Plant based - how do you get enough calories?

French_Peasant

The 1300s called. They want their wacky self-flagellating ascetic diet back.

rainbowbow

leosmith66 wrote: »

sprepej wrote: »

Do your research on vegan diets before you attempt this, because the diet you describe is not balanced vegan nutrition. That's why those of us who eat plant based probably don't run into the problems you did before. Check out the Vegetarian Resource Group website for reliable nutrition guidelines for a vegan diet so you can do this right: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I'm curious to see how they define "balanced". Do you consume shakes at all?

A healthy and balanced diet (vegan or otherwise) combines adequate proteins, carbohydrates, and fats while also meeting vitamin and mineral needs. It goes without saying, but this also requires the proper calorie balance, proper levels of water and electrolytes, and plenty of fiber. And one more thing... is needs to be a diet that you enjoy and can maintain.... long term.

Trying to have a vegan diet with all of those unnecessary restrictions is not only bad for long term adherence, it more than likely wont scratch the surface of your nutrient needs.

Can one take shakes? Sure. But this is not necessary. Eat a balanced and wholesome diet and you don't have to worry about this kind of stuff. If you have a difficult time with certain vitamins and minerals (for example the amino acid leucine, the mineral iron, vitamin d, omega 3 fatty acids, or b vitamins) then take a supplement as determined by a blood test or at the recommendation of your physician.

My advice to you, if you would actually take it, is to carefully plan out a vegan diet that meets these needs fully including sustainability and enjoyment. Realize that by being so restrictive on an already restrictive diet in unnecessary and potentially harmful.

cirrusdesign

that can be a challenging switch, it took me a few trys and a few years to finally get it most of the time. for me i try to keep it really simple and focus on fresh organic veggies and fruit, i rarely buy processed foods and snacks. I eat some kind of grain/legume most every day for one of my meals and it is always mixed with fresh raw veggies. Most mornings i have a fruit and almond milk shake with some king of protein/super food powder depending on what my day is looking like...if i am just commuting to work then I usually make a RawMeal shake with fruit when i get to work, if I am doing a long mountain bike ride then i use a Hammer Nutrition product depending on length of ride...i also keep clif or probars on my bike as i commute daily and often need a little bit of food for the ride home in the evening. Basically, just try to buy fresh fruit or Veggies, frozen on occasion and or bulk dried. And eat what grains/legume make you feel and mix the two and you'll always have more than enough protein. good luck

leosmith66

cirrusdesign wrote: »

And eat what grains/legume make you feel and mix the two and you'll always have more than enough protein. good luck

Right on. I used to be a gear-head too, and performance was everything to me back then. I just loved my power bars, gu, etc. I still ride every other day, with hiking and strength work on my off days. Performance is nice, but secondary to overall good health. As you say, it's a tough switch. Thanks for the encouragement!

Christine_72

In my honest opinion, being vegan is restrictive enough without placing more restrictions on top of it.

KatzeDerNacht22

Hi, vegan here, was vegetarian for over a decade, with that little fat I can't advise to pack on them nuts and the like but whole grain cereals, tofu and legumes should get you going, I do drink a protein shake with a tbsp. of chia seeds after my weight lifting sessions.

littlechiaseed

leosmith66 wrote: »

sprepej wrote: »

Do your research on vegan diets before you attempt this, because the diet you describe is not balanced vegan nutrition. That's why those of us who eat plant based probably don't run into the problems you did before. Check out the Vegetarian Resource Group website for reliable nutrition guidelines for a vegan diet so you can do this right: http://www.vrg.org/nutshell/vegan.htm

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out. I'm curious to see how they define "balanced". Do you consume shakes at all?

No shakes that boring. I make smoothies sometimes but that is because I can get a lot of delicious nutrient dense food quickly.

Troutrouter1968

Volume eat the veggies or supplement them with a delicious steak or other meat

janejellyroll

May I ask why you're adding so many additional restrictions to your diet? Grains and potatoes are a great source of calories and nutrition, so eliminating them when you're trying to eat enough sounds counter-intuitive. If you're truly committed to avoiding these foods and maintaining a limit on nuts and beans, I guess you could try eating more coconut or avocado.

esjones12

I'd highly recommend you give this a listen. It is about plant based diets (you will get the title when you listen to it) - https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2016/09/how-to-lose-131-pounds-by-eating-meat-the-rick-rubin-podcast/

jacdog88

goldthistime wrote: »

Are the meat substitutes (tofu, tofurkey, veggie ground round etc) acceptable for this diet?

These aren't considered plant based but they are vegetarian/vegan.

Someone following a plant based diet avoids processed foods, oils, most mock meats - tofu, tempeh and seitan are less processed and acceptable.

I've been vegetarian for over 18 years, vegan for 3 and have never had an issue with protein. In fact, I get more as a vegan than I ever did eating meat.

Plenty of plant based foods are packed with protein such as lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, etc.