Why and how to eat a plant based diet
Want to try a plant based diet but not sure where to start?
The benefits of a whole food diet based on plants are many and varied!
Most of these come from including as big a variety of WHOLE plant foods as possible, rather than necessarily excluding all animal products. Vegetarian and pescetarian diets are also very healthy, and research shows for most things they have similar benefits for health
Plants are naturally high in fibre, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols, as well as being low in saturated fat - all of which are linked to improved health. But whole foods are the key -as a vegan diet based on ultra processed foods can be just as unhealthy as a meat based one!!
The health benefits of plant based diets include a lower risk of:
✔️heart attacks and strokes
✔️type 2 diabetes
✔️high blood pressure
✔️high cholesterol
✔️dementia
✔️unwanted weight gain
✔️allergies and autoimmune disease
✔️some cancers
✔️mental illness
✔️gynaecology problems such as endometrosis, painful periods, and unexplained infertility
Plant based diets can also be powerful in reducing chronic inflammation, helping joint issues, optimising gut health, and even helping us live longer!
✔️People often worry about protein, yet its fairly easy to meet protein needs - you need around 0.9g/kg bodyweight per day (slightly higher for athletes and people over 65). Try to get whole protein from as many different plant sources as possible - foods such as legumes, quinoa, peanuts, tofu, Edamame beans, tempeh, and soy milk are all great protein sources, as are many nuts and seeds. Whole grains also contain more protein than you think!
✔️B12 is important, and on a fully vegan diet must be supplemented, either with fortified foods or a vitamin. For adults a 25mcg/day supplement is usually plenty, but it's a good idea to get b12 levels checked a few months after starting a plant based diet, to ensure you are absorbing properly (some medicines can reduce b12 absorption, it also reduces in some people as they age)
✔️Calcium is needed for bone density, and vegans can be at slightly higher risk of calcium deficiency. Ensure you try include a variety of calcium rich foods such as fortified plant milk, tofu, soy and leafy greens, and figs, as well as either supplementing vitamin D, or getting adequate sun exposure for bone health
✔️Iron is actually not as hard to get from plants as people think - again try to include a variety of iron rich foods such as legumes, peas, dark leafy greens, almonds, sunflower seeds and brassica on a daily basis. Some dried fruit are also surprisingly high in iron too, such as prunes, raisins and dried figs! Eating foods high in vit C at the same time, to help absorption of iron is key (these are foods such as tomato, citrus, brassica, capsicum, berries, and tropical fruit)
✔️Iodine is deficient in many Western diets, plant and animal based alike. Use iodised salt, include foods such as seaweed, or supplement (150mcg/day is recommended)
✔️Many people don't think about vit A, yet its essential for health. Bright orange fruit and veges, and dark green veges, are great sources of vitamin A, as well as antioxidants and beneficial plant compounds.
✔️Omega 3 is also important - plant foods do not contain omega 3, they contain the precursor (ALA) which is converted. Foods such as walnuts, Chia, hemp hearts and ground linseed are all great sources of this. Whether ALA provides enough omega 3 is debated though, so if you want to be totally sure, we usually advise supplementing with an algae based omega 3
✔️Plant based diets can sometimes be lower in zinc, so ensuring you focus on including high zinc foods is important. This includes foods such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, wholegrains, almonds, cashews, peanuts, tofu, chickpeas, and lentils
You can ask for blood tests to check iron, b12, zinc and vit D from your GP (costs may apply).
We have lots of great plans based recipes in our nutrition section, as well as practical nutrition tips to make it easy. Often starting a plant based diet is as simple as trying somew new recipes, knowing how to balance your plate and meet your nutrition needs, and seeing how you find it!
If you're unsure or need more targeted advice (especially if you have chronic health issues), then getting personalised advice a dietician or lifestyle medicine doctor can also be really helpful - we offer 1:1 consults nz wide, details under book a consult on our website!