Vegan Diet

By Ritika Samaddar in Nutrition And Dietetics , Dietetics

Nov 02 , 2021 | 2 min read

Plant based diets are becoming quite popular in India, increasing number of people are turning to vegetarian diets due to health and environment concerns, and appear to among the top food trends of 2021-22. Vegan diet is one such diet which has seen an exponential increase in its takers with a lot of celebrities endorsing it.

Vegan diet is one that consists of only plant- derived foods and also restricts the use or consumes any animals or animal products including milk, eggs, desi ghee or honey. A Healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, Whole grain products, Seeds and Legumes. Vegan diets are rich in fiber, most vitamins, antioxidants and phytonutrients, thanks to all the fruits, vegetables and grains.This diet has shown to be effective in managing cardio-vascular diseases, diabetes & certain cancers. We conducted a pilot study to see the impact on the Indian population. The study has shown promising results, the total cholesterol levels and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – or the bad cholesterol in the group that followed a vegan diet went considerably low as compared to the group that had a low-fat diet. The diet can be promoted in people with heart disease or with elevated lipid levels as vegan diets are low in saturated fat. But one should seek guidance from a nutritionist when following the diet because it may result in deficiencies of micronutrients like calcium, iron and B12, for which supplements have to be taken. In vegan diet one needs to monitor the protein intake and include dals, nuts/ seeds and millets daily in each meal to meet the requirements. Often plant based protein supplements are recommended also. Long-term adherence may be a problem as it is difficult because alternatives like almond or soy milk are not very readily available and more expensive than regular milk. Also, getting a vegan dish when you go to restaurants is almost impossible in India.

With good planning and understanding one can follow a Vegan diet and get all required nutrients for a healthy life.

BALANCED DIET CHART: 1600 Kcal

BED TEA:

Tea with Dairy free milk

BREAKFAST 9.00 AM:

Almond Milk + Stuffed Cheela OR
Poha with Almond Milk OR
Idli/ uttapam with Sambar with chaach OR
Pancakes with Almond Milk OR
Almond Milk smoothie with nuts and seeds and banana / peanut butter and Tofu Salad