r/vegan • u/high_colors4443 • 1d ago
The simple answer to 'how to maintain a healthy vegan diet"+ vegan biochemistry 101
Hi all,
Biochemist researcher here (PhD). Since I've seen this question "how do I start building my vegan diet in a healthy way?" repeating quite a lot here, I wanted to offer an easy go-to guide.
In short, the answer is poor people's diet.
Meat and other animal products were only at the reach of the wealthy for most of the time humanity existed. The majority, aka "the poor", had to find substitutes that will include the proteins and other nutrients needed to maintain a healthy diet.
"Poor people's diet" are rice+tofu, Pita+Humus, rice+lentils, rice+beans, cereals+soy milk, beans on toast, corn and frijoles... in any culture around the world, you'll find vegan dishes, so it's affordable, varied, and easy to achieve. (and recipes improved to perfection).
That also mean, that a vegan diet can be very sustainable and not expensive, if you just stick to the simple ingredients.
Why grains + legumes? The simple answer is, "the right combination of protein's building blocks"
In detail, in order to build proteins, our body needs their building blocks - amino acids. There are 20 most-common types of amino acids, and 9 of them, our body cannot synthesise by itself (from other sources) so they need to come from our food. Think about it this way - if you have bricks, but no metal and wood, you cannot build a full house - no matter how many bricks you have.
Different food sources offer different combinations of those essential amino acids. Some are rich in some types. others lack those but have others. We need a balanced diet, so we get all those 9 amino acids in the proportion our body requires to build proteins.
In which composition? For someone who bases their diet on animal products, it's quite easy to get all those essential amino acids in one go (eg meat). The further the protein source organism is from humans, the further away the combination of amino acids is from our needs. So legumes (beans, chickpeas, lentils etc), for example, are rich in the amino acid Lysine and lack amino acid Methionine, and vice versa for grains - they are rich in Methionine and lack Lysine. So a combination of those will give you the right proportion of amino acids your body needs.
To clarify, it's important to consume them at the same meal: if you have excess of one amino acid but not enough of the others, your body will most likely use it for energy or store it as fat. Our body doesn't know how to store amino acids "for later".
That to say, that if you see a plant-based product (e.g. soy yogurt) that promises it's rich in protein, it's true - only that you wouldn't be able to gain all the building blocks needed to build a human protein out of it, because it doesn't contain the right proportion of amino acids your body needs.
I hope it's clear now why we need a balanced diet, and what it means.
Just to clarify, our body doesn't take a protein (regardless of its source - a cow or soy beans...) and turns it directly into "a human protein". The correct thing is, that our body takes that protein (by eating), breaks it apart to its building blocks in the digestion system, absorbs those amino acids, and then uses them to build a new human protein.
That was biochemistry 101 for a balanced vegan diet, I'm very happy to answer more questions if you have any.
Keep in mind that protein is a major need of our diet, but it's not enough: we also need minerals and vitamins, so make sure to include a variety of nuts & seeds (also good sources of proteins), fresh fruits and vegetables.
And, unlike what someone might have told you - carbs and fats are not necessarily your enemies- depends on what type they are. I can write another post about those if people ask :)
Lastly, keep in mind that the best PR for veganism is a happy & healthy vegan, so look after yourself :)
19
u/ElaineV 1d ago edited 1d ago
The legume plus grains combo is old school. Definitely makes a satisfying meal and offers plenty of nutrition but it’s not necessary nor is it suitable for everyone.
Here’s a registered dietitian’s take (their expertise is nutrition). Ginny Messina says:
- 3 or more servings of legumes (beans, soyfoods, or peanuts)
- 1 or more servings of nuts or seeds (include walnuts, ground flaxseed, or chia or hempseeds for essential fats)
- Plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Supplements of vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iodine (or iodized salt)
- 3 cups per day of calcium-rich foods: fortified plant milks, fortified juices, calcium-set tofu, oranges, cruciferous vegetables (kale, broccoli, collards, turnip greens, bok choy)
- There is no minimum requirement for grains and starchy foods. When you include these foods in meals, choose whole grains most often.
- Don’t stress over any of this too much, though. It’s the way you eat most of the time that matters. So if you miss a serving of legumes now and then, or fall a little short on your calcium-rich foods once in a while, it’s not a big deal. And keep in mind that these are minimums. Many women and most men will need more food than this to meet calorie needs.
https://www.theveganrd.com/vegan-nutrition-101/food-guide-for-vegans/
A serving of legumes looks like:
- ½ cup cooked dried beans or lentils
- ½ cup tofu or tempeh
- 2-3 ounces soy-based veggie meat
- 1 cup soymilk or pea milk (other plant milks are too low in protein unless they are fortified with it)
- ¼ cup peanuts
And she says “If you are reducing your calorie intake or are over 60, add another serving or two of legumes to your menus to make your diet more protein dense. If you like them, consider including some soyfoods in menus since they are especially high in protein.”
And if you can’t/ won’t eat beans: “For people who struggle with legumes and can’t achieve those three servings for one reason or another, there are a few other foods that are rich in lysine. Quinoa and amaranth are two good choices. While they aren’t as rich in either protein or lysine as legumes, they are much better sources than other grains. You can replace a serving of legumes with one cup (not ½ cup—but a whole cup) of quinoa or amaranth.”
“You could also replace a serving of legumes with ¼ cup of pistachios or ½ cup of cashews. So it really is easy to eat three servings of legumes/lysine-rich foods even if you don’t love beans. Peanut butter on toast for breakfast, a hummus wrap for lunch, and a cup of quinoa for dinner would do it.”
3
u/functionalfixedness 19h ago
I love Ginny Messina’s work! She has expertise in nutrition specific, seems very reasonable, and backs her recommendations up with research evidence.
20
u/brendax vegan SJW 1d ago
You'd think someone trying to get a PhD could Google the first thing about essential aminos and see that all of them are present in sufficient ratios in nearly all whole foods. There is no need to do protein combining. This is a very easily debunked misinformation. Even ICEBERG LETTUCE has the complete essential amino profile.
It is mathematically impossibly to not get all of your essential aminos if you are eating sufficient calories of whole foods.
6
5
u/high_colors4443 20h ago
Thanks for the feedback, please let me correct and emphasise: A complementing diet will benefit you, even if consumed throughout the day (rather than in one meal), however there's a benefit from having the combination at the same meal.
Second, it's not that you cannot find some amino acids in certain foods, but they might be too low, aka "poor" in this one (eg Soy protein has low levels of Methionine, here's one source (out of many)- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780123849472006425).
If you limit your protein to a single source like soy for long, overtime you can end up with methionine deficiency.
The combination is needed to achieve a good ratio of them. Here's Harvard School of nutrition uptake on complementation diet-
https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/protein/#:\~:text=Because%20we%20don%27t%20store,acids%2C%20must%20come%20from%20food.
If you search for vegan diet recommendations from credential medical and nutrition schools, you'll see the recommendation for combining different sources is very clear. they sometimes don't go into the explanation, but simply provide examples for a daily diet.
...And as I wrote, our body cannot store amino acids for long, as it does with fat and sugar. Amino acids are available for a few hours, and later, the excess is either degraded, turned into energy or fat. I acknowledge that you provided a link that led to a video citing an accomplished MD nutritionist, citing mostly his own work or works from the 70's. However, all the rest of the scientific sources I found, including the American Heart Foundation, American society for Nutrition, and others, pointed out for the necessity of those complementations in diet.
My uptake from the AHF was that in the past it was believed that a diet is incomplete without animal-source protein, but that has been proven wrong.
The complementation diet is indeed, more beneficial. There is something called "the amino acids pool", where the body recycles proteins to synthesise what it needs at the moment, and with overlapping meals throughout the day, you could still benefit from the completion.
Last, regarding the influence of gut microbiome on amino acids intake, synthesis etc, I found it inconclusive to provide a clear yes/ no answer regarding the availability of amino acids to the host.
*Somehow, I couldn't edit the original post, that's why I post here.
3
u/MistyCherryMuse 1d ago
This is such an informative and helpful explanation, thank you! 🌱 It's really reassuring to see how simple, whole food combinations like grains and legumes can provide all the essential amino acids we need. I’ve always wondered about protein sources and this clears up a lot of confusion for me. I’d love to see more posts on carbs and fats in a vegan diet, since I’m always hearing conflicting opinions on those. Definitely going to stick to those simple, affordable combinations—rice and beans are definitely a staple in my house! 😄
2
u/alexmbrennan 9h ago
I love how you stress the importance of protein combining without giving any useful information (e.g. the required rice:bean ratio) on how to do that.
At the end of the day plant are proteins are completely proteins (unlike some animal products like the tryptophan deficient gelatin) so it seems easier to just eat a bit more tofu than to try to work out how much rice to eat to exactly meet methionine needs.
0
u/high_colors4443 4h ago
Thank you for the feedback.
Let's divide it to two, and I feel that a lot of the questions here come from people who are Westerners, right?
If you just google a recipe for "mujadara recipe" (Middle Eastern), "chana masala" (Indian) or "chili sin carne" (Mexican), all very traditional, you can find they either come with a good ratio of grains to legumes (Mujadara), or simply recommend to "serve with rice". As I wrote in the beginning, vegan dishes from various cuisines existed for a very long time, since majority of people couldn't afford meat. The assumption that humans need to eat meat in every meal (or every day) is very much something of the modern (and mostly western) world.The thing is, that many people who turn to vegan/ vegetarian diet, expect in the beginning to have "one item" on their plate replacing the "meat". However, in fact, food is usually seen in a different way - a combination of several ingredients.
Anyway, my aim wasn't to provide recipes, just information about this whole protein combination.
I assume that most people are capable of googling "balance rice beans vegan recipe". Now there's also ChatGPT to the rescue.I also added a few links (in a comment) that show that this whole "complete protein in every plant" doesn't stand for the simple test of amino acids composition, and various nutrition schools (Universities) recommend to combine those throughout the day.
If you want another post about "so, what proteins actually do? Why are they important?" just ask, I can talk about it all day :)
-11
u/No_Opposite1937 19h ago
Eating meat is by far the easiest way for a person to get a good mix of necessary nutrients; to do so via a purely plant-based diet is trickier. And there are things people don't realise, for example that the kind of calcium fortification in plant foods is not as bioavailable as calcium in cow's milk.
So my question is this. Do you think that for an everyday person who doesn't take much notice of nutrition and just eats an everyday diet (some milk, eggs, steak, fish, fruit and veggies) is likely to be getting an appropriate mix of nutrients, and would someone who takes on a wholly plant-based diet with the same lack of regard for what they eat going to get the same appropriate nutrition?
8
u/high_colors4443 19h ago
Just to clarify something, this is a place to promote vegan life style.
I do believe that going on a vegan diet requires more adjustments in the beginning for someone who's used to animal-based diet. So, yes, I think it could be easier to get the required nutrients from this diet. However, it also contains some health risks (high cholesterol, for example) compared to plant-based diet.
The decision to go vegan requires an effort in the beginning.
However, once you get used to it...just like you know you wouldn't eat chocolate and ice cream all day long or you'll get sick, you get used to a diet that is plant-based and nutritionaly balanced.
You are right that calcium in vegetables is usually harder for the body to absorb, however you can find a lot of it in seeds - for example sesame (but grounded, into Tahini, yessss). That's just one example for adjustments, yet, if your diet is naturally based on combining Tahini with your meal, that's not such a big effort. I don't know where you're originally from, but getting inspiration from varied international cuisines (mediterranean, Asian, Middle-Eastern, North African, Mexican...) helps to find more solutions.-3
u/No_Opposite1937 17h ago
I'm definitely not objecting to a vegan lifestyle, just pointing out that unless someone is actually committed to doing so and is willing to be thoughtful about their food choices, it's way less risky to not eat a plants-only diet. Most people are not especially interested in veganism and encouraging them to take on a plants-only diet when they usually aren't much bothered by watching what they eat could be a fraught strategy. Personally I'm not much worried by an everyday person adopting the ethics to the extent that seems easiest for them, even if it still includes some animal foods. There's a long way to go for a philosophy that has experienced very slow uptake and I'd be happy to see even small progress without demanding everyone adopt the whole shebang in one go. Too many people fail and abandon the idea just because the food doesn't work for them.
3
u/high_colors4443 17h ago
Sure thing :)
I'm one of those people who think that if people reduce their animal-based consumption, even if not entirely, is better than nothing.
People can agree with an idea but find it hard to keep/practice, and that's true to being vegan or even just going to the Gym. Personally, I believe in "live and let live", and the only way you'd see me "promoting" this diet is when I prepare a nice dish to my friends, that they ask for more+recipe.
I do think the people, especially in the wealthy Western world, would benefit from using more protein-based diet, for many reasons. And it would be good if people could get some simple principles to help them do that.
I met enough people who wanted to be vegetarian/vegan, but thought it means replacing the meat with lettuce - which is clearly, not sustainable and very unhealthy (plus, they were hungry most of the time...).
I don't know if you asked because you consider to become vegan, or already are, or something else.
If you want suggestions for fast & easy recipe (aka back home from work, so hungry you could eat a horse), let me know :)0
u/No_Opposite1937 9h ago
I am vegan (have been for 11 years or so) and do OK food wise. But I'm a bit sceptical that everyday people can just take up a plants-only diet and do well on it.
6
u/junejulyaugust7 18h ago
I paid no attention to nutrition when becoming vegan, and my blood work has always been good, except for vitamin d at times. It's not hard at all, as long as you take b12 (and probably vitamin d, in which most people are deficient). In fact, none of the vegans I know pay particular attention to nutrition, unless they have gym goals or restrictions, and I've known many vegans in my 11 years in the community. Seriously, no irl vegan I've known worries about the ability to get nutrition on a vegan diet. Maybe this was different before the prevalence of Whole Foods and vegan restaurants, but that was decades ago.
If you have specific needs or concerns, like particular fitness goals or dietary restrictions due to allergies, intolerances or availability of foods, you will need to pay more attention to nutrition. That's true for everyone, on all diets.
I was already prone to eating a wide range of foods. I enjoyed eating multiple vegetables, grains, tofu, nut butters, salads, hummus, leafy greens, fruits, etc, as well as desserts and fried stuff. I didn't have to TRY to get enough nutrients, or think about meal planning based on nutrition.
Many people are used to eating only meat and processed foods, without vegetables or whole grains at all. It's makes sense that people who survive almost solely on hot dogs and mac n cheese would have no idea what to eat on a vegan diet. But they're already eating very poorly. The average diet of most Americans is terrible, and should not be taken as a baseline.
-4
u/No_Opposite1937 18h ago
As you've just pointed out, you need to know to take B12 and perhaps D. Where do you get enough calcium? As far as I know, vegans are often calcium deficient. I'd be a little concerned if people eating a plant-based diet don't bother about whether their diet is sufficiently nutritious. There is a reason health authorities say that "well-planned" vegan diets "can" be safe and healthy.
5
u/junejulyaugust7 17h ago
You wouldn't be worried if you knew many irl vegans! I promise we're doing ok. Most diets aren't "well-planned," but for some reason, people don't usually become concerned unless it's a vegan or fat person in question, lol.
I don't really plan for it, but I suppose leafy greens, tofu, tempeh, nuts, chia seeds, the oat, soy, and almond milk in my lattes, ice cream and yogurt. You have to remember that the "Got milk?" campaign was always advertising, and not a public service message, and calcium is found in a wide range of foods.
For particular medical deficiencies, vegans take vitamins, much like everyone else. I suppose when I am old, I may have to take calcium, like my mother and grandmother do, and they are not vegan. Right now, I'd worry that calcium supplements would just give me kidney stones.
As for D, everyone should take it. I was low when I worked in the sun every day. Most people are; it's not a vegan thing. There is vegan D3 now.
4
u/IntrepidRelative8708 vegan 17h ago edited 5h ago
In my case, the "well planned" aspect of it took me exactly two afternoons to learn, three years ago, through reading the book by the nutritionist several people have mentioned here, "Vegan for life", by G. Messina.
There's very few skills in my life I've acquired so quickly for such a huge gain (in terms of ethics and, in my case at least, as a whole food plant based vegan, health improvement and cost reduction in grocery bills).
Saying " it's too difficult to plan a health vegan diet" is really an exaggerated statement.
Almost everything we do in life requires a certain level of knowledge, from learning to read and write to playing a sport or a musical instrument, learning to cook or any other skill we use as humans.
Compared to any of those, plant based or vegan nutrition is extremely easy and becomes a routine after just a few days.
Supplementing on a vegan diet is also extremely easy and affordable. My twice weekly B12 sublingual pill takes me exactly two seconds and 0.23 cents per week. And every two years (since I buy a two year supply) five minutes to order.
5
u/junejulyaugust7 13h ago
Exactly. It's nonvegans and people considering or just starting veganism who seem so concerned with this issue. Frankly, most of them don't have a sufficient diet to begin with. In general, vegans have a way more varied diet, full of more nutrients.
There are vegans who are big into health and write out plans for macros etc, just like there are nonvegans like that. There are also junk food vegans. We aren't perfect paragons of health and may have to take supplements at times, but we don't have more difficulties than nonvegans.
The harder part is finding out about all the obscure nonvegan ingredients in everyday items.
BTW which B12 do you use?!
4
u/a_government_man 7h ago
agree, it's easy to overthink this, especially when just starting out. veganism is not a diet, it's a lifestyle. as long as people get regular check-ups and/or don't have any specialist dietary needs it's honestly fairly easy to get all the nutrients we need. your body will let you know if something is up.
3
u/IntrepidRelative8708 vegan 10h ago
Thanks a lot for that! I agree 100% with what you've written.
For the B12, I'm in the EU so not sure if this will be of help for you, but I'm taking Solgar 1000 μg cyanocobalamin. The bottle of 250 pills (at twice a week, enough for 125 weeks, so roughly a little over two years) costs now 18,62€ (0.14 a week), so even cheaper than when I first bought it .
2
2
u/high_colors4443 17h ago
As someone else asked, for calcium, go for grounded seeds, such as Tahini. There's also plenty in enriched soy and other plant-based "milk" products.
I don't see the problem in taking vitamin B12 (or other supplements) and keeping up after my health.
The recommendation in many countries, even those with quite a lot of natural sunlight, is to take vitamin D, regardless of your diet.
You can get a vitamin box for a price that, as someone else wrote here, is fairly low per day - less than what you'd be spending on your monthly Netflix subscription.
Last, as I wrote to someone else, even reducing the animal-based diet consumption is better than nothing.
64
u/SecretScientist8 vegan 10+ years 1d ago
The need for protein combining (eating complementary proteins at the same meal) has been long debunked. https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-protein-combining-myth/