What the bloggers aren't telling you about going plant based

One of the things that annoys me most about wellness and so-called 'clean-eating' blogs (and there are quite a few things, so it’s no mean feat that I’ve managed to pick just the one), is their frequent wholehearted championing of a plant-based diet, without any discussion of the challenges involved in eating well on a vegan or vegetarian diet.

Don’t get me wrong here - I think we should all be eating more veg, grains, nuts, and legumes, and look to eat better quality meat less often than a lot of us do. Plant based diets are often cheaper, lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, and can be more environmentally friendly than those heavily reliant on meat.

But let’s not forget that meat, fish, and dairy are all very accessible sources of high quality protein, not to mention rich in numerous vitamins and minerals. 

Not once have I seen any of these food and fitness social media stars mention the need for vitamin D, zinc or B12 supplements on a vegan diet. Nor have I seen anyone flag up the need for including complementary protein sources over the course of the day if you choose to eschew meat and fish. In fact - just last month a popular fitness blogger on Instagram proudly announced she was getting all the protein she needs for her active life from grains and beans. While this blogger may well be getting enough plant-based protein, she made no mention whatsoever of the need to combine both for the full line-up of amino acids....

So here’s what you need to know about making sure you have a balanced diet if you do decide to go veggie or vegan:

• B12. This vitamin can only be found in animal products, so vegetarians can get B12 from dairy products and eggs, but vegans will need to eat foods fortified with B12 like some breakfast cereals, marmite, yeast, and certain fortified 'mylk' brands.
• Iron. There are two types of iron in the diet. Non-heam is the term for iron found in plant foods, and heam for iron found in meat. Haem sources are more easily absorbed by the body, as phytates in fibre foods like wholemeal bread, and oxalates in certain vegetables like spinach, actually lower the amount your body can absorb by chemically binding to the iron present. Conversely, including a source of vitamin C such as orange juice or tomatoes with your meal will help the body to absorb more iron.
• Zinc, selenium and iodine. These minerals are all found in relatively large amounts in meats and seafood, so be sure to include nuts (especially brazil), dairy, seaweed, beans and soy products (like tofu) in your diet to get enough of these nutrients if you don't eat meat or fish.
• Mix your proteins! Aside from meat and fish, only soy beans (tofu, tempeh etc) are considered a complete protein in that they contain all the essential amino acids our bodies need to build protein. It’s entirely possible to get all these amino acids from plant based sources, but you will need to combine different foodstuffs over the course of the day in order to do so. So for example combine grains with beans, and nuts or grains with legumes (which can include peas).

The British Dietetic Association has a great fact sheet on vegetarian diets, but in the blogosphere? My plea to all wellness bloggers out there is to take a bit more responsibility for communicating what plant-based diets need to include. It's entirely possible to be vegetarian or vegan and get all the nutrients we need, but it does need some thought and planning, particularly initially.

References

https://www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts/vegetarianfoodfacts.pdf

https://www.nutrition.org.uk/attachments/106_Vegetarian%20nutrition.pdf