717-22.

Hunt JR, Roughead ZK. Nonheme-iron absorption, fecal ferritin excretion, and blood indexes of iron status in women consuming controlled lactoovovegetarian diets for 8 wk [see comments]. Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69:944-52.

Looking for more tips?

» Head over to my last nutrition article and learn all about Balancing Your Vegan Plate.

Share your favorite vegan finds by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

★ Catherine

The post A Guide to Iron for Vegans first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post A Guide to Iron for Vegans appeared first on Plant Based RD.

Shopping Beyond the Perimeter

One of the biggest things I was bombarded with while being influenced in the health and wellness space was this idea that you MUST shop the perimeter of the store. This was where supposedly all the healthy foods were, and anything within the aisles was painted as undesirable. While I am a big proponent of shopping the perimeter of the store for all the great fresh fruits and vegetables, we miss out on a lot of highly nutritious foods scattered throughout the grocery store. More importantly, allowing for the inclusion of foods within the aisles is something that actually helps a lot more vegans or those looking to go vegan to stay vegan.

Reasons to Shop Within the Aisle

Beyond the perimeter, there are foods that provide a great deal of nutrition that we can miss out on if we avoid the aisles completely.

• Grains: oats, rice, barley, pastas, quinoa, flours
• Pulses: beans, chickpeas, lentils
• Canned Items: fruits, vegetables, beans, sauces
• Nuts & Seeds: nut butters, seed butters, jars of nuts and seeds, ground flax seed, chia seeds, hemp seeds
• Fortified Plant Milks: soy, almond, rice, oat, hemp, etc.
• Spices: anything that can help make our food taste amazing and make us want to eat it

And it goes beyond this too! Think about it, if we avoid these types of foods, especially following a plant-based way of eating, we miss out on a lot of balance. And if you aren’t sure what balanced eating is for someone who is vegan or plant based, then look at my article on balancing your vegan plate.

But don’t feel that you have to just limit yourself to these types of foods. There are even more products within these aisles that have their purpose too and are meant to provide us a means of convenience and affordability. And convenience isn’t necessarily bad. As my community taught me, convenience is often necessary. We live in a fast-paced society. Some people work more than one job, have to feed more than just themselves, and some might not have any desire to be in the kitchen at all. Having a reliable and quick option can ensure people can nourish themselves and their families at their own pace. This also gives us an opportunity to expand our options and reach those looking to include more plant-based foods.

Nutrients You Can Get Within the Aisle

One of my favorite aspects of working as a dietitian was seeing vegan options expand in the aisles. Almost every week, there seemed to be something new. Probably one of the most memorable was going down the soup aisle and realizing that brands like Campbell’s® Well Yes!® soup started carrying vegan soup options. To me it was incredible that we’ve had that much of an impact in the health and wellness space. To me, it was a sign that things were changing, that companies were listening and starting to expand their offerings to provide more nutritious foods, but also to give us vegans an option too. Taking Campbell’s® Well Yes!® soup for example, their soups deliver on average 1/3 of your daily recommended vegetable servings in a flavor-packed can or convenient sipping soup. And thanks to their plant-forward ingredients, many varieties can help add beneficial fiber to your day as well. 

And this is the power of not just shopping within the aisles, but also doing our best to meet people where they are and give them the option for better nutrition. Having an abundance of different plant-based options throughout the store can make it easier to fit in nutrients like: 

• Plant Based Protein
• Iron
• Calcium
• Fiber
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Magnesium
• B12

And so much more!

Staying Vegan Thanks to Convenience

Knowing the types of foods to eat is half the battle when it comes to staying vegan. Challenges like lack of time or little experience in the kitchen can make eating and staying vegan a challenge. This is where some convenience can help tremendously. So, what counts as convenience? It’s really anything that helps save a little time in the kitchen. It could include any range of the following items. 

• Pre-chopped fruits and vegetables
• Canned produce (think things like beans, canned vegetables, fruits, etc.)
• Parboiled grains like rice that you might only need to heat on the stove top or microwave
• Frozen meals 
• Canned soups 
• Frozen produce

An important thing to remember of all these foods is that you can obtain significant nutrition from a range of them. If pre-chopped fruits and vegetables help you eat more fruits and vegetables, then I am all on board! Grabbing a Campbell’s® Well Yes!® sipping soup for an easy snack on the go might mean you don’t have to always use an hour or more of meal prep time to get beans and vegetables into your day. Whatever you can manage and support sustainably is what you should aim for. We often do more harm by not allowing ourselves the grace to get a helping hand where we may need it.

Reading Nutrition Labels and Ingredients as a Vegan

I know many of you reading this might be concerned about the nutritional quality of convenience meals. Here are some things to keep in mind. 

1. Using prepared fruits and vegetables is a nutritious option. Even if they’ve been cut, canned or frozen, the nutrition quality doesn’t change as drastically as we might think. Things like canned or frozen vegetables retain a great deal of their nutrition as vegetables get packaged right at the peak of ripeness (this is the same for fruits). Also, sometimes canned vegetables like tomatoes can enhance the availability of certain nutrients like lycopene since they are cooked before being packaged.
2. Look for fiber. This is probably the one area on the nutrition label I look at the most. If you are looking to incorporate more fiber rich foods to your day, aim for more items that have about 3 grams or more per serving listed on the label. 
3. Don’t neglect plant protein. Plant protein helps us stay satisfied. Everyone’s protein needs will vary, so if you aren’t sure how to figure out how much you might need, it’s always a good idea to meet with a dietitian who supports your plant-based efforts. 
4. Try not to get too hung up about every single nutrient on the label. It’s very easy to think some foods are not nutritious because one nutrient might not be in line with your goals. But remember, we do not eat one food item in isolation. We eat them together with so many other foods. What we consume most of the time matters most and we do have to look at the big picture. 

Summing It All Up

Take this one bit of advice that will do more good for you as you continue on your vegan or plant-based journey. All foods can fit, including the convenient ones. If choosing foods in the center aisles makes you eat more fruits and vegetables, if it allows you more fiber and plant-based protein for less time and money, you are doing a great job. It means that you are doing what is best for you at any given moment. And from a practical standpoint you won’t be dealing with as much food waste and manage to save money at the same time.

Use some convenient options to make your life easier. It will make you realize that you can manage staying vegan even when the times get tough. And when you do have the opportunity or desire to make food from scratch, absolutely take advantage of it. Realize that it doesn’t have to be over complicated and you can definitely take any needed shortcuts if that means you are able to properly nourish yourself. 

Hungry for more vegan information?

» Head over to my last nutrition article and learn all about balancing your vegan plate. 

Share your favorite realistic vegan shopping tips by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

★ Catherine

The post Realistic Vegan Shopping Tips for Beginners first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post Realistic Vegan Shopping Tips for Beginners appeared first on Plant Based RD.

Going vegan can be both really exciting and also really overwhelming. There is a lot of information out there, and some of it might even sound conflicting. So how do you go vegan successfully? This vegan plate guide will help give you a better understanding of important vegan food groups to focus on.

What Does It Mean To Be Vegan? 

Veganism is an ethical choice to reduce harm to animals, humans and the planet to the best of your ability. When we apply these principles to dietary practices, vegans do not eat meat, poultry, fish, or animal byproducts like eggs, dairy products and honey.

What Do Vegans Eat?

Whenever “diet” comes to question we often think about what we shouldn’t eat. But an easier way to define a vegan diet is to talk about what vegans actually eat. Finding replacements for this you already love can help normalize this way of eating and make change less scary.

Plant-based eating includes consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes in various whole food and processed forms. Both whole food options and processed vegan foods can help meet various nutrient needs while supporting social normality, convenience and accessibility.

Is Eating a Plant Based Diet Safe?

Following a vegan or plant-based dietary pattern can be appropriate for all stages of the life cycle including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, as well as for athletes. These guidelines are also recommended and supported through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and sited along with their full peer reviewed and evidenced based position paper. 

Beyond Food

It’s important to remember that there are many things that vegans do outside of eating to help minimize harm. This can include animal and human activism, examining purchases, environmental work to reduce waste, exploring cultural practices that can further creating and providing vegan goods, etc.

What is the Difference Between Veganism and Plant-Based Eating?

Remember, veganism at it’s core is an ethical choice, not a diet. Vegans consume a plant-based diet, but you don’t have to be vegan to benefit from plant-based dietary choices.

If you’ve been vegan curious, but hesitant fr any reason, just know that any work towards vegan or eating more plant based foods leads to a reduction of harm. Something is always better than nothing! We do so much better when we think of what we can still do instead of what we can’t do. So even if you are not ready to commit 100%, consider that the small things you do can still have a huge impact and still align with your morals. At the end of the day, there is no such thing as a perfect vegan, but we can do our best each day to live with our best intentions.

Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet

Those following plant based or plant forward diets high in fiber and diverse in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants are often at a reduced risk of various chronic diseases including:

• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Hypertension
• Certain types of cancer

Further benefits also include:

• Lower cholesterol
• Lower blood pressure
• Improved blood sugar control
• Improved weight maintenance 
• Less impact on the environment

The Vegan Plate Method

It can seem very overwhelming to switch to a plant based diet or add more plant-based meals that feel satisfying. You might be concerned primarily with making sure that you are getting enough of what you need nutritionally. So let’s take a look at the vegan plate method to see how we do that.

Vegan Plate Method – Download PDF

Fill ½ Your Plate with Fruits and/or Vegetables

• Benefits: Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that can help reduce the risk of developing chronic disease. Fiber rich foods can also help lead to more meal satisfaction and improve overall digestion.
• Sources: Any and all fruits and vegetables that you can find either fresh, frozen or even canned especially if it helps with convenience. Always look to include a range of different colors such as your green veggies (like leafy greens, bok choy, and broccoli) and orange veggies (like carrots, butternut squash, and bell peppers).
• Pro Tip: General guidelines recommend between 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. A serving is an equivalent of about 1/2 cup fruit or vegetables cooked. If you can’t get a fruit or vegetable in at a main meal, you can also aim to get them in as snacks. I also like to remind everyone that cultural items like sofrito and salsas can help you meet these goals too.

Fill ¼ of Your Plate with Starches or Grains

• Benefits: Provides a wonderful source of sustained energy especially if you opt for more complex carbohydrates that are higher in fiber. Research indicates that complex carbohydrates may help to reduce cardiovascular disease risk and improve blood glucose control.
• Sources: Oatmeal, rice, whole grain breads, wheat/corn tortillas, whole grain pastas, quinoa, barley, millet, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, corn, etc.
• Pro Tip: Aim for a least half of your daily grain servings to be whole grains for the increased fiber benefit! Servings will vary depending on your personal energy needs.

Fill ¼ of Your Plate with Plant-Based Protein

• Benefits: Helps to maintain adequate muscle, may add additional fibers to the diet, aids in some absorption and increases your satiation (keeping you full longer).
• Sources: Soy products such as tofu, tempeh and edamame, seitan, green peas, all beans, chickpeas, all lentils, split peas, and most vegan meat replacements (I don’t consider these transition foods, depending on the individual, meat alternatives can be important and worthwhile to include more regularly to meet nutrient needs). Other sources can include nuts and seeds such as hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, peanuts, and their corresponding nut and seed butters. 
• Pro Tip: Thinking protein swaps can help make this transition easier. Replace dairy milk with soy milk for similar protein profiles, opt for tofu in place of eggs to make tofu scrambles, use seitan strips to get the chew or bite you might miss from meats/poultry, mix some lentils with smoky spices to mimic ground meats, and even use chickpeas as the replacement protein in chicken/tuna salad recipes.

Nutrients of Concern

Just like there are nutrients of concerns for those eating any type of diet, plant-based eaters should be mindful of the following nutrients when planning their meals as well.

• Protein
• B12
• Omega 3s
• Zinc
• Calcium
• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Iodine

This might seem overwhelming, but a lot of the deficiencies in these nutrients often occurs when someone isn’t planning their meals appropriately. As an example, someone might adopt a vegan diet and completely remove their main animal protein source without suitably replacing that protein for an appropriate plant-based option. This makes a big difference because that protein source is also providing some of those minerals of concern like zinc and iron.

My best advice if you are not 100% sure of what you are doing, consult a vegan dietitian or a dietitian that is knowledgeable enough on plant-based eating. If a dietitian you meet isn’t well-versed, ask them to refer you to one that can help. You can find a helpful registry here.

Adding More Nutrients to Your Vegan Plate

Awesome! So we got through the foundation, let’s accessorize. Accessories help to make the basics more fun and satisfying. They also serve their own unique purposes.

Healthy Fats

• Why: Fats are an essential part of a healthy diet and are integral to many functions of the body including the absorption of vital nutrients. Fats also help to cushion our most important organs to keep them safe. 
• Recommendations: Consume healthy fats from whole food sources where possible as whole fats tend to have more fiber, vitamins and minerals.
• Vegan sources: Avocados, nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc.), seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, chia, hemp, and flaxseeds), nut butters, olives, coconut, and plant based oils (olive oil, canola oil, etc.). Aim to also include omega 3 fats like walnuts, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds and chia seeds.

Fortified Foods

• Why: Including fortified foods in your diet will help hitting certain nutrients a lot easier, and that even goes for non-vegans!
• Recommendations: Check the nutrition facts label and ingredients to confirm that a plant based dairy product or cereals are fortified with specific vitamins of interest like Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, and/or Calcium. Typically 2-3 servings can help with meeting a good portion if not all of these nutrients depending on the brands used. Even if consuming fortified foods, still consider including supplements as detailed below if this is not part of your regular consumption.
• Vegan Sources: Various plant based milks (like almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk, and pea protein milk), some plant based yogurts, cereals and juices like orange juice.

Supplements

• Vitamin B12: Rarely found in non-animal based food products. Vegans need to obtain vitamin B12 from  fortified foods and/or supplements. You can either use a daily B12 supplement of between 25-100 mcg daily or 1000 mcg x2 weekly. 
• Vitamin D: Depending on where you live in the world and how often you are out in the sun it might be difficult to synthesize enough vitamin D regularly, so either ensuring that fortified foods are included in the diet and/or a supplement with 600-800 IU/day may be appropriate to help with maintaining normal levels.
• DHA & EPA: In line with recommendations for consuming omega 3 rich foods. To help replace recommendations for fish oil supplements, you can use an algae based supplement as a swap.

Put It Into Practice

The best way to really understand the plate method is through examples. Think of what was reviewed as a check list and ask “what is missing”, then find a way to fill it in. We’ll go through what to consider throughout the day.

Supplements

Review the need for supplements with your healthcare provider. Take as appropriate in and don’t shy away from fortified foods to further help fill in any gaps. They can be another key area to help ensure you are meeting your nutrient needs. The following would be general ones to include so make sure your supplement or fortified plant based milks and cereals can cover your specific needs.

• Vitamin B12
• Vitamin D
• Omega 3s

Breakfast

High Protein Lemon Blueberry Overnight Oats

• 1/2 Plate Produce: Blueberries
• 1/4 Plate Protein: Fortified Soy Milk and Soy Yogurt, Pepitas, Chia Seeds
• 1/4 Plate Starch: Oats
• Fats: Pepitas, Chia Seeds
• Other Nutrients: Chia seeds provide the omega 3s, fortified plant-based dairy provides the calcium and vitamin D, and the berries and oats provide valuable fiber

Lunch

High Protein Avocado White Bean Sandwich

• 1/2 Plate Produce: Artichoke hearts, scallion, pepper, cucumber, greens
• 1/4 Plate Protein: White Beans
• 1/4 Plate Starch: Whole Grain Bread
• Fats: Avocado
• Other Nutrients: Vitamin C from the lemon and pepper, beta-carotene from the lettuce, potassium from the avocado and beans, fiber from the whole grain bread and beans, and iron from the beans. Learn how to better absorb plant-based nutrients here.

Dinner

Chipotle Lime Black Bean Bowls

• 1/2 Plate Produce: Sofrito (Bell peppers, red onions, garlic, cilantro),
• 1/4 Plate Protein: Black beans
• 1/4 Plate Starch: Rice and plantains
• Fats: Avocado
• Other Nutrients: Calcium from the yogurt, Vitamin C from the lime, potassium from the avocado and beans, fiber from the beans and veggies, and iron from the beans.

Snacks

You can apply the nutrient categories to build satisfying snacks as well! Of course you can keep them simple and use classic ideas like peanut butter paired with apple slices or baby carrots paired with hummus. Think of snacks similar to supplements in that they can be used to fill in gaps with meals.

Not able to get a veggie in at lunch? Snack on a veggie while prepping dinner. Need a little more protein because you fill up fast at meals, snacks can be a great way to fill that in. I have this guide on building balanced healthy plant-based snack boxes using the same strategy for meals here.

Summing It Up

I’ll say it again, all of this information may seem like a lot. The goal here is to make you aware of what we should be aiming for regularly. That doesn’t mean you need to be militant or obsess about every single nutrient. If anything, this is to emphasize the importance of varying up your food choices every so often and make sure that you are not falling deficient on nutrients that can lead you to stop being vegan.

If you are really struggling with building a balanced plate, I highly recommend that you look for and meet with a registered dietitian that supports your vegan or plant based efforts and can provide evidenced based solutions to any issues you might have. Dietitians can help with evaluating what you are eating

References

Melina, Vesanto, et al. “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, vol. 116, no. 12, 2016, pp. 1970-1980., doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.025

Davis, Brenda, and Vesanto Melina. “Becoming Vegan: the Complete Reference on Plant-Based Nutrition.” Becoming Vegan: the Complete Reference on Plant-Based Nutrition, Book Publishing Company, 2014, pp. 431-437.

Hever, J. Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide. Perm J. 2016;20(3):15-082. doi:10.7812/TPP/15-082

Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin B12. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/.

Office of Dietary Supplements – Vitamin D. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-Consumer/.

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One of the scariest things about going vegan is trying to figure out where to start. Honestly, it can feel very overwhelming because there is so much information out there. It also doesn’t help that if you go to a grocery store, there are thousands of different products to choose from. What’s vegan? Can you be healthy while including convenience items? What should you buy? How can you combine it all to make a satisfying meal? Don’t worry. I have you covered! In fact, I even created a pdf guide that goes over every section of the store, goes over vegan products as well as tips so you can shop like a vegan pro. I included a list of all current products with detailed descriptions. You’ll also find a grocery list pdf that includes some balanced meals and snacks you can put together easily. So, let’s get started!

Vegan Grocery Shopping Notes

The thing I hear the most from people looking to go more plant based is that it is time consuming. I wanted to make this grocery guide to show you that there are a lot of options out there to make this lifestyle as convenient or complicated as you want. There are so many companies that offer vegan options now. And on top of that, we have so many convenient options we can use to still stay in balance and nourished. All of the products you see listed below are based off of a general grocery store chain. I left out specialty stores because not everyone has one in their area. On top of that, I wanted to highlight products that weren’t overly expensive. So while my store did carry some great specialty products that were vegan, if it was ridiculously priced, I left it out.

Special note! Grocery items are always changing. Keep an eye out on old and new products and always double check to confirm ingredients when purchasing items! Don’t always rely on the front of the package to determine if something is vegan or not. Also important to note that I can’t guarantee that all of these items will be in your local store.

Plant Based Convenience Items

Convenience items absolutely have a place in a healthy lifestyle. Not only can they save us time and encourage us to cook more, but they can also have a good amount of nutrients to them as well. Below, you will find a listing of some common grocery convenience items that happen to be vegan and can be mixed and matched into some yummy snack and meal ideas. A printable guide can be found here, and discussion about the items can be found in this post. Please note, I based this list off of items in a regular grocery store. You can definitely find more vegan items in different places, but I tried to make it as user friendly and inclusive as possible. Most items here are under $5. In the printable handout, I’ve included some meal and snack ideas using the grocery items listed below.

Produce Section

• Love Beets: Super convenient beets that are already peeled and cut for you. Super simple to add to salads, but did you know they can be a way to amp up nutrition for things like homemade hummus, smoothies, and even blended into dessert batters (chocolate beet truffles are insanely delicious, and the beets balance so well with the chocolate flavors).
• Franklin Farms: Includes plant-based burgers, tofu bites, seitan, and falafel. Easy protein options that can be heated in a toaster oven and used for sandwiches and bowls. Typically find these in the produce section, typically separated from the rest of the fresh veggies. Please note, not all products from this brand are vegan, so confirm by checking ingredients.
• Fermented Foods: Kimchi and fresh sauerkraut are perfect additions to bowls, sandwiches or wraps. These are the two most common I’ve found in multiple stores. Please note, not all fermented foods like kimchi are vegan. Be mindful to look at ingredients for other brands.
  • Nasoya Kimchi
  • Cleveland Kraut
• Fortune Noodles by JSL Foods: Note that this brand is not all vegan, but the below products are marked vegan right on the front of the package. Can’t emphasize how good these noodles taste. I love adding a lot of veggies to either the yakisoba while stir frying or using some spinach and broccoli to heat up in the udon broth.
  • Vegan Yakisoba (Spicy, Soy Ginger, Teriyaki)
  • Vegan Udon

• Tofu: Includes regular and flavored tofu. I love to flavor my own tofu (you can find my recipe for easy tofu here), but there are days when you might not feel up to making your own tofu. So note that the following brands do have pre-flavored tofu. Easy to heat up as is or you can cube it for salads or stir fries as needed.
  • House Foods
  • Nasoya
• Bare Snacks: Provides both a great option for sweet and savory snacking. These are healthier fruit and veggie chips with very simple ingredients and great texture. I recommend these often, and I find that a lot of stores offer an equal alternative, which is nice if you’re looking for something different. They are real fruits and veggies, backed and never fried.
• Harvest Snaps: Similar to Bare Snacks, but featuring snap peas in a fun crispy way. They do come in multiple flavors. Be aware that not all the flavors are vegan. Current vegan flavors include the original with sea salt, barbecue, tomato basil, mango chile lime, habanero, and black pepper. All their products are gluten-free!
• Fresh Gourmet Crispy Veggies: A fun salad topper! They are little veggie strips, which can be a fun little crunchy replacement for croutons or crispy noodles on salads. Be careful with other products in this line because they can contain dairy, but a good majority of the crispy veggies are vegan.
• Hummus: Includes Boar’s Head, Sabra, Tribe, etc. There are just so many brands of hummus. They all taste great and really it comes down to your own personal preference!
  • Regular: The easiest one to find is typically by Sabra. Reliable, clean ingredients and super accessible at most grocery stores nationwide. I don’t think I’ve ever stepped in a store and not seen Sabra in some refrigerated case.
  • Dessert Hummus: The best I’ve tried is the Boar’s Head Dark Chocolate Dessert Hummus. It literally is a dessert dip. You can’t taste the chickpeas, and I find that it is a fun little change up from doing something like Nutella.
• Nasoya: It’s a brand you can find in pretty much every grocery store. They have a lot of great products, and most recently they made their egg roll wrappers and wanton wrappers vegan! You can now find it labeled on the front of the package!
  • Egg Roll Wrappers
  • Wanton Wrappers

Baking Aisle

• Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips: There used to be some great chocolate chip options, but I find that a lot of brands recently have changed their ingredients to include things like milk. However, this line is pretty reliable because they very focused on keeping their products allergy friendly! They are gluten free, kosher, vegan, halal certified, fodmap friendly, dairy free, egg free, fish free, sesame free, soy free, peanut free and tree nut free for a good majority of their products.
• Vegan Egg Replacer: Was surprised to see so many different options at my grocery store. Lot’s to choose from. Personally, I go for flaxseed, but if you are not a fan, the others work really well too.
  • Bob’s Red Mill
  • Neat Egg
  • Ener-G
  • Ground Flax Seed: The cheapest one is a ground milled version by the company Hodgson Mill, which is amazing. As an egg replacer, combine 1 tbsp ground flax with 3 tbsp of water to get the equivalent to one egg in a baking recipe

Crackers

• Triscuits: Easy go to that you can find in just about every grocery store. I don’t think I’ve walked into a grocery store and not seen one. Please note, not all their crackers are vegan. Their original flavor is vegan, but some of the other flavors might contain dairy depending if it is a cheesy sounding flavor.
• Back to Nature Plant Based Snacks: Just noticed these guys and love that the Back to Nature brand is offering plant based crackers now!
• Wasa: I was first introduced to these by a co-worker when I wasn’t a dietitian. They are hearty crackers and their whole grain crackers in particular are very sturdy and wide, so they can actually fit quite a bit on their. Kind of like an upgrade to a rice cake. Most of their crackers are vegan, as always just check the ingredients list to confirm before purchasing.
• Mary’s Gone Crackers: Probably my favorite cracker. It’s so funny, when you see them at first, you assume they are going to taste like bird seed, but they are super tasty! One of the only crackers I demoed while I was a grocery store dietitian that EVERYONE loved. In fact, people liked the crackers often times better than some of the other products I paired with it. These are gluten free and vegan.

Cereal/Granola

• Barbara’s Puffins: Compared to other cereals, this brand I adore because it definitely includes more whole grains, less sugar and more fiber! It also includes a good fortification of calcium in it.
• Envirokidz: Simple ingredients, kid friendly as well as gluten free. They do try to keep sugars low and still provide some great balance with whole grain ingredients.
• Love Grown: Offer cereal and oatmeal cups that focus on plant based ingredients. All of their cereals are vegan and gluten free. Their cereals are made using a bean based blend, but you’d never know because they taste like awesome cereal.
  • Cereal
  • Oatmeal Cups
  • Granola
• Kashi: A very plant forward company with great cereal options. While not all products are vegan (some contain honey), there is a good amount of vegan products from this brand.
  • Wheat Biscuits
  • Go! (watch out some of them have honey)
• Bear Naked: Have loved the Bear Naked Fit line products V’Nilla Almond and Triple Berry are vegan and pretty great because their sugar content is low.
• Quaker: While not all of their products are vegan, there are quite a few instant oat options that are vegan! They also have some great overnight oats options. Their plain, original offerings are typically vegan. Often times if I’m in a rush, I’ll use an instant packet and flavor it myself with cinnamon and other spices like ginger or cardamom.
  • Overnight Oats
  • Grits
  • Instant Oats (they do have gluten free options)
• Purely Elizabeth: Really tasty granola. Can be a little on the expensive side, but I often will purchase if on sale just as a way to change up textures. Good to add to plant based yogurts or I love to sprinkle it on top of cooked fruit to make a super easy fruit crumble, no baking required! Their products are certified vegan.
  • Granola
  • Oatmeal Cups
• Bob’s Red Mill: Big fan of their muesli and oatmeal cups. They are also great with marking on their website if a product happens to be vegan. If you aren’t familiar with muesli it’s a breakfast cereal made with oats, whole grain wheat, nuts/seeds and dried fruit. Super yummy and can be eaten hot or cold.
  • Oatmeal Cups
  • Muesli

Canned Foods

• Beans: Plain beans are typically just that plus water and salt. Please note if the beans are in a sauce, you should check the ingredients to confirm the ingredients (especially true for baked beans). These are perfectly convenient because now you don’t have to cook them from scratch. Most canned items now offer a BPA free lining too, which is great. Regardless of the sodium content, please note that you can rinse beans under running water for a few minutes and significantly reduce the amount of sodium in them! Many companies are now creating no salt or lower salt options too, so keep a look out!
• Heinz Vegetarian Beans: Even though these say vegetarian, the ingredients are vegan. Perfect saucy beans in case you need something quick and already prepared.
• Canned Vegetables: Similar to the disclaimers I mentioned with beans. Often, people worry about the nutrition content of canned vegetables, but an important thing to remember is that often canned/frozen options can be more nutritious than fresh as they are prepared and packed within 48 hours of picking from the farm. Fresh fruits and veggies can sometimes sit refrigerated for weeks before making it to their store destination. Never mock or turn your nose up to anyone that has to rely on canned foods. They work really well!
• Fruits in 100% Fruit Juice: Not everyone can afford or do fresh fruits. If you are opting for canned fruits, that is absolutely fine! One thing to note is to make sure that they are packed in 100% fruit juice to avoid added sugars.

Convenience Meals in the Aisles

• Tasty Bite: One of my favorite quick meal options! Literally, just microwave and you have meal ready. They include some great Indian inspired bean options as well as rice to pair it with. Get some microwave frozen veggies and you are ready to eat without much effort! For your convenience, I have linked to their products that are vegan. You can also filter for gluten free options. They are good about labeling their products.
• Annie Chun: Another favorite easy meal option, this time focusing on Asian inspired meals. They have some great noodle bowls and really convenient microwave and go rice. They’ve definitely been a life saver multiple times and super tasty!
• Amy’s: One of the most reliable and most common vegan/vegetarian offering at most stores. I first found them thanks to their canned soups and chilies. As you will notice, they have a very extensive line of products. Really love their ingredients and they provide a nice balance of various nutrients in their meals.
• Right Foods: A variety of cups that just make life super simple. There is a great number of different soups, quinoa salads, noodle cups, etc. And they are all vegan and pretty accessible at most grocery stores I’ve visited. You might find them in multiple spots in the store. For example, I often see them in both the soup aisle and natural/gluten free sections of the store. Please note, not all of their products are gluten free, but they have a nice selection.
• Kitchen & Love: Another great option that is shelf stable. These fit in your desk and only involve combining the two cups together. No need to heat or add water. The cups are microwavable if desired, and they are BPA free. Really great flavor and can be paired with other protein options for a more filling meal.
• Seeds of Change: Include great shelf stable rice packets that only need to be popped in the microwave. They have blends of rice and quinoa or beans together as well as flavored rice options as well.
• Microwave Rice: The following brands are typically very easy to find at grocery stores. They include various options in terms of grains as well as various ways of preparing them (microwave, boil, etc.). Side note, please check ingredients for flavored rice options as sometimes they are not always vegan.
  • Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice
  • Minute Rice
  • Success

Pasta/Noodles

*Note: A good majority of pasta brands on the shelf are often vegan. Always check ingredients as some of them can have egg added to it. I highlighted the below options as they provide some good gluten free options and in some cases good protein sources as well.

• Barilla: They offer regular pasta, whole wheat and bean based pastas (chickpea or lentil based).
• Banza: They offer chickpea pasta that is very high protein. Great with a vegan pesto and extra veggies. Gluten free.
• Explore Cuisine: Some more gluten free bean based pasta including black bean and edamame.
• Lotus Foods: Offer great rice based ramen and pad Thai noodles. Very affordable and have great texture for a gluten free noodle.
• Daiya Delux Cheezy Mac: Sometimes you just want mac and cheese without the cruelty. So this boxed mac and cheese is a life savor. Nice and creamy and uses vegan cheese instead of the potato or cashews you typically see in recipes.

Condiments

• Annie’s: Is a popular brand I see frequently in the dressing aisle. They have a lot of great vegan products, but be careful not to assume that everything is vegan. This link has all their vegan products listed. Always look at ingredients.
• Daiya Dressing: Basic, but flavorful. I’ve noticed stores recently expanding their dressing offerings. This is part of the line up. All vegan and they provide a dairy free alternative to all the classing dressings.
• A1 Steak Sauce: A great sauce to pair with vegan meats, seitan, tofu or tempeh. Gives a unique tart, sweet and peppery flavor to it. This sauce does not include anchovies. If you use another brand, always double check ingredients as other brands may have a different ingredient list.
• Stubb’s BBQ Sauce: This brand is great. Good flavor and good ingredients. I’ll carry a few of these at a time to change up flavor in meals or top meals with it for a boost in flavor.
• Cholula: Their garlic hot sauce is the absolute best and I feel like it goes with everything. Not too powerful. Just a really good condiment to have.
• Franks Red Hot: Their hot sauce and buffalo sauce are vegan. For the longest time I assumed the butter type flavor listed in the ingredients was animal derived, but it’s just a flavor that is not derived from animals according to reps at the company.
• Veri Veri Teriyaki: I think pretty much every store carries this brand of teriyaki sauce. Super easy to use for marinating or sauteing different proteins like tofu, tempeh or chickpeas. Most often it is in the international section of your store near the soy sauce.
• Soy Sauce/Tamari: If you’ve been concerned with lactic acid listed in soy sauce ingredients, don’t worry. It is a vegan ingredient and the commercial brands of soy sauce are safe for vegans. Here are brands I’ve seen advertised in store.
  • Kikkoman (has a gluten free option)
  • Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (gluten free)
  • Coconut Secret: Coconut Aminos (gluten free)
• Chili Garlic Sauce/Sambal Oelek/Sriracha: If you always want a good way to flavor your food, I highly recommend having a bottle of these condiments in your fridge. They are so flavorful and add so much to dishes. They are also super easy to find in the international section of your store. It’s also super cheap too.
• Chung Jung One: Gluten Free: A newer sauce I’ve seen in the international aisle. It might not be available everywhere, but I’ve seen it in a few places already. Also, pretty affordable for being a specialty sauce.  The great thing is that they label their vegan products on the front of the package.
  • Gochujang Korean Chili Sauce
  • Gochujang Spicy Miso Sauce
• Maya Kaimal: A fantastic line of Indian sauces to compliment and make easy Indian flavored meals. Great ingredients and lots of vegan options.
• Saffron Road: Another company that has some great Asian simmer sauces. Make sure to confirm ingredients to make sure they are vegan.
• Veganaise: The original, and still one of my favorite vegan mayo products. Never lets me down and most stores carry it now either in the dairy department in their refrigerator section or in their natural section.

Soups

• Amy’s: Absolutely love their soups. Lots of variety and lots of vegan options available here. All of their vegan soups can be found in the link.
• Well Yes!: Surprisingly, this is a Campbell’s product, but this line has some really great ingredients and they have vegan options. They have a vegan sipping soup plus some additional hearty and flavorful soups as well that you can explore from the link.
• Pacific Foods: This brand has some fantastic soups that are vegan. They have some hearty soups and classic creamy soups like tomato basil soup, butternut squash soup and others. You can see their offerings in the link using the vegan filter.
• Imagine Foods: More creamy and hearty soups. Great ingredients and they have a vegan filter on their site in case you want to browse their selection. Just make sure to click vegan.
• Right Foods: Really great and filling, high protein soup options. All vegan and oil free. They do include some gluten free options as well.

Breads/Wraps

• Arnold’s: Has been a great and reliable brand. They are not all vegan, but a good majority of them are. They have their sandwich thins, pita pockets, and stuffing that all happen to be vegan. Always check ingredients just in case, especially with stuffing.
• Dave’s Killer Bread: Absolutely adore this brand. It’s definitely worth the price. It’s super good quality and very satisfying. They have a lot of options to between regular bread, bagels, and now English muffins.
• Tumaro’s: For those looking for a good wrap that doesn’t break apart, I really like these wraps. Normally you don’t see them in the bread aisle. I’ve always found them in various stores usually in a wrack near the deli section. So keep an eye out. Really nice and full of fiber.
• Organic Mission Wraps: Before I would typically not recommend Mission, but they recently came out with some wraps that do not have trans fats in it. And I’m super glad. Definitely check them out.
• Flat Outs: Love their wraps and shells. Another option you typically see in the deli section. These are nice and sturdy wraps. Love how they taste and they have a lot of fiber. Their wraps also make a good medium for making flatbreads or personal pizzas.
• Thomas’: This company was a big go to when I first went vegan. I love their whole wheat bagel and their bagel thins (great for easy sandwiches). Not all of their products are vegan. So don’t assume as their English muffins do contain whey. I always double check ingredients to make sure they didn’t change the formula.

Butter

• Earth Balance: The original and my personal favorite. They have both tubs and butter sticks.
• Country Crock: Now offers a plant based option to their normal line. These plant butters vary in the type of oil they include in their oil mix. This includes option made from olive oil, avocado oil or almond oil blended in.
• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter: Another great vegan alternative spread. Simple ingredients and really good for people that need a lower sodium option!

Yogurt

• Good Plants: A newer plant based yogurt I’ve tried. These are pretty great from a nutrition perspective. If you aren’t a fan of stevia these might have a weird taste. They are a good protein source, have really good amount of fiber to them and are priced well too. These are almond based, and I really like the vanilla and lemon ones.
• Silk: If your store has their plain soy yogurt tubs, these are fantastic. They have 10 grams of plant protein per serving and are really great texture.  Their other soy yogurts are okay, but they do have added sugars to them. They offer good protein, some fiber, but the main reason to love them is that they are fortified with calcium and vitamin D.
• Forager: This is a cashew based yogurt. Smoother and lighter in my opinion then some of the other yogurts. I tend to see the cups versus the bigger tubs.
• Kite Hill: This is an almond based yogurt. Another tasty option and I feel of all the yogurts, the texture of this is great. Nice and thick especially. They also have Greek style almond yogurts that offer 11 grams of protein and have a good source of calcium and iron. Great as a snack with fruit added on top or can be made into a parfait for breakfast.
• Lavva: Real ingredients and is naturally sweetened with plantains. No added sugars! Have loved this brand and love all their flavors. I added this one in because I’ve noticed that they started carrying this brand in regular markets.
• Daiya: They have a great protein option. It is coconut based yogurt. Pretty thick in consistency. Outside of the coconut, it is very allergen friendly. They list all of their allergen disclaimers on their site. I see these quite often. In stores, I most often see their fruit based ones, but they do have a plain one if you happen to find it by you.
• So Delicious: Has been around for a long time. This is coconut based, so it doesn’t have a lot of protein. Can make a great snack, but if you do want to make it a meal, makes sure to pair with some protein and fruit.
• Chobani: Another coconut base. They recently just put out this non-dairy option and I hope they add more especially ones that are not coconut based.
• Oui: For those that are or were fans of Oui by Yoplait, they actually now have a dairy free option for their rich yogurts. This one is coconut based. It isn’t fortified, so regard as a treat.

Milk

*Note: You can find milk in the refrigerated section, but also in the aisles usually in cartons or single serve containers. You can determine which milk is best depending on how much you need at a given time.

• Good Karma: Nice creamy plant milk made with flax seeds, so it’s loaded with omega 3s.
• Silk: Provide a lot of various plant based milks including almond, oat, coconut, and cashew. My honest favorite is the Silk Organic Soy Milk. Super creamy, loaded with protein, and provides an excellent amount of Vitamin B12. Try to opt for unsweetened when possible for less added sugar when appropriate.
• Almond Breeze: Classic almond milk. Is fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Pretty much a majority of their products are vegan except for their containers with a hint of honey. Opt for unsweetened when appropriate.
• Oatly: Originally I wasn’t going to include this brand because of it’s price point, but its become really popular and sometimes people are willing to buy things based on quality. This is good quality and makes for the perfect addition to lattes. This brand is also fortified with Vitamin D, B12, and calcium.
• Ripple: Started noticing this brand more and more in store. Another fortified milk that is nice and creamy and also provides a great source of protein! These milks are also nut free and soy free in case of allergies!

Frozen Meals

• Amy’s: Back to Amy’s again in the frozen aisle. They are one of my favorite frozen dinner lines for a long time. Do handle all the American classics really good. Their line includes frozen meals, frozen burritos, and burgers. While not everything in their line is vegan, a good majority of it is. You can find Amy’s just about everywhere.
• Sweet Earth: I wasn’t anticipating that I would see these as frequently as I do, but they are pretty abundant in general stores. I think it might have to do with the marketing that originally went out for it. They did a good job with mingling it in with familiar foods and it just stuck. They have a range of different items with a lot of ethnically inspired food. Make sure to check packages as some products may contain eggs.
• Kashi: They aren’t only known for breakfast! Happy to say that their frozen meal line is super delicious and had a bit of a revamp in the last few years. They have a lot of great plant based frozen options. I tend to notice, their frozen meals don’t get enough hype. They are usually put in awkward spots in the freezer section, so keep a look out for them. All vegan and really tasty!
• Healthy Choice Power Bowls: This was a new addition to the Healthy Choice line and super tasty! They currently only have 2 vegan bowls, but this fantastic news considering that their company has been trying to promote more plant forward meals. Hoping they come out with more soon. The vegan one’s include the cauliflower curry and the falafel and tahini bowl. The ingredients list is great and these bowls have been an easy win over for some of my clients looking to do more convenient plant based meals.
• Gardein: The vegan brand I can always rely on in store. Their brand has really expanded and now offers single meal trays and skillet meals, which are great if you are stuck on what to have for dinner! All vegan!
• Green Giant Harvest Protein Bowls: These bowls are relatively new. A mix of grains, veggies and protein. Note that not all of their bowls are vegan. Their vegan options include the Southwest Style and the Asian Style bowls. Always confirm ingredients.
• Tabatchnick: Have really loved their soups for a long time. Another brand that does healthy soups with simple ingredients. A great option for those that don’t want to do canned products and watch for sodium. Since these are frozen they don’t have to use as much salt as their canned counterparts. They have a few items in their line that are vegan, so make sure to look at the ingredients before purchasing. Their chili is really great!

Frozen Products

• Dole Dippers: One of my favorite frozen items. I recommend them probably on a daily basis with clients. Literally frozen fruit with dark chocolate coating. They taste like little ice cream bar bites. The dark chocolate banana one is my favorite. I’m also a fan of the pineapple one as well.
• Vann’s Waffles: When I first went vegan, these waffles were a God send. I really loved the taste of these and was very happy with the ingredients. Sometimes you just need waffles! As a breakfast option, I love toasting these up and spreading some peanut butter on top and mashing some raspberries on top (kind of like a toast option except much better). Some of their whole grain waffles have honey and the chocolate chip waffles have dairy in them, so be careful. All the other waffles include no eggs, dairy or honey.
• Green Giant: People always complain to me that their veggies have gone bad in their fridge. If you find yourself in that camp, I can’t recommend using frozen veggies enough. While I love having any frozen brand, I have really loved how innovative Green Giant has been with their veggie selections. They go beyond the regular steam in the bag options and have just about everything you can think of. They have riced veggies, veggie spirals, veggie tots, cauliflower pizza crust, roasted frozen veggies (blew my mind) and now offer some grilled options too. Stock up on these so you can get some varieties in your sides especially if you are the type of person that gets bored or frustrated with veggies. Be mindful of ingredients for certain.
• Bird’s Eye Frozen Rice: Outside of frozen veggies, I always try to keep frozen rice in the freezer. Whether I am making it or relying on Bird’s Eye to give me a quick option that is just rice and no other added ingredients. Cooks up perfect every time and less mess in the kitchen for me to clean when I’m feeling lazy. You can also save additional money by using store brand frozen rice.
• Frozen Edamame Seapoint Farms: I adore this brand and their edamame. Probably the one brand that when I warm up their edamame, it’s beautifully green and high quality. Super cheap and an easy way to throw protein into the mix. I love adding these to salads or sushi bowls for the extra protein. I also love getting them in the pods and thawing them out to use as snacks in the afternoon if I find myself boredom eating.

Vegan Meats/Cheese

*Notes: When feeling bored of beans, tofu or tempeh, it is totally okay to fall back on some tasty pre-made vegan meats. They definitely come in handy and provide a nice chew, texture.

• Upton’s Naturals: One of my favorite products and they are all vegan. Some tasty options in the vegan meats category. Usually found in the refrigerated aisles in produce or in their own separate vegetarian/naturals case in store.
  • Crumbles
  • Bacon
• Field Roast: My favorite sausage company. Very flavorful and has the best texture. Feels and tastes very indulgent, so it’s nice to change things up and either use their sausages for a sheet pan or a fun addition to pasta. I also love their cold cuts that have simple ingredients and are perfect for a quick sandwich.
  • Sausage
  • Cold Cuts
  • Chao Cheese
• Tofurkey: A classic, affordable and reliable brand. Always vegan and they have a lot that is not just their holiday roast that are worth checking out.
  • Sausage
  • Cold Cuts
• Light Life: I feel these have always been pretty easy to find in store. They have a lot of options that are vegan, but note to always check the package/ingredients to make sure they are vegan. Not everything in their line is vegan.
  • Hot Dogs
  • Chicken Strips
  • Burgers
• Boca: These are a cheap, and great protein source when you need it. They offer a lot of plant based options that are vegan. They are good at indicating whether a product is vegan or not on the front of their box.
  • Turkey Burger
  • Regular Burger
  • Chicken Patties
• Gardein: They have a lot of great options and variety of plant based meats. They have just about everything, and I feel that for what it is, it gets the job done and is very satisfying when you need something.
  • Meatless Meatballs
  • Chipotle Black Bean Burger
• Sweet Earth: One I recently tried and liked a lot. Nice textured meat and their strips are easy to throw into a stir fry with frozen mixed Asian veggies, soy sauce and some garlic chili sauce.
  • Seitan Strips
• Daiya Cheese: I typically only see the shreds for this cheese. Personally not my favorite, but it melts and does the job.
• Follow Your Heart: More vegan cheese. I feel that this cheese I like more flavor wise and it also tends to be most affordable. I’ve seen both block cheeses and shreds available.

Bars

• Larabar: Have become popular enough that they are pretty much carried everywhere. They do have a variety of flavors, but depending on store you might not get them all. They have their normal line of fruit and nut bars, plus they now have a protein variety in stores as well that offers 11 grams of plant based protein while keeping their ingredients clean.
• Think Thin: I really hate this company’s name and really do not like how they advertise their products, but they have plant based bars that are affordable and are pretty decent in flavor. They also offer 13 grams of protein. I would not use this as a full meal replacement as they suggest as this is no where close to a meal. But if you are on the go and need a quick item to hold you over to your next meal then these can be helpful.
• Made Good: I really like the taste of these bars and considering they are very simple bars, they make good for a lighter snack when needed. These also happen to nut free and gluten free, which can be really good for snacks to pack for school.
• NuGo: I really love their dark chocolate bars. Now mind you, not every product in their line is vegan, but they have a lot of vegan options and they happen to also label clearly. Again, annoyed that they have bars called slim bars. But their normal bars are delish, so I try to just roll my eyes and move on.

Plant Based Protein Powders

*Note: Everyone has an opinion about protein powders. Personally, it’s always going to be based on preference. Instead of providing my opinions, I will link below the options I have found pretty easily in my local markets. If you are worried about making the invest towards a protein powder, you can find single serve pouches of some protein powders either at Target or GNC. Good for testing out what you might prefer and then it won’t feel like you invested a lot for something you don’t like.

• Orgain: Not all are vegan, so make sure it says plant based on it. Pea protein based.
• Nutiva: This is a hemp seed protein. Very clean ingredients.
• Vegan Smart: This is the most common one I see in grocery stores. Simple, good ingredients. Gets the job done for protein powder. Also, probably one of the more affordable ones.
• Olly: The protein in this brand comes from pea protein and flax seed. Make sure that your container says plant powered on it as it is not a fully vegan company.
• Pure Protein (Plant Based): Protein blend of pea protein, brown rice and hemp seed protein. This product is relatively new, has low sugar, high fiber and 20 grams of plant protein. Make sure it is the plant based one as they are not a fully vegan company.
• Owyn: Protein blend of pea protein, pumpkin protein and chia. Provides 20 grams of plant protein.

Snacks

• Biena: These are roasted chickpeas. Really nice and crunchy, high protein and high fiber. Comes in different flavors, but not all are vegan. The new bags are nicely labeled, so you can tell what is vegan versus vegetarian. Outside of snacking, you can use these as a replacement for croutons.
• Somersaults: Are a great nut-free snack that is also vegan. They almost remind me of little mini cookies (though there is a savory flavor amongst the list). They also surprisingly have a good amount of protein. I always have an easy time finding them in the snack aisle and they also happen to be pretty cheap as well.
• The Good Bean: Another brand that offers roasted chickpea snacks.
• Prana Organic: A company offering lots of different snack options. Always check ingredients to confirm if it is vegan, but they have a lot of dried fruit and trail mix related snacks that are super tasty.
• Barnana: A company focusing on banana based snacks. Always simple ingredients and super yummy. Surprisingly pretty easy to find in stores.
• Gimme Organics: Sea weed snacks! I know, these don’t automatically sound appealing, but they are super good. Nice salty flavor and crispy. You eat one and then keep going. Easy to pack as a snack, or you can make some deconstructed sushi bowls by packing a microwave rice bowl, some diced veggies, frozen edamame for protein, these sea weed snacks and some soy sauce.
• Roasted Edamame: Nice and crunchy, easy to store at your desk, and full of protein.
  • Seapoint Farms
  • Crunch A Mame (single serve pouches of roasted edamame)
• Primal Jerky: I never thought I’d like jerky until I had this brand, and surprisingly super cheap at my local market for some reason. Very good texture, flavor and spice to it. Also good source of plant protein.
• Brami: I’ve been finding it easier and easier to find these beans. They might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they are excellent sources of nutrients if you are willing to try. They are not dry snacks, they are soft. Really high fiber and good source of plant based protein. Really great as a snack but can absolutely be used a protein option at main meals too.
• SuperSeedz: Flavored roasted pepitas/pumpkin seeds. They include both savory and sweet options. Ingredients are simple and this can be topped over oats or salads depending on the flavors you choose. All of them are delicious and this line happens to be vegan!

Treats

• Nothing but!: They have vegan cookies. Their Cherry, cranberry and almond flavor is vegan as well as their chocolate, coconut and almond flavor. There are other flavors that unfortunately aren’t vegan, so just be careful not to confuse them.
• Home Free: A vegan line of allergy friendly cookies. They are dairy free, egg free, nut free, peanut free, gluten free, and loaded with whole grains.
• Enjoy Life: They have so many vegan friendly products. I have linked to their vegan filter to help you make decisions. Honestly, their chocolate chips and their soft baked cookies are everything to me.
• Smart Sweets: Fantastic gummies without the loads of sugar. Have been seeing these more and more in stores and I adore them.
• Nature’s Bakery: I have loved this company since the first time I stumbled upon them. They have really great ingredients and they have both vegan fig bars and brownies! I adore the brownies a lot. They also have some great gluten free options.
  • Fig Bars
  • Brownie’s
• Belvita: These are great in a pinch as a grab and go option. They have some vegan options within their line. As always, check ingredients. Nice amount of fiber per serving, and sugars for the most part are controlled depending on the flavor. One thing I would note with this product that even though some of them are vegan, I would still browse the ingredients to avoid hydrogenated oils when possible. Some safe ones within their line include:
  • Mixed Berry Soft Bake
  • Banana Bread Soft Bake
  • Cranberry Orange Crispy
  • Golden Oat Crunchy
  • Blueberry Crunchy
  • Cinnamon Brown Sugar Crunchy
  • Chocolate Crunchy
• Theo: Love that their chocolate bars are so accessible in stores now. And they have a great vegan selection. Feel free to click through their site filter to see their offerings.
• Evolved: Started seeing these pop up in stores so it’s worth a mention since their ingredients are simple. As far as I know, all of their products looked vegan even though they promote themselves as a keto product. So definitely check them out. Their bars are really yummy.
• Gin Gins: I really like snacking on these. Sweet and spicy from the ginger, which is awesome. Vegan and in general this company has a lot of great ginger products outside of the gin gins.

If you got this far down the list, I do want to thank you for taking the time to read this! Hoping this list can help to make you feel more confident in the grocery store. I will be periodically coming back to update this list as time goes by.

Now’s Your Turn!

What are your favorite grocery store convenience items that help make meal and snack prep easy? Make sure to share your tips in the comments or by tagging me on Instagram with the hashtag #plantbasedrdeats

★ Catherine

The post Shop Like a Vegan Pro + Printable Vegan Grocery List first appeared on Plant Based RD.

The post Shop Like a Vegan Pro + Printable Vegan Grocery List appeared first on Plant Based RD.