You can be healthy or unhealthy on almost any “diet”. Regardless of what you don’t eat getting the optimal nutrients for your body requires you to learn where your foods comes from and how it has been grown or made. Without too much fuss and over thinking you can be perfectly well fed and feel full of energy and vitality, which is truly the prime purpose for eating food, apart from enjoying your meals.
Being vegan in a non vegan world seems to get easier and easier. I have been vegan for just over 3 years and just in the last year I have noticed some great new products in the supermarkets but also lots of restaurants now are more open and offer a nice choice of dishes.
Veganism is more than a diet but food is a major part of it. As you probably know we are a bit of a mixture in my family. I am vegan but my boys and my husband eat everything. I am not one of these people that feel comfortable asking people to leave all animal products before they enter my kitchen. It wasn’t that long ago I was eating everything.
The only way that we can in some way influence or inspire people is by our own example. Everything else is short lived and if done in a disrespectful way can create a bit of friction. Don’t get me wrong, I would love to say that we are a family of vegans, but is not happening yet. Being vegan hurts sometimes, but this is only because love hurts.
In the meantime I love the fact how much better my family eats and that’s why I wanted to share with you 3 very simple habits, that I believe can help you to be a healthy vegan.
1.Eat your legumes. This is a whole family of high protein foods that includes beans and lentils, including peanuts which belong to the same family. The versatility of these little monsters is endless and you can enjoy them almost any time of the day.
The main reason for eating legumes is because they are reliable source of protein and will keep you sustained for longer than a bowl of cereal. You can enjoy beans in salad, wraps, stews, curries, make a dip with them, make burgers with them and also add them to soups and casseroles. Making sure you enjoy at least 2 servings per day can provide enough to keep you sustained and full of energy.
Here is an Idea to enjoy a cannellini beans salad with some softly and freshly made bread rolls.I share some of my easy vegan recipes on Instagram. Let’s connect there as well.
2. Choose healthy fats
Again there are plenty of wonderful fats, that come from plants and regardless on what you eat your health can benefit from having them. One of the healthiest diets in the world is the Mediterranean diet with an abundance of vegan options. Take the inspiration from there. Nuts, seeds, avocado and olives provide a plentiful of healthy fats.
Choose as many as you can unprocessed and uncooked fats from flax seeds, walnuts and hemp seeds which are very high in Omega 3. Also add some creamy avocado in your salad a nice cold pressed olive oil in your salad and every now and again some chia seeds.
This variety will ensure that you are eating a sufficient amount of fats that will make you feel nice and also prevent you from feeling tired as well. It is also good to menton coconut milk here, which is also very creamy and is a nice addition to your meals.
3. Eat the rainbow
Eat every fruit and vegetable that you like and continue to try new ones at every possible opportunity.One of the easiest way to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables is to choose them as daily snack several times a day. Eating a large bowl of salad with your meal is also easy, or simply adding a fresh vegetable at every meal time.
When possible choose organic and as close to you as possible.Eat all the colours of the rainbow daily and you are very likely to ensure that most of your vitamins and minerals intakes meet the daily recommendation. But I never look at them. I believe that you can eat as much as you want from almost any fruit and vegetable especially if the produce is in season.
Variety is the spice of life and there is a reason peaches have the most amazing colour when they are ripe. They simply say EAT ME NOW!
P.S According to all registered dietitians vegans need to take a supplement of Vitamin B12. Every now and again I take Vegan B12 supplement by DEVA, which I buy from Amazon. If you have any doubts that you might be deficient you can get checked and speak with your GP. I have also written an article about Vitamin B12 and you can read it here.
Thank you once again for your endless support and love.
Please leave me a comment below if you have any questions about eating vegan or simply wanting to try a few vegan dishes.
Lots of Love,
Ivelina
