#is cooking buckwheat the same way you cook rice not a thing in other places

[myname-isnia]

The thing about me is that I’m absolutely awful about looking after myself therefore I sometimes forget to eat but I can’t go to bed on an empty stomach so every so often I’ll be up at like 2 a.m cooking buckwheat 😭

[stygiantarot]

Unusual Divination Methods

A long ass list of methods of divination, just in case you’re curious ~~~~~~

Divination is the method of discerning answers beyond a direct interaction. It can be used for foreseeing future outcomes or problems, but that isn’t inherent. It can also be used to commune with entities like deities or spirits, or even for delving deeper into the self (like shadow work).

There are many forms of divination. So many. There are even many forms of what would be considered “unusual” beyond the more commonly practices like cartomancy, runes, or stichomancy. Today I shall be focusing on ones I’m familiar with so I can better elaborate and answer questions.

The methods I will be exploring today:


Aleuromancy: divination using flour (or a flour substitute!)


Catoptromancy: a form of scrying using a mirror (my method uses a cast iron pan actually!)


Osteomancy: divination using bones

~~~~~~

Aleuromancy

A form of divination using flour that’s mentioned in some Mesopotamian cunefiorms, as well as being practiced in Greece and Rome. There are a couple ways this can be done. Firstly is when you pour out the dry flour and look at the way it falls into a bowl or on a plate or surface. Much like tea leaf reading (tasseography), you seek out shapes in the flour and interpret based on that. Another variation is doing the same but after you’ve mixed the flour with the liquids you’re baking with and kneaded it/mixed it and then taken it away to be baked. You examine the remaining streaks of wet dough on your surfaces for shapes and patterns.

The third method is to actually put slips of paper into the items you’re baking to be taken at random and broken open to answers questions after they’re cooked (akin to fortune cookies). This can be a tricky process depending on what sort of paper or ink you’ve used (speaking from experience :-X). The historical Greek version of this used excerpts of famous philosophy and mixed the balls of doughs nine times (a significant number in Ancient Greece)

It can take a lot of patience to try and find shapes and patterns in flour and admittedly it’s much easier with tea leaves. No wonder that became the standard. Don’t get disheartened if it isn’t something you have success with. You might have more fun and results experimenting with the baking slips of paper into dough methods. Great for ritual cookies!

The kind of divining using this method is very simple, more “omen-like” than detailed q&as like in Tarot or runes. Expect to see simple images that may give insight to something coming your way (a boat or bird showing a trip) or warn of a specific type of trouble that may be on the horizon (a money sign showing finances) rather than getting a formulated question clearly answered. However, you can dabble in that methodology when using the slips of paper instead. That way is more akin to stichomancy where you get a general idea or snapshot of the emotion or proverb-like metaphor to your question.

The type of flour can be tailored to help “fine tune” the reading as well- much like a certain flavor or tea or a certain deck of cards. Keep in mind that all types of grains/flours have a baseline association with prosperity and material gain/finances so this method of divination is especially good for those type of questions!



Flour Correspondences:


Acorn: An uncommon one in stores of course, but has deep wildcrafting results if you have the time and patience to grind some yourself. Associated with protection, health, money, healing, potency, fertility, luck, wealth, wisdom, and personal power.


Almond: creativity, luck, wisdom, spiritual understanding, nostalgia

Buckwheat: Money, protection, dreams and sleep


Flaxseed: health, finances, prosperity, beauty, psychic powers

Oat: family, home, hearth, money

Potato: protection, banishing, soothing/healing


Rice: prosperity, career/job, travel, romantic relationships/sex

Wheat: general prosperity, rebirth/renewal, solar energy

~~~~~~

Catoptromancy

From the Greek word katoptron, meaning mirror, this is a form of scrying that specifically uses a mirror rather than flame, water, or crystal ball. However, my version is a bit of a kitchen witch twist on it. We’ll get to that in a moment!

 The Wikipedia article on it refers to a Greek temple that used this method but it was also practiced in many other countries in history. There’s references to the “true seeing” of Hathor/Het-Hert/ḥwt-ḥr mirrors as well, despite them being mainly for practical purposes. The divination is practiced most commonly by placing a mirror near water, outside in moonlight, or near a candle flame. Then the reader looks into the mirror and interprets the images seen. They can be direct appearance-based (how you look) or seeing other images. The mirror can be a standard one, a painted one, or one made of a more opaque substance like obsidian or metal.

I will say personally, I practice catoptromancy in an “inner eye” scrying way rather than a pattern/tasseography way. That means that I am the conduit and the mirror/surface is to help me get into a trance state and what I “see” will be from my mind’s eye or may likely be added to what little I see on the surface through intuition and that sixth sense. But either method is absolutely fine.

I also don’t use a mirror. I use a well loved, well seasoned cast iron skillet for my catoptromancy, with a lighted candle usually. The glossy surface is mostly black iron but is just mirrored enough from being soaked in fat over the past decades of seasoning that it performs quite well for scrying. And the sentimental value helps it’s power. You may want to select an object in a similar fashion. You can choose an important mirror (the size doesn’t matter) or pick something that is mirror-like. The reflective ability is all that matters.

Get settled down in a comfortable spot without too much light. Get your one light source ready; a candle, the moon, a small table lamp or booklight even. You’ll want to be grounded, centered, and calm and then let yourself “zone out” in order to get into the mindset for scrying. Then examine your own reflection for certain aspects that stand out or look past yourself (or angle the mirror to not be looking right at you) to see other shapes or patterns that you expand upon with your trance state. Keeping a journal for this method is especially important. There’s an emotional and internal reflection aspect that can be helpful to refer back to and examine how things went in your life after certain sessions. It can also pair well with dream magic. What you were seeking might manifest after the trance mirror session in your dreams. This method of divination is especially good for shadow work as well.

~~~~~~

Osteomancy

Bones, bones bones! Throwing the bones! Examining the bones! Reading the bones! This is a divination method that obviously uses bones in order to determine associations and messages. It was prevalent in so many cultures throughout ancient and more recent history that it’s hard to pin down a single source. However, there are definitely methods that have particular cultural ties and those should be respected when it comes to closed ones. 

Much like runes or staves, the most common method counts upon both the appearance of the bones themselves as well as their placement in a “casting” (when you gently toss them onto a flat surface). Casting sets also frequently include items that aren’t just bones like small stones, coins, shells, pieces of jewelry, etc.

You can carve, mark, paint or stain the bones in ways that have personal associations to you to help in reading them. You can obtain these bones in any ethical way you are comfortable with. I don’t believe they have to be remains you have processed yourself; though that can add a different spiritual component. You should be considerate in collecting your set though. There is no set number of objects to have (even a single piece can answer yes/no questions) but I don’t recommend starting out of the gate with a pile. You should get comfortable with each piece and determine its associations before moving on to a new one.

Unlike Tarot, they don’t come with set meanings. Though there are sometimes obvious ones: a coin for finances, a seedpod or nut for fertility/prosperity, a sharp tooth for protection, etc. Think about what creature the bone is from, what part of the body, what shape it has when helping determine your personal associations. Treat it like a correspondence for herbs or crystals and that way you can have a more organic “sliding scale” type meaning for when you cast rather than a rigidly detailed one like with Tarot. For example: a meaning like “luck” or “prosperity” is better than “success in work”. It’s also common to have objects touch and then their meanings are joined. In the previous example you could get promotion/raise at work from having a work piece crossing with a prosperity or luck piece.

It is also up to you on what level of ritualized dedication and/or care you would like to give your set. Many people like to do a special dedication ritual to almost “welcome” the item to its new job as a divination tool (my own is what I call “Massaging the Bones”). You can also regularly cleanse and “feed” the casting set (energy that is- not literal food, though you could give it energy from something you’ve cooked in a non-literal way!). I do recommend a special bag or box to keep everything in as well as a soft thicker cloth to cast on. Just so the items don’t get damaged. Be careful in your casting. Practice a lot to know your strength level to throw while still keeping the objects safe. There may be a couple pieces (like baculums or thinner bird bones) that you need to wrap in a square of cloth before storing with the rest of your set for extra protection. This is especially true if you plan to take your set anywhere where it’ll be traveling in a bag or purse.

You can have a ritual circle of string or another material (embroidery hoop!) you lay out to help organize your cast if you like too. This is usually treated one of two ways. Like the face of a clock and items “closer” to certain times are more immediate and further away items around the imaginary numerals are more in the future. Or it’s concentric and the closer to the center of the circle are more important/relevant and then less relevant or immediate as you get closer to the edge. Those that fall outside the circle aren’t relevant to the reading.

This is a divination method you need an large amount of patience for as it is basically creating a tool yourself from scratch, even if you buy the supplies from elsewhere. The framework is laid by you. And just like someone designing a Tarot deck from scratch; be gentle with yourself and allow yourself the room to practice, change, grow, have fallow periods, return, get bored, become fanatic, etc. It’s a process sort of divination that grows like a living thing. This makes it a bittersweet one- rewarding and frustrating but mostly immensely satisfying.

~~~~~~

Divination is something that can be tailored to your desires, needs, and supplies. It can be made personal. You can create a whole new type if you like! Use what inspires you, what works for you. Use the marks on toast, the recommendations of Netflix, steam in a bathroom mirror after a shower. The world is your oyster!

[violettadecalda]

Elements: Earth Edition

About the earth element: The earth element pertains to things like security, stability, wealth, prosperity, truth, and patience. The earth teaches us to be patient while waiting for our bounty, and since the beginning of time it has provided us with everything we need. Other common themes of earth include strength, wisdom, practicality, materialism, and responsibility.

Earth in magic: Earth is often used in grounding magic and money spells. Working with crystals, stones, and runes are all working with earth, as is gardening and herbalism. Burying things, and carving images of wood or stone, are common practices related to earth magic.

Forms of earth include: Soil, stones, metal, plants

Some earth spirits include: Gnomes, trolls

Color: Green

Direction: North

Tools: Pentacle, pentagram, salt, gems, stones, metals

Tarot suit: Pentacles

Zodiac signs: Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn

Symbol:

Earth in daily life: In our lives, the earth supplies us with abundance, whether harvested from your garden, foraged from the woods, or picked up from the produce aisle of the local grocery store at 4:59 pm when you realize you forgot an ingredient for dinner. Earth makes up the world around us, and provides us with our clothing, our shelters, and most of our food. In daily life, many of us try to give back to earth by recycling or composting. Even death is part of life, and when it comes to earth, many of us will be buried in it.

Earth in the home: First of all, our homes themselves are made of earth. Whether wood, stone, metal, animal hide, or mud, the shelters we live in are made up of the earth element. In addition to this, many of us have gardens, houseplants, or even terrariums that we care for. Even if you dont, there's not a day that goes by where you dont see a plant of some kind. In the same way that water is in us, earth is all around us.

Earth in the kitchen: Earthen ovens have been used to cook food all around the world. In some places, food is cooked in clay cookware, or is actually packed in clay before cooking. People use root cellars dug into the ground to keep food fresh. Really, food in general is a symbol of earth. Our food comes from earth and eventually goes back to it. There are many foods associated with earth, including~

Rice, grains, turnips, potatoes, acorns, any nuts, any seeds, acorn squash, peas, corn, carrots, beets, bottle gourd, fennel, leeks, okra, stinging nettles, shiitake, portobello, olive oil, pumpkin, rhubarb, any legumes, brown sugar, paneer, parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, buttermilk, molasses, raisins, raw sugar, amaranth, taro, onion, shallot, jicama, cornmeal, pasta, tapioca, wild rice, green onion, garlic, celeriac, yogurt, beef, chicken, duck, lamb, egg, pork, rabbit, turkey, tofu, chocolate, beer, persimmon, kiwi, banana, cantaloupe, dates, figs, plantains, guavas, jackfruit.

Herbs associated with earth: barley, buckwheat, cypress*, horehound, mugwort, oats, oleander*, patchouli, primrose, rye, sage, tulip*, vervain, wheat, honeysuckle*, lilac, ivy*, lichens*, moss*, ginger, nutmeg, poppy seed, tumeric, vanilla bean

Stones associated with earth: Amethyst, angelite, agate, cat's eye, coal, emerald, geodes, salt, jasper, obsidian, olivine, onyx, peridot, quartz, tourmaline

Animals associated with earth: cow, bull, dog, horse, ant, bear, wolf, deer, buffalo

Incense: magnolia, sage, honeysuckle, lilac, nutmeg, pine, patchouli

Earth on the altar ideas: Stones, crystals, small plants, wood, sand, soil

Divination with the earth element: Tasseography, osteomancy, runes

Earth work for spoonies:

Make and hang a witch's ladder

Keep some plants around your room, or even in a window box outside

If you're notorious for killing plants, try an air plant!

Keep crystals and stones around you

Use green pillowcases, blankets, sheets, curtains, or wall decorations

Use a salt lamp

Press flowers and leaves

Make or decorate with things made out of clay

*Some herbs are unsafe or even deadly to ingest and can be dangerous to use. ALWAYS do research.

Sources:

[irinaartemis-blog]

The Ultimate Coffee Banana Bread Recipe

Level: Easy

Time: 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes)

Life: 1 week (stored)

A modern twist on an all time baking favourite, our coffee and banana bread is a must try recipe for all avid home-bakers, snack lovers and coffee enthusiasts out there!

Banana bread is a classic bake that’s a great way to afford food waste and put those over-ripe bananas to good, or rather great use. Also it requires no additional wrapping/packaging and can be stored in a reusable tin. We are all about sustainability after all, and we are huge fans of being frugal and environmentally conscious! This coffee and banana bread can be eaten as a hearty breakfast, toasted with butter and fresh slices of banana, as a quick and yummy treat, or can even be served at a home-made afternoon tea

Using our Artemis Concentrate, for guaranteed quality and maximum taste, this beloved family recipe has been infused with a beautifully complimentary coffee flavour that is sure to go down well with friends, family and greedy coworkers. It’s an all-around crowd and palate pleaser.Even if you are not the biggest fan of coffee, this recipe is well-balanced in taste and texture, with the ideal combination of moist and fluffy. But, we are a coffee company after all, so we will try to enhance anything we can with coffee.

This delicious recipe also happens to be vegan friendly! Not only that but other ingredients can be easily swapped to make this suitable for those who need to avoid nuts, gluten and/pr oil, so fortunately nobody has to miss out!

Ingredients:

The mixture:

3 ripe Bananas (must be brown and spotted)

1 tsp Apple cider vinegar  

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 and ½ tbsp Finely ground coffee

1 cup of Brown sugar

½ tsp of Sea salt

⅓  cup of Artemis coffee concentrate

½  cup of Milk of your choosing

(We used Soya. Water can be substituted for milk)

½  cup of melted Coconut oil

(Or alternatively Rapeseed oil for allergies/milder taste. You can also use any nut butter and Flax/Chia seed paste to for an oil free and healthier option)

1 cup Rolled oats

1 and ½ cups of All purpose flour

(Swap out plain flour for an alternative gluten-free flour if you are coeliac)

(see below to check out what alternative flours we suggest using for this bake and why).

(Optional)

1 tsp Vanilla extract (strongly recommended)

1  tsp maple syrup (or other liquidised sweetener of your choosing)

½ tsp of Cinnamon

(Recommended Toppings)

Almond flakes

1 Sliced banana

Prep time: 15 minutes (½ hour)

Cooking time: 60 minutes (1 hour)

Method:

Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (use the fan setting is possible) and line an 8’’ loaf tin with non stick parchment/baking paper or grease thoroughly with dairy-free butter.

Slice up the bananas and add to a small bowl. Using a masher or fork, mash the bananas up into it forms a runny texture. (Try to remove as many lumps as you possibly can - adding the (optional) maple syrup to this will help). Then set aside.

Make sure all dry ingredients are sifted thoroughly before beginning this next step.

In another, larger bowl, add in your sifted, dry ingredients one at a time, beginning with the flour. Stir in each new ingredient into the mixture until they are fully combined. (for a smoother bread, you can lightly blend the oats in a food processor until they form a flour-like consistency. We didn’t do this however, as it gives the bread more spring to it).

Retrieve your small bowl with the banana mixture and add all the remaining, wet ingredients, combining thoroughly with a whisk. Whisk until you have reached an even, liquid consistency.

Slowly and carefully add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until all clumps have disappeared from the batter completely. The batter will be smooth, but thick. (Runny batter will result in the bread not rising properly or being to cake like)

Pour this batter into the lined or greased loaf tin, smoothing the top off with a spatula. You may add any additional toppings such as sliced banana and flaked almonds. Place them generously on the surface of the batter. Or keep it minimalistic and let the loaf speak for itself).

Place in the oven for around 60-70 minutes (timing will vary slightly with diffeent ovens). The bread will be golden brown and lovely deep cracks will have formed on top. To ensure it is cooked all the way through, pierce the loaf with a toothpick check to see if it comes out clean. If so, it’s ready!

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Then you may remove the bread from the tin using the sides of the parchment paper sticking out the sides to lift it upwards.  

Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Store in a container at room temperature for up to one week.

For more delicious recipes and mouth-watering pastry pics, follow our instagram and remember to keep checking our blog for more food and coffee themed posts! Why not check out our previous post on our top Indie Coffee Shops in Leeds, all of which serve delectable sweet and savoury treats that are sure to satisfy your cravings.

Additional Information:

Using Alternative flours:

Recommendations for Gluten-free flours: I recommend either using Coconut Flour,  or half Buckwheat flour and half Oat flour for Gluten-free banana bread baking.

Why these flours? Coconut flour is a very popular choice amongst bakers, especially for Banana Bread recipes. I’ve found a lot of recipes that favour this flour. The main reason I don't use it myself is that I cannot get it from the shop down the road. Lazy Baking at its finest. Alternatively, substitute All purpose flour for half Buckwheat flour and half Oat flour. Oat flour tends to make bakes extremely moist and I love that in a Banana Bread. I then recommend using half Buckwheat flour as this usually results in a dryer product, so I find that combining these two fibre-rich flours produces the perfect balance, also without creating an odd taste.

Assuring your flour is Gluten-free: As with many different ingredients, cross contamination is always a possibility, especially when using ingredients from popular/big brands. To ensure that the flour you are using is completely gluten-free and safe for those with Gluten allergies, the packaging will state a certification mark.

Choosing the right flour for you: At the end of the day, it is completely all about preference and accessibility. Different flours have different health benefits and baking properties. The bread’s texture and appearance will of course vary with each different flour, however this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you prefer a very moist banana bread, choose oat flour. Do you prefer it more dry and crumbly? Buckwheat flour will suit you. Sweet and flavourful? Coconut flour. Or do you want your banana bread to be more like, well bread, then Brown Rice flour is ideal. The important thing is to do some research, find out what is appealing and available to you, experiment and just have fun with it! For more advice and information visit: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gluten-free-flours#section7

Flax/Chia seed paste:

What is flax/chia seed paste?  This is a Hydrocolloid mixture created of either Ground Flax or Chia seeds mixed with water to form a gelatinous paste. This mixture is widely used as an egg replacement in many vegan/plant-based/egg-free recipes. Hydrocolloids usually work to either build structure, emulsify and soften mouthfeel; many things that eggs already do in traditional baking applications. For more information on using Flax/chia seed paste as an egg replacer visit:http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/egg-replacers/flax-seed-egg-replacer

How to make Flax/chia seed paste: The basic ratio is one tablespoon of Flax/Chia seeds and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Combine ground Flax or ground Chia seeds with the water to form a wet paste.  Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes before using, this enables it to form a gel. Try to purchase whole flax/chia seeds and grind them yourself, as pre-ground seeds tend to lose a lot of moisture. You can grind them using a coffee or herb grinder.

Why is Flax/chia seed paste not in the original recipe? I have always used oil as a raising agent and egg replacement in baking since going Vegan and updating my family’s Banana Bread recipe. Using Bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder also gives the bakes that extra lift that egg would normally offer. I wanted this recipe to be as accessible as possible, from personal experience and discussing this with many other bakers and home-cooks, it was clear that flax/chia meal was not a kitchen cupboard essential for most people, unlike oil. I have tried this recipe with peanut butter and chia paste and it came out pretty much the same, except with a slightly nuttier taste. But for convenience reasons I prefer to use oil.

-Written by Sophie Gregan 

This article was originally posted on www.artemis.coffee/blog/  For more coffee- related content why not check out the link or visit our official Instagram page @artemisbrew

[kriskebob-blog]

Day 6: Lots of prep, and maybe turning a corner?

EHi friends. I’ve fallen a little behind, whoops. So I left off with Sunday night. If you recall, on Saturday I felt kind of sleepy and beat after hitting the gym but my energy improved as the day went on. Sunday I honestly felt pretty good all day even with the hike and the heat from being out by the pool. 

Monday, though, I woke up and I just felt so clear-headed. I felt focused and just ready to take on the day. The way you wish you felt every day when you wake, you know? And I was going to need the energy, because it was once again going to be a grocery shopping day. Not only that, I had to thoughtfully meal plan for the first time since I’d started this project, e.g. refer to Dr. G’s two-week meal plan and make sure that his suggested meals for each day would more or less work with our schedule. 

It didn’t take nearly as much time as the first time I’d done it, and what’s more, I had a few produce items I wouldn’t need to purchase because I still had enough left over from the week before. I checked out of Big Y with my smallest bill yet. I went to the farmstand and had a <$5 charge for the first time in weeks - all I picked up were an onion, a couple huge carrots, and a new pint of berries. However, I did have an exotic ingredient that was going to warrant another trip to the Asian grocer and/or Whole Foods: I needed dried dulse, aka seaweed flakes that would be added to a miso soup recipe. 

I got home and ate some gumbo for lunch. There was still enough left for more leftovers the next day; that recipe seriously had made a lot. Then it was off to the races to find my dried dulse. This week, I decided to go to the Asian market first, because I figured if they did have the dulse it’d be a lot more reasonably priced there than at Whole Foods. There were quite a few varieties of dried seaweed there, but no dulse flakes. However, I did spot an 8oz bag of dried shiitake mushrooms for only $10.99. 

...

Do you want to know how much I paid at Big Y for a mere friggin’ HALF OUNCE of dried shiitake mushrooms?? Do you??? 

I paid $5.99 for half an once at Big Y for a product I could buy at the Asian food market for less than twice that price and SIXTEEN TIMES the amount. Let my failures be your lesson, friends: go to your local ethnic grocery stores to stock up on pantry items like dried mushrooms, spices, rice, etc! It is SO MUCH CHEAPER than what the same item will cost at a corporate grocery store, and you’re supporting a small local business at the same time. Like literally you can buy tubs of spices like turmeric, cumin, cayenne pepper, etc. etc. for a fraction of the cost you’d pay for a comparable amount at a place like Stop & Shop for Big Y. It’s totally worth the extra errand for any staple ingredient you use often. 

Anywho, I hadn’t found dried dulse but I still emerged feeling triumphant thanks to my renewed supply of dried mushrooms. I use those suckers all the time to make the veggie stock. I headed over to Whole Food’s. It was every bit as crowded as last time. I’m starting to realize that Whole Food’s is probably just literally always super busy, because there’s relatively few stores in our area that offer the amount of specialty cooking products that they do. And, clearly, there’s a rising demand for that kind of thing! Consumers want to cook in more healthful and interesting ways. And I can’t even be upset that I’m continuing to perpetuate Jeff Bezos’ evil empire when my Amazon Prime membership means I can buy two cartons of organic raspberries for $5. I want a Whole Foods on the other side of the CT river ASAP, honestly. Or maybe Sam and I will move in that direction soon enough. We’ve been considering it! 

Ahem, sorry. A lot of deviations today. Somewhere out there every English teacher I’ve ever had is bowing their heads, ashamed of me. So at Whole Foods, I found dried dulse no problem. I also found a product that had eluded me at Big Y and the Asian market - 100% buckwheat soba noodles. All the other brands I’d found until then had been a combination of wheat and buckwheat - but Dr. G had stipulated 100% buckwheat and, as you know, I’m trying to avoid half measures! 

I checked out and headed home. The whole time, I couldn’t stop thinking about how different this day felt compared to last Wednesday, in spite of how I was running basically all the same errands under similar conditions. Except one condition wasn’t similar at all - the food I’d eaten so far that day. If you remember, when I got home last Wednesday (the last day I’d allowed myself eggs, meat, cheese, sugary snacks, etc.) I was literally so exhausted from my multiple grocery trips that I collapsed onto the couch for a two hour semi-vegetative state in front of the TV. But on this day, I felt calm and clear-eyed the entire time I was running my errands. Sure, it helped that I had a better idea now of where some things were - but not everything. I still had to hunt down unfamiliar ingredients, and while certainly nothing had challenged me so much as the miso, I had still been on the go from pretty much the minute Sam had left early that morning. I’d stopped quickly for lunch but this was typically when I felt an afternoon slump in my energy levels and focus. But I didn’t feel that slump as I headed back into my apartment. Instead, I felt ready and even excited to do some cooking. 

I looked at that night’s recipes. Because I’d be making miso soup, I was going to need veggie broth again - a lot of it. More than I had left over from yesterday’s batch (I’d used a lot of that to make the rice). So for the second time in two days, I was going to need to throw together some veggie stock. I got that going and then took inventory of the recipes coming up. In addition to the miso soup, I was going to be making soba noodles with chopped veggies and an almond butter sauce. One ingredient for the almond butter sauce was “umani sauce,” which of course was a sauce to make in itself. It wasn’t too hard to throw together - more veggie broth (I was literally going through the stuff like water), minced garlic and ginger, a bit of molasses (Dr. G specified “blackstrap molasses” - never heard of it - I just used normal molasses), date sugar, tomato paste, pepper, miso, lemon, and rice vinegar. It made plenty more than I would need for that night’s recipe, but I tasted it and am looking forward to using it in more recipes in the weeks ahead - it’s really tasty.

Behold, umani sauce. 

I figured so long as I was at it getting all this stuff prepped, I would finally make the date syrup I’d been substituting with agave or maple syrup in several recipes so far. This was super easy - I just needed to boil a cup of water and put the dates in to soften for an hour. It got blended at the end with a bit of lemon. Again, not actually hard at all to put together - you just need to have the foresight to do it before you actually need it. 

Ta-da: date syrup. You can see my (terrible) stove in the background with the veggie stock simmering away. 

At this point, I was on a roll. I was still feeling good and buoyed by how much energy I had that day compared to the previous week. So, in spite of how no upcoming recipes called for the “healthy hot sauce” I had wound up not making for the burritos, I still had a couple of bags of habaneros and other red chiles in my fridge. The recipe called for 12 ounces of fresh hot chiles, which is quite a lot of chiles. They were taking up a lot of room in my produce drawer and I wanted them gone, but I wasn’t willing to throw them away... especially not when Dr. G stated that the healthy hot sauce could keep in the fridge for up to six months. I was already on a food prep kick that day - might as well make it. 

Dr. G. advised wearing rubber gloves for prepping the chiles. Great idea in theory, but the only rubber gloves in my apartment are used for cleaning the bathroom, and I wasn’t about to use those on food. So, one by one, with my delicate bare hands, I painstakingly seeded and chopped dozens of habanero peppers and a handful of red hot chiles. This kind of sucked at first (the anxiety that I might accidentally touch my face/eyes is real), but eventually I relaxed and got into the flow of it, and it was satisfying to see the initially giant mound of unchopped peppers gradually go down. They went into a medium-sized saucepan with some water, a chopped onion, and garlic. It simmered for about 20 minutes and then Dr. G said I should let it cool down to room temperature before blending it. Why exactly? Not sure, but I do what the man says (or try). He said to add between 1/2 cup and 1 cup of apple cider vinegar, basically to taste. I started with 1/2 cup and tasted it. And... yup... very hot. It would have to be used very sparingly, but it wasn’t so hot that it was totally inedible, at least by my standards. I wasn’t sure whether or not to add more vinegar. Would that make it hotter? Less hot? More acidic, obviously, but peppers are so acidic already... I wasn’t sure what the true purpose was in terms of taste but felt like more vinegar would dilute the habanero flavor a bit. Maybe? I tried it out and added more vinegar before tasting again. I think it had the effect I wanted in taking back the habanero flavor a little. Who knows. Looking forward to trying it out in the future, even if we wouldn’t be needing it for that night’s meal. Here’s what it looked like:

It was around 4pm by then and a little too early to start dinner. I wandered off to relax for a little while and around 5 I got back at it to prep the miso soup and soba noodles dish. 

I made the almond butter sauce first. Like most things in this cookbook, it was easy so long as you had the ingredients on hand - things like the umani sauce, blended lime, etc. Some garlic, ginger, miso, and red pepper flakes and that was it. I thawed some frozen edamame and chopped some carrot, red bell pepper, and scallion. I actually stopped and read for a little while, because Sam was at the gym and the miso soup looked so quick and easy that I didn’t want it to be ready too soon. Eventually I heated up 5 cups of the veggie broth and added some more edamame to that. Next came a couple handfuls of sliced shiitake mushrooms and scallions. In a separate bowl, I mixed a small amount of hot broth with 1/4 cup of miso - by far the largest amount of miso I’d used at one time yet, but then, it is literally called miso soup. Dad, here’s another shout-out for you - you probably haven’t had miso soup but I think you’d like it! It has a nice salty, mushroomy flavor. This one though was definitely heartier and thicker than the kind you’d be served at an Asian restaurant, mostly thanks to the pureed veg in the broth. When you’re out to eat, miso is mostly a thin broth with a few tiny scallions and mushrooms mixed in here and there, but this was a hearty soup with tons of mushrooms. And then, as is the Dr. G way, you had to add a bunch of greens too - 4 cups of chopped spinach, to be exact. And of course, our friend the dried dulse was added in at the end to get that extra seaweed flavor and nutrition.

Once I knew Sam would be ready to eat soon, I tossed the soba noodles in a separate pot to boil. You then run them under cold water and mix the cooled noodles with the almond butter sauce and chopped veggies. No heating it through - apparently it’s a pasta salad meant to be eaten cold or at room temperature. 

Here’s the finished products:

The verdict? For both of us, the miso soup was our favorite of the two. The soba noodles were decent but I think in the future, I would go for the cheaper (and much easier to find) buckwheat/wheat soba noodles. These 100% buckwheat noodles were particularly chewy and had a stronger flavor than I’m used to from a pasta, it was a little distracting. I’m sure you could get used to it, but eh. The almond butter sauce was decent, although it’s hard to say how much I really liked it when I was a bit distracted by the buckwheat flavor. I think the sauce could’ve used a little more spice but then, I like my food to pack a big flavor punch. The miso soup, though - totally delicious. I probably wouldn’t change a thing if I made it again.

So, a busy Monday of a lot of shopping and prepping food. If it sounds time-consuming and like a lot of work... it is! But a big part of that is just my learning curve with these ingredients and recipes, and also creating my own pantry items that now will hopefully last me for a few weeks or even months (the date syrup, umani sauce, hot sauce etc...). I haven’t minded because this is a hobby and an interest for me, but I can see how it’d be a barrier for the average American working full-time and trying to juggle 4873286 other responsibilities and commitments on top of that. But honestly? This cookbook is designed with ultimate maximum health benefits in mind. Dr. G wrote this thinking of the sort of person who’s been told he probably has 6-12 months left to live due to the progression of their cancer, or the person who’s had to have multiple bypass surgeries due to the advancement of heart disease. That’s why there’s no oil, no added salt, and no store-bought sauces or condiments in this book. But does that mean you couldn’t cook this way yourself? 

I think not at all. This book shows you what the absolute ideal would be - according to Dr. G’s nutritional philosophy, anyhow. There are other big names in nutrition who agree with him but there are others who don’t - a topic to get into more on another day. But if you think you’d be willing to try making a few plant-based meals, or even make a complete switch for a week or two as an “experiment” like I’ve been doing, but the homemade sauces and condiments and milks sound like too much work and you also refuse to give up your EVOO and kosher salt - then don’t! It’d be so easy to adapt these recipes to your own preferences. As I’ve written multiple times, I’ve tried my best to follow Dr. G’s instructions as faithfully as possible just because I’ve been curious about what it’s like to cook that way. If you think all this extra legwork isn’t feasible for you but are curious about the idea of incorporating more whole-food meals into your diet, you can absolutely use these recipes but substitute in your own hot sauce. Your own sweeteners. Your own vegetable stock. Add salt or oil if you want to. Your own pre-made Asian condiments that you know are loaded with salt and sugar. Heck, I’ve done almost all of those myself multiple times already on this journey. At the end of the day, you’re still getting a lot more vegetables and fiber into your diet, and you’re also significantly reducing your carbon footprint for that day - did you know every pound of meat you consume takes several hundred gallons of water to produce? 

The reason why I titled today’s post “turning a corner” is because Monday is the day I first started to really think - Maybe I really do want to live this way. Not just as an experiment. The recipes have been delicious, honestly not that hard to prep (especially if you opt for pre-made condiments!), and I feel more energetic and focused than I’ve felt basically ever - and that’s after only 6 days. How will I be feeling by the end of Day 15? Still remains to be seen, but right now I’m definitely feeling more and more each day like I’m moving in the right direction. I feel like I’m taking control of my health and my life in a way that’s extremely satisfying. 

Oh, and for the record - there won’t really be a Day 7 post, because I had so much leftover food at the end of the day on Monday that there was no need for me to cook yesterday! I’ll still aim to have a blog post up again in the next day, but will just skip ahead to Day 9. 

Happy hump day, friends! See you on the next post. 

Today’s music rec: “American Boy” by Estelle

[matthewb-japan]

Basic Japanese Cuisine - Week 3

We were off on Monday which gave us plenty of rest and time to get ready for Tuesday’s class - Tempura Part 2. This time around we would prepare the tempura piece by piece. The same way we experienced tempura at the restaurant Arai in Japan.

We set up the prep tables with place settings and then half of the class got to sit down for their meal first. Adrianna cooked first and I got to enjoy the meal. It was so much fun to enjoy the fresh tempura from our classmates and I was able to identify the correct techniques easier by sitting and observing. When it was my turn to fry, my confidence wasn’t quite soaring. I tried my best to keep up with all the ingredients and make sure my batter wasn’t too thin or overmixed. By the end I was relieved that it was over but I am glad that I got a second chance to practice making tempura. I hope to practice more of it on my own in the future.

Day three we focused on the preparation of rice and preserved foods (and ate more of it than I thought was humanly possible). Lecture focused on the importance of different types of rice and pickles in Japan. Fresh rice becomes available between late August and early September - October in the US. Red and black varieties are ancient genetic relatives of the white rice used today while green rice is closer linked to rice used for mochi. These ancient varieties are not as common but are sometimes consumed in a 30/70% ratio with white rice to make them more delicious. Rice can be cooked in a lidded pot, a donabe, or a rice cooker. Many households today are opting for high-tech rice cookers so each bowl is as tasty as the last.

Pickles are ideal to be consumed with rice because they are heavily seasoned and can be prepared far in advanced. Nukazuke are pickles made using rice bran, water, salt, and various seasonings. This is done in a nukadoko (fermenting box) that is best managed by one person. This is to prevent other types of bacteria for entering the environment. Asazuke consists of salted and pressed foods. Good examples include umebushi (salted plum), shibazuke (pickled with umebushi liquid), and narazuke (uses the lees from mirin).

Our dishes for the day included rice cooked with mushrooms in donabe, gyudon (simmered beef served over rice), oyakodon (rice topped with chicken and egg, and rice that had ground chicken and seaweed folded into it. Of these, my favorite was the chicken and egg. The decadence of the Japanese-style egg was hard to ignore. It was also entertaining to cook in the small pan over flame.

Thursday’s lecture was very interesting as it covered different types of noodles used in Japanese Cuisine. I fell in love when udon while traveling in Japan due to its bouncy/chewy texture. I was excited to learn different uses for it and how it is made.

Low protein flour is best for udon, and should be mixed with 50% water by weight containing 8% salt in the solution. The salted water ensures that gluten develops favorably resulting in the perfect “koshi” (chewy) texture. Udon has many variations across Japan and the amount of salt used to make it may vary based on the season (more salt being favored in warmer months). To prepare it we mixed our dough the previous day, kneaded it with our feet (yes feet, and yes the dough was covered with plastic), and rolled it out before cutting. We used plenty of cornstarch to prevent sticking while we did this. Some important tips include rolling it with a “cat paw” grip using a circular motion with your hands on the pin. This makes sure that you are rolling out the dough evenly. We then folded the udon and cut it using a large knife designed solely for this purpose.

Clearly we had a great time making our dough.

We also learned how soba is made and some of the key elements involved. Buckwheat is split in half then ground to make buckwheat flour. The second and third grinding are mostly used for flour as the first grinding does not contain any of the outer hull. To make the soba, you have to gradually incorporate 36-42% of water by weight. It is important to take your time and evenly toss the flour and water mixture until every particle of flour has the chance to be hydrated. This is because there is no gluten in buckwheat flour, so water is the only thing creating the bond. Due to this, a lot of soba recipes include a small percentage (usually 20%) of wheat flour to aid in binding the dough. After the dough was formed, the process for rolling it out was very similar to that we used for the udon.

We enjoyed our udon two ways that night. In a hot broth dish served with duck and leek (a common Japanese pairing) and a cold dish paired with two dipping sauces (one made with sesame and the other being a seasoned dashi).

Friday marked the final day of Basic Japanese Cuisine and we practiced a skill I had greatly been looking forward to - sushi. We started demo by cooking our sushi rice with a small piece of dried kombu seaweed. Once it was done, we combined it with sushi vinegar and moved it around the hangiri (large wooden bowl) to incorporate it evenly and allow the rice to cool without clumping. The wooden hangiri is important because it absorbs excess moisture from the rice and returns moisture as necessary for the perfect consistency. After the rice had cooled a few minutes, we popped it back in the rice cooker (turned off) to store it warm.

Sensei Murashima then demonstrated how to cut the netta (slices) for nigiri and how to prep the ingredients for our makizushi (rolls). One particularly interesting ingredient for our maki was a dried gourd cut into wide ribbons by a machine. We boiled it in water and then a seasoned dashi mixture to reach the right texture. It had a neat elasticity to it and mellow flavor. After the demonstrations, we tried our hand at making nigiri and sushi rolls.

[blockzone06-blog]

Gluten-Free Matcha Crepe Cake with Whipped White Chocolate Ganache

This matcha crepe cake recipe layers thin gluten-free matcha almond flour crepes with fluffy matcha whipped white chocolate ganache. With sponge-like crepes and pillows of whipped ganache sealing the layers together, this playful cake has it all: texture, earthy sweet flavor, and a rustically ruffled edge.

This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill, a year-long partner of Snixy Kitchen

With this layered matcha crepe cake in my back pocket, I’m fully prepared to make my own birthday cake this weekend. When Zoella told me she was going to make me a chocolate and vanilla rainbow cake, Lucas’s eyes nearly doubled in size and he asked in panic, “Do I have to make you a cake this year?”

I’ve decided that he’s off the hook. I’ll make my own cake – there’s too much at stake. If Zoella doesn’t get to sing to me while I blow out candles, she might not recover this time.

Last time was a near disaster. We tried to celebrate my birthday a week early while out to dinner on our trip to Monterey last Saturday. Instead, I ended up blowing out a candle nestled into a scoop of complimentary vanilla ice cream while sitting by myself. Neither kid had gotten a long enough nap and they were slowly falling apart as dinner arrived. Fortunately, we were at the hotel restaurant, so as soon as we’d finished eating, Lucas swooped both kids upstairs to start bedtime while I waited for the check.

Except instead of the check, the waitress showed up with a candle-topped ice cream, ready to wish me a happy birthday. I sent Lucas a picture and he FaceTimed me to show Zoella. He expected her to want to sing, but instead she melted down because she’d missed the birthday wishes. She didn’t even care that she’d missed ice cream – this girl just loves birthday celebrations.

The waitress felt bad I had to eat birthday dessert alone, but you know what? She gave me an extra 5 minutes to eat ice cream in peace, and for that, I am grateful.

For my actual birthday, I’ll make the cake. Perhaps this gluten-free matcha crepe cake with matcha whipped white chocolate ganache.

Matcha Crepe Cake

This thinly layered matcha crepe cake is the second recipe in a year-long partnership with Bob’s Red Mill. Last month I made homemade gluten-free pop tarts with strawberry jam. As a gluten-free baker, I have an entire pantry shelf dedicated to Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flours. For these gluten-free matcha crepes, I’ve used a simple combination of almond flour and sweet rice flour.

Until you start baking gluten-free regularly, it can feel overwhelming to buy multiple bags of gluten-free flours. Rest assured, you can use my recipe filter to sort recipes by gluten-free flour type to use up whatever bag of Bob’s Red Mill flour you’ve got in your pantry for a sweet treat!

What is a Crepe Cake?

This “Gâteau Mille Crêpes” or “thousand crepe cake” is a classic French cake made by layering a (figurative) thousand crepes with pastry cream between them into a cake. If left natural, the result is a playful cake with a whimsical ruffled edge made entirely on the stove top. Slicing into the cake reveals the effort of the “baker” – sheets of cake with a near 50/50 ratio to cream.

Now, I made my 5½ inch tall crepe cake with just 18 crepes. I’ve done the math. If I really made this crepe cake with a thousand crepes, it’d be nearly 25½ feet tall or 7¾ meters. And it would take approximately 50 hours to flip all the crepes with a single pan.

I’ve riffed on that traditional cake making a gluten-fee version with almond flour matcha crepes and swapped out the pastry cream for something a little simpler, matcha whipped white chocolate ganache.

What to use as crepe cake filling?

Classic French crepe cakes get layered up with pastry cream, or “creme patissiere” – a creamy custard thickened with egg yolks. I knew if I was spending my time flipping crepes, I wanted a more approachable simpler filling.

I’ve seen many quick versions filled with whipped cream or chocolate ganache. My friend Amanda filled her chocolate crepe cake with a cocoa hazelnut cream.

For my version, I wanted something sweet to balance the earthy matcha, but stable that wouldn’t weep in the fridge. Enter whipped white chocolate ganache with a bit of matcha folded in. Much of the time I find white chocolate cloyingly sweet. Almost the exact opposite of my choice dark chocolate. Against the vegetal grassy notes of matcha, though, the sweetness of white chocolate is just right.

Almond Flour Crepes: How to make gluten-free crepes?

Last year I partnered with Bob’s Red Mill to make gluten-free buckwheat crepes. That recipe took the classic French savory crepe and paired it with a sweet cherry and chocolate filling that accentuated the warm and toasty nuttiness of buckwheat flour.

For this matcha crepe cake, I wanted a more subtle flour that would let the matcha flavor and color shine. Matcha’s sweet nutty notes become even more distinct with almond flour as the base – a time-tested pairing I’ve use for matcha macarons and almond matcha olive oil cake.

Used alone, almond flour is a bit more delicate and brittle. The crepes are more likely to tear. To help with that, I’ve added a bit of sticky sweet rice flour to make the crepes pliable and sturdy. This flexibility helps with flipping the crepes and gives them the little bit of chew and spring you get from traditional wheat flour crepes. With these two flours, the crepes have the texture and flavor of standard crepes. If you’d like, you can even replace the matcha with more sweet rice flour to make a plain crepe and it’ll work just the same!

When you make a matcha crepe cake, you want the green color to pop. It’s important to start with a high-quality matcha that is bright green (and hasn’t oxidized to a muddy brown green color). Use my Ultimate Guide to Matcha to help navigate the various types and brands of matcha with dozens more matcha recipes.

Once you master pouring and flipping crepes, crepes are really pretty simple to make. Throw all the ingredients in a blender and give it a whirl for 30 seconds.

How to pour and flip crepes?

In testing this crepe cake, I’ve now made close to a thousand crepes (ok that’s an exaggeration, but it feels that way). Here’s what I’ve learned.

Cook low and slow

Most crepe recipes ask for medium heat, For these almond flour crepes, you want low heat (or medium low heat if you’re using a small burner). The crepes need to cook almost all the way through before you flip them to ensure they’re sturdy enough and won’t tear. Cooking them for longer on low heat lets them cook through without the bottom getting too dark. A bonus if you’re making green matcha crepes!

The exact temperature of your stove depends on your pan and burner strength. Use these signs to adjust accordingly:

If your pan gets too hot while cooking, your crepe batter will cook as soon as it hits the pan and you’ll struggle to get a thin even crepe. Lift the pan off the stove and wave it back and forth a few times to cool it off.

If you pan isn’t hot enough, your crepe batter will slide around in the pan, settling a little more in the center with a very thin layer around the outside that will brown and crisp up too much before the rest of the crepe is ready.

Not too thin

These almond flour crepes will be just a little thicker than traditional crepes to make them sturdy and thick enough to flip without tears. This also keeps the edges from getting too crisp while the crepe cooks.

Pour and Swirl

The pour and swirl is the art of crepe making. With the crepe pan tilted in one hand and a measuring cup of batter in the other, start pouring from the upward tilted edge of the pan and rotate where you pour in the pan while also rotating and shuffling the pan.

This sounds more complicated than it is, and once you’ve made one or two crepes, you’ll figure out your groove.

Lift the edges before flipping

Use a thin rubber spatula to gently run around the very edge of the crepe before flipping. This will make sure that a crisp edge won’t stick to the pan when you go to flip.

I prefer to use my hands to flip the crepe because I feel like I’ve got more control. But, crepes are hot. Take the spatula to lift one edge of the crepe about an inch high so you have enough to grab. This edge will begin to cool while it’s not touching the pan so you’ll be able to flip with your fingers.

Yield: 1 8-inch crepe cake, 8-12 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

This matcha crepe cake recipe layers thin gluten-free matcha almond flour crepes with fluffy matcha whipped white chocolate ganache. With a sponge like crepes and pillows of whipped ganache sealing the layers together, this playful cake has it all: texture, earthy sweet flavor, and a rustically impressive appearance. 

Ingredients

Matcha Whipped White Chocolate Ganache*

Gluten-Free Matcha Almond Flour Crepes

Instructions

Prep the ganache before making your crepes. Place the white chocolate in a medium metal bowl (any heatproof bowl will work but a metal bowl will cool the chocolate faster). Optional, but it will speed up your chilling by an hour or so: Prepare an ice bath in a large metal bowl (that fits in your fridge) with just enough water to go up the sides of the medium bowl about an inch or two.

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to simmer over low heat. Pour the cream over the chopped white chocolate and let sit for a few minutes then stir until completely melted with no chunks remaining. Press a layer of plastic wrap up against the top of the ganache. Chill until cold (I use a thermometer and chill until it's at least 42°F. To speed this up, set the bottom of the covered ganache bowl in the prepared ice bath and chill the whole thing in the fridge for 2-3 hours, lifting the plastic and giving it a quick stir every 30 minutes or so.

Meanwhile prepare your crepes. Prepare a baking sheet or large cooling rack next to the stove. Combine all the crepe ingredients in a blender and blend for 30 seconds until completely smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes while you preheat your crepe pan or an 10-inch non-stick pan over medium-low heat (I use low heat on my two largest burners). You're going to be making about 21 crepes, so if you have two pans that will work, I recommend doing them both at the same time to save time. You want your pans to be hot, but not smoking. If the pan is too hot, your batter will cook too quickly, making it hard to swirl it into a thin crepe, but if it's not hot enough, your batter won't stick to the pan in a thick enough layer, leaving the outside edge very thin and brittle. Expect to mess up a crepe or two while you get the heat just right for your stove - in the end, I used 18 crepes for my cake and ate a few along the way.

Melt a tiny dab of butter in the skillet and rub it with a scrunched up paper towel. You want just enough to keep it from sticking, but not enough that it disrupts your batter. With the skillet in one hand, pour ¼ to ⅓ cup of batter into the hot skillet, while simultaneously tilting your wrist to rotate the pan so the batter spreads around the pan. Gently shake the pan to spread the batter into a thin even layer on the bottom of the pan. Set the pan back on the stove and let it cook until the edges slightly curl up and turn golden, while the top is no longer glossy, about 2-3 minutes.

Use a rubber spatula to lift all of the edges of the crepe to make sure it hasn't stuck to your pan. Gently grasp and edge of a crepe with your finger tips and quickly flip the crepe (you can also use a large rubber spatula to help you flip the crepe if it's too hot for you!). Let cook for 1-2 more minutes until it turns golden brown. Transfer to a single layer on a baking sheet or wire rack to cool for a few minutes while you cook the next crepe(s), then stack on a plate once cool. Repeat until you've made at least 18 crepes.

By now your white chocolate ganache should be cool enough to whip. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or the same bowl with a hand mixer, beat your chilled ganache for several minutes until soft peaks form. Sift in the remaining matcha and mix a few seconds just to combine.

Assemble your cake at least 30 minutes before you want to serve it. Place one crepe on a cake stand/plate and spread a thin layer of whipped ganache on top. I use a 1/4 cup ice cream school to portion out the creme evenly among the layers. Top with another crepe and repeat. Spread all of the remaining whipped ganache on top and sprinkle with toasted almonds. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to a day before slicing.

Disclosure: Special thanks to Bob’s Red Mill for providing the flours shown above and sponsoring this post! And thanks to you for supporting the companies that keep Snixy Kitchen cooking!

Source: https://www.snixykitchen.com/gluten-free-matcha-crepe-cake-with-whipped-white-chocolate-ganache/

[yewavenue3-blog]

A Very Merry Australian Christmas Dinner!

Welcome to our 2018 Christmas celebration! This year for Christmas we feasted on a menu of ham glazed in mead, prawn, mango and avocado cocktail salad, a thousand layered smoked salmon crepe cake, crispy prosciutto potatoes and a fennel and sweet potato gratin and a black forest cake. And there was no shortage of Christmas cheer!

Of course no Christmas is complete without drama and our most pressing drama this year was whether my father would make it home for Christmas after his recent stroke. Thankfully, his progress has been good and he was allowed to come home for good.

Thousand layer crepe cake

I had my whole menu planned weeks in advance and decided to do a really Australian Christmas. What does that mean? For me an Australian Christmas means seafood and ham. We would be having 12 people over so I needed something large to serve everyone but I wanted it to be easy so ham it was.

So a month before Christmas I had chosen a ham. I didn't want to wait until the last minute and I also wanted to choose the perfect looking ham. So I asked my mother if she had room in her fridge to store it and we brought the 6 kilo beast to her house. But the day before Christmas Eve dinner she messaged me. Did she want us to defrost the ham? You see her instinct is to freeze everything and she had put it in the freezer!

Christmas tree bread, sweet potato & fennel bake, prosciutto wrapped potatoes and caper and cabbage salad

"What do I do?" she cried. We talked her through the cold water method for defrosting and after battling the huge queues to buy prawns and seafood we went to pick up the ham (crossing our fingers that it wasn't frozen inside, nightmares of food poisoning our guests foremost in mind).

Mead glazed ham

First to arrive was my Uncle Sam and his partner Lien who only arrived 5 minutes early (they're working on arriving on time and used to arrive 30 minutes early which is alarming for a busy hostess). Then my cousin Richard arrived and then my other cousin Roger with his partner Catherine and their kids Natalie and Jason.

Inside the crepe cake

Last to arrive was my mother, father and sister. I looked at my dad and asked, "Where is your rice?" because he usually turns up at all dinners with a bowl full of steamed rice. He shrugged his shoulders with newfound nonchalance. Could this be a new father that can go for a meal without his beloved rice?

Prosciutto wrapped baby potatoes

Of course there were the distinctly Chinese touches to Christmas. Lien told Catherine (who has always been an extra small size) that she had put on weight. Uncle Sam asked father, "How much you pay for your hospital visit?".

Individual Prawn Salads

There was of course way too much food. I packed up lots of it for everyone to take home as there was way too much for just us (although Mochi would disagree, she was eyeing off the ham all night).

Uncle Sam asking my father, "How much you pay for the hospital visit?"

My father had to leave after 2 hours on the dot as he gets tired although we all suspect that this rule also suits his personality perfectly as he never wants to linger after a meal. 1 hour and 55 minutes after we started he started kicking my sister under the table to signal that he wanted to go home. Then at two hours exactly he turned to Mr NQN who was giving them a lift home. "I go now?" he said.

Sweet potato and fennel smoked mozzarella gratin

Everyone else stayed for much longer. We ate black forest cake as nibbled on my Dear Reader Matilda's delicious ciamballette and biscottini which are so delicious that by the evening of Christmas Day there were only 4 cookies left!

"I can haz ham?" says Mochi

Afterwards we opened up presents. My main present was a karaoke machine which delighted me so much (I'm sure my neighbours will have the opposite reaction). While we unwrapped Mr NQN and I were watching a tv ad for Christmas from a supermarket and Mr NQN turned to me and said, "Do they know that nobody's Christmas is like that?".

So tell me Dear Reader, how was your Christmas? What did you eat? Do you make something different each year for Christmas or do you prefer to stick to the same menu?

Black Forest Cake

Thousand Layered Seafood Crepe cake

All Original Recipes by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 60 minutes

Serves 16-20

Sparkling with jewels and with each layer spread with a delicious filling, this crepe cake is a show stopper. Don't feel intimidated by this though. If you do have a crepe pan, that makes things easier but it's fine without too. And yes a dozen eggs really go into it but I promise this will be a beautiful cake to remember and feeds many, many people!

For crepes

1 cup flour

1 cup buckwheat flour

12 eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1.2 litres milk

For filling

400g/14ozs. taramasalata

200g/7ozs. sour cream (full fat)

200g/7ozs. cream cheese, softened

40g/1.42ozs. French onion soup packet mix

75g/2.7ozs. tobiko or caviar

600g/21.2ozs. smoked salmon

pomegranate arils, cherry tomatoes, radishes, dill and chives to decorate

Step 1 - Blend the ingredients together in a large food processor (split in two or three if you need to). Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then heat a crepe pan and add oil or butter.

Using the springform tin collar to shape the crepes so that they are even

The crepe after collar is removed and the edges trimmed

Step 2 - Place a 22cm/9inch spring cake collar on the pan and pour the batter in (about 200ml/7flozs. or so). Trim the edges with a butter knife, remove the collar and then flip over once one side is done. Repeat many times until all the batter is used. You can stack these on top of each other while you are making them and then cool them completely.

Step 3 - Blend the sour cream and cream cheese together with the soup mix. Set aside (make sure it's of a spreadable consistency).

Layering with smoked salmon

Step 4 - Place one crepe on a serving plate and then spread with the French onion dip and then alternate with the taramasalata and then add smoked salmon on some layers. Place a layer of the tobiko in the middle layer of the crepe and then keep doing until you've used up all the crepes and you have about 1/2 cup of the French onion dip left.

Step 5 - Place the French onion dip into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe around the crepe cake and then decorate with pomegranate arils, cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced radishes, dill and chives. This cake is best made a day ahead and then refrigerated so that the dip is firm. Serve cut into slices like a cake.

Ham Glazed with Honey Mead and served with Ham Jam

Preparation time: 40 minutes

Cooking time: 90 minutes

1 large ham (around 6kilos)

Cloves

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup mead

1 tablespoon seeded mustard

1 chilli, sliced (optional)

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 170C/340F and line a large baking tray with parchment (one large enough to fit your ham). Remove rind from ham - you should be able to get it off in one piece and try to lift it off carefully leaving an even layer of fat underneath it. Stud with cloves lining them up so that they're in evenly spaced lines. Then score the fat.

Stud with cloves first

Then score using cloves as a guide

Step 2 - Mix the brown sugar, mead, mustard and chilli. Baste the ham all over with some of this mixture and then bake in the oven for 2 hours basting the ham with rest of the brown sugar mead mixture every 30 minutes.

Prawn, Avocado and Mango Cocktail

Christmas without prawns in Australia would just seem weird. Rather than have everyone's hands getting dirty peeling the prawns, I served a prawn, mango and avocado cocktail in a glass on everyone's place setting. The cocktail sauce was a big hit - if you've got some Old Bay seasoning please give this a go!

2kgs/4.4lbs prawns, shelled

1-2 avocadoes, cubed

1/2 large mango, cut into cubes

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons chilli sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Chives to sprinkle

Step 1 - Mix the mayonnaise, chilli sauce, ketchup, Old Bay and lemon juice together. Place the avocadoes, mango, pomegranate seeds, spicy mayonnaise in individual glasses.

Cabbage and Caper Mother In Law Salad

Inspired by a visit to Barzaari in Chippendale, this salad was just so delicious that I had to eat it again. Best of all, it was super easy too!

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon sesame oil

5 cups thinly sliced purple cabbage

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed well and patted dry

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Fresh parsley to garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Step 1 - Firstly mix the mayonnaise, maple syrup and sesame oil together. Then mix all ingredients together to ensure that there is an even distribution. Season with salt and pepper.

Crispy Prosciutto Potatoes

There's nothing better than a roast potato, I'm quite convinced. But then you wrap it in prosciutto and glaze it with maple syrup and you've got a super potato!

1.5kgs baby potatoes

2 tablespoons butter, cubed

2 tablespoons oil

15 slices (or as many as there are potatoes) prosciutto

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Step 1 - Par boil the potatoes until they are tender and then top with butter and oil bake them in a 230C/446F oven until crispy (around 25 minutes). This tastes great dipped in sour cream or aioli too.

Step 2 - Wait til the potatoes are cool so that they are easier to handle (you can do this ahead of time) and then wrap the potatoes in prosciutto and bake at 200C/400F for another 10 minutes or until prosciutto is crispy. Brush with maple syrup and place in the warm oven for 5 minutes. I added the maple when I warmed the potatoes up.

Fennel and Sweet Potato Gratin

Inspired by Sarah from Sarah Cooks, this fennel and sweet potato uses smoked mozzarella to give the dish a wonderful flavour.

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed

1.5 large sweet potatoes

300ml/10.6flozs. cream

1 onion, peeled and diced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and diced

150g/5ozs. smoked mozzarella, grated

50g/1.7ozs. butter, cubed

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 210C/420F. Thinly mandolin the fennel and sweet potatoes and then place in a baking dish with the cream, onion, garlic and grated smoked mozzarella and dot with butter cubes. Bake for 40 minutes.

Source: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/12/26/christmas-dinner-food-australia-2018/

[helatherwhite]

Almond Butter Fruit Dip (vegan, dairy-free, sugar free)

This Healthy Almond Butter Fruit Dip a clean-eating alternative to the HFCS-filled fruit dips in the store.  It's great not only as a dip, but also as a glaze or eaten right off the spoon.

Bonus–this dairy-free fruit dip also special-diet friendly–it's vegan and low carb with a nut-free option.

I love dips of all kinds. 

And there's a good reason why. 

Dipping makes everything taste better. Don't you agree?

I'm sure all of the parents out there would agree that while it can be hard to get kids to eat a lot of veggies, when you pair those exact same veggies with a dip, the veggies are more apt to disappear.

And that goes for adults too.

I mean, I love vegetables, but I really don't like eating them plain. And I very much dislike eating them raw and plain. But pair them with this delicious Avocado Dip or this Sesame-free Hummus, or this Vegan Ranch Dip, or some other delicious dip, then those same not-so-tempting vegetables will be gone in a flash.

Of course, there are those people who don't like dips. Our oldest is one of those. I don't understand it, but he doesn't really like dips. Well, let's qualify that–he doesn't like dipping things into dips, and he doesn't like dressing on his salads, but but he will eat dips on rice, plain, or he'll spread them on breads, wraps, and such.

I think it's a texture thing, but that doesn't totally make sense since he will eat the same texture in another context, he doesn't like them.

So my non-dip-loving son, loves this dip, but he doesn't like dipping things into it. But he'll eat it with a spoon or he'll drizzle it onto Buckwheat Pancakes or Teff Waffles, or he'll even put it on Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream, but no way will you find him dipping any kind of fruit in it.

Come to think of it, he doesn't like fresh fruit anyhow so…..

I digress.

Anyhow, no matter your dipping desires, this Dairy-free Fruit Dip is delicious.  In fact, it's almost always gone super fast whenever I make it.

The Need for a Healthier Almond Butter Fruit Dip

I used to love those ooey gooey super sweet caramel apple dips when I was younger, but wow are they loaded with all kinds of things that I don't want to or can't eat anymore. 

high fructose corn syrup (linked to cancer!)

partially hydrogenated oils 

disodium phosphate

mono and diglycerides

potassium sorbate

white sugar (causes all sorts of issues)

Ick.

Since we've changed out lifestyle to be whole food and lower-carb, there was really no way I was going to be buying that for myself or my family. And truly, I never have. By the way, they are pricey too! And homemade dip is not. Frugal whole foodies, you will love this vegan fruit dip!

This dip, though it's not a caramelly dip, is really tasty.  And is made of only healthful ingredients.

And it's super fast to make!  My kind of busy mom–kids need something yummy to eat now–recipe.

How This Healthy Vegan Fruit Dip Came to Be

Most of the vegan fruit dips out here are loaded with dates. I love dates, but they are super high in carbohydrates (and sugars), something that is a no-no for those of us struggling with candida.  So I wanted to develop a recipe for a fruit dip that would work for our family. Since our oldest has a life-threatening allergy to dairy, it needed to not only be low-carb, but it also needed to be a dairy-free fruit dip.

I found several versions of nut butter based dips on a few websites, thought about what I liked about each of them, and then made a number of versions until I found just the right flavor.

This is it.  Just right sweetness with a touch of cinnamon to add the perfect extra something.

We even made a special trip to buy some apples to go with it since we didn't have any in the house (what was I thinking–making a dairy-free fruit dip without apples???)

My youngest son was totally thrilled about the whole thing. First of all, he loves apples. Second, he had never had a fruit dip before (and he really liked this one), and the grocery store we went to has a really fun mechanical horse that kids can ride on for just 1 penny! He rode with dad and brother while mom shopped.

How nice to have extra blessings added to an otherwise mundane las minute apple-buying errand.

Ways to Use this Super Versatile Almond Butter Fruit Dip / Sauce:

Fruit dip (of course) for apples, pears, bananas, strawberries. Please note that strawberries are loaded with pesticides.  Choose organic or non-sprayed if possible.) Apples, pears, and bananas taste the best.

Nut Snack Topping (use soaked and dehydrated, if possible)

Oatmeal or Hot Cereal Drizzle or your favorite breakfast cereal like this Homemade Cream of Rice (see my post on soaking grains.)

Syrup Alternative for pancakes or waffles like these Teff Waffles or these Buckwheat Pancakes

Cake Drizzle–this would taste fantastic on cakes like this Oatmeal Cake (my husband likes this option since he's not a frosting fan at all).  A friend of mine told me that she added chopped pecans to this recipe to make a “German Chocolate Cake” type of frosting for her favorite gluten free cake and she said it was great. Sounds like a fantastic idea! It would make a great lite frosting on these Paleo Carob Cupcakes too.

Popcorn Topping – how about dipping popcorn in this dip–or just drizzle it on top!

Baked Good Topping–on recipes like Focaccia Flax Bread or Oat Bran Muffins or Paleo Gingerbread Cookies

On a Spoon!

One nice thing about this Almond Butter Fruit Dip is that you get the wonderfully rich taste of almond butter with about half the calories and fat since you're thinning out the almond butter.  Of course, these are good fats, but all things in moderation and if you are needing to watch your caloric intake, this really helps.

This post may contain affiliate links from which I will earn a commission.

Recipe Notes for this Almond Butter Fruit Dip

Nut substitution: You can substitute other nut or seed butter as desired or needed. See my post on Homemade Nut or Seed Butter. Pecan would be especially nice. Sunflower will add a more peanutty taste to the final product.

Coconut milk alternative: Any other non-dairy milk such as coconut milk can be used instead of almond milk. My Easiest Almond Milk and Easiest Coconut Milk are great make-your-own options. Coconut and cashew milk will yield a creamier final product.

Sweetener alternative: You can use 2 Tbsp of any other healthy sweetener instead of stevia. However, if you use a liquid sweetener you may need to use a slightly different amount, so read this post for help with substituting sweeteners. Vegetable glycerine is a good option.

Alcohol-free vanilla extract option: In case you need to avoid alcohol (since it's not cooked off in this recipe, here is a link to an alcohol-free vanilla extract.

Topping Tip: Feel free to add more non-dairy milk to the dip to make a thinner dip or sauce for topping pancakes, hot cereals, and more.

You can alter this recipe as you like.

Some great variations include:

Use maple syrup for a more mapley taste (is that a word?)

Add chocolate or carob for a chocolatey treat!  Start with 2 Tbsp or carob or chocolate and go from there.

Add shredded coconut for a coconutty / nutty blend.  

Add chopped nuts for a chunky topping / dip.

Add cacao nibs or chocolate shaving for a chocolatey nutty dip or topping.

  Almond Butter Fruit Dip | Dessert Sauce (low carb, dairy and sugar free)

This Easy Healthy Fruit Dip is dairy and sugar free. Great not only as a dip, but also as a glaze or eaten right off the spoon!

1 cup organic almond butter ((see notes for nut-free alternatives))

1 cup coconut milk ((or other non-dairy milk))

2 scoops pure stevia extract powder ((1/16 tsp))

3 Tbsp xylitol ((see notes for alternative sweeteners))

1 tsp organic vanilla extract

1/2 tsp organic cinnamon

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender.

Mix until combined and smooth. (this is super quick in a Vitamix or other high-powered blender. 

Add additional non-dairy milk if desired.

Serve with fruit or other dippers, or on top of desserts. 

Store whatever you don't manage to polish off in the refrigerator.

I so hope you enjoy this healthy Almond Butter Fruit Dip as much as we do!

How will you most likely use this ?  As Dip, Spread, Drizzle, or on a Spoon :-)?

The post Almond Butter Fruit Dip (vegan, dairy-free, sugar free) appeared first on Whole New Mom.

[almajonesnjna]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[albertcaldwellne]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[johnclapperne]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[neilmillerne]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[ruthellisneda]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[joshuabradleyn]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm..

http://bit.ly/2Sz95DY

[denisalvney]

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely

So you’re interested in eating only plants, eh?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to learn all about it. I’ve seen many people over the years have success with a Plant-Based Diet.

Truth be told though, I’ve seen many people also struggle with it too.

(After all, donuts are “plant-based” and pizza just got declared “a vegetable”).

There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to embark on eliminating animal products from your diet.

Today, I’ll share with you how to safely and correctly follow a plant-based menu and still hit your goals.

Now, although I’ve been running this site for 10 years, I may be drawing a large target on my back by diving headfirst into a topic I’ve thus far avoided.

As a blogger, if you want to tenfold your hate mail, take a stance on a Plant-Based Diet.

And saying ANYTHING about veganism – for OR against – is an easy way to get virtual produce tossed at you.

Although most people discover Nerd Fitness through our guides on Paleo or Keto, we get SO many questions on how to eat a Plant-Based Diet that I figured I’d give my two cents.

With pop stars and famous directors advising folks to try veganism, these inquiries are only going to increase.[1]

So today, we are going to talk about how to eat a Plant-Based Diet safely.

The right way, and the wrong way, to go vegan or vegetarian.

BIG ASS CAVEAT: I’m not going to try to convince you to give up meat. If you’re reading this, I’ll assume you’re here because you’re interested in doing so, and want to know the best path through it.

The politics, controversy (yes, I’ve read the China Study[2]), and geopolitical impact of veganism are beyond the scope of this article. I’m just a nerd who studies the hell outta health and wellness and sometimes wears pants.[3]

So setting all the controversy aside, I want to explore the science and the “how to” for people who are heading down this path.

If you are going to eat a plant-based or vegan diet, what’s the best way to do it?

What are tips and tricks to make it sustainable?

Is it as easy as “stop eating meat?”

Is there any unsafe way to eat only plants?

Let’s goooooo!

WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet.

It’ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.

According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who “does not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.”[4]

So NO eating:  

Meat

Poultry

Fish

Shellfish

Insects

Instead, vegetarians DO eat:

Grains

Legumes

Nuts

Seeds

Vegetables (duh)

Fruits

Fungi

Plants, more or less.

“Vegetarian” can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarians is someone who doesn’t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.

Lacto vegetarians don’t eat eggs but do eat dairy.

Ovo vegetarians avoid all animals products, with the exception of eggs.

Vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it’s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a “raw vegan” diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked prior to consumption.

The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others!

A pescatarian is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish.

A flexitarian is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat.

Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are technically vegetarians because both contain animal products on the menu.

However, they are mostly plant-based, so worth mentioning – especially if somebody is doing this in an attempt to be healthier.  

There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.

To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this article.

I’m only interested in “If you are going to eat only plants, how do you do it?” So we’ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article.

Which brings us to…

WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT’S ON A VEGAN MENU?

What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow.

Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing.

There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.

A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:

Whole grains. Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base.

Vegetables. Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They’re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater.

Legumes. Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you’re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow).

Fruit. Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat “in moderation.”

Nuts and seeds. Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.

Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet.

No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you’d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals – but I’ll get to that shortly).

The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters (remember, don’t shoot the messenger) with the following:

Eggs. Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down.

Dairy. Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it’s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium.

Fish. Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a mostly-Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn’t be too different from a Mediterranean Diet. There are a lot worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet.

That’s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating.

So here’s all you need to remember:

Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible.

Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of “plant-based, but not real” food.

And I’ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment.

For now, there may be a question you are thinking.

It’s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet.

WILL A VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?

…MAYBE!

There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.[5]

However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.[6]

However, anecdotal evidence isn’t science.

What does the research say?

If you look at studies on the subject, there’s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.[7]

There are some studies which show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.[8] Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.[9]

Depending on who you’re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.

It honestly doesn’t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories.

Oh and calories. Did I mention calories?  

Put bluntly, if you’re not losing weight, you’re consuming too many calories.

It doesn’t matter if they’re vegan or vegetarian or Paleo or certified organic. Check out our “Why can’t I lose weight?” article to learn the science behind why!

Let’s get to the point: You’re here, you’re eating plants, and you want to lose weight. So here’s how to do it.

If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I’d imagine that you would lose weight – simply because you’re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past.

However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.[10]

Let’s take a look:

An Impossible Burger’s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.

A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories.

The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it’s very calorically dense.

Moral of the story: don’t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.

While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, calories in and calories out plays a major role in whether or not you are successful.

Just because something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private Facebook Academy group, “Oreos are vegan.”

If you don’t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight loss strategy.

I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you’re really busy. Whether it’s veganism, a low-carb diet, or trying to build muscle, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don’t know what to do.

Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow.

I want you to know that you’re not alone, we’re here to help. We offer a 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life!

If you’re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.

If you’d like to learn more, click on the big image below:

DO I HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN WHEN EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based  Diet.

However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that’s prioritized if you’re trying to lose weight, build muscle, and be healthier. What we call “protein” is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning.

Nine of these amino acids our body can’t produce itself, so we need to get them through food.

Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for strength training), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.[11]

All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine.

When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.[12]

Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn’t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.[13]

You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices.

Let’s look at the most common example:  

Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine.

Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.

Eat them together, and you’ve covered any amino acid deficiency![14]

To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you’ll be covered.[15] The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains “Protein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.[16]

Did you catch that caveat?

As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from “plant foods,” you’ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies.

I’ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.

Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example.

This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.

And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green…

To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein. It just really depends on what they are eating.

So why are we focusing so much on protein?

Because, muscles.

CAN I BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you’ll be able to find uber successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.

For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Danielle Sidell M.S. (@dani_sidell) on Jan 14, 2019 at 10:26am PST

David Carter, a defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself “The 300-Pound Vegan.”

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by David Carter (@iamdavidhcarter) on Apr 30, 2018 at 7:22pm PDT

Let’s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Jeremy Reijnders (@jeremyreijnders) on Jan 29, 2018 at 11:08am PST

And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.[17]

  View this post on Instagram

  A post shared by Jon Venus (@jonvenus) on Jan 31, 2019 at 12:40pm PST

Putting on muscle with a Plant-Based Diet is certainly not impossible.

If you analyze how these athletes eat, you’ll notice many similarities to other “omnivore” elite athletes, and a few places where they diverge:  

Let’s look at a typical day for CrossFit athlete Danielle Sidell:[18]

“Typical breakfast is 2 slices of sprouted bread with vegan butter, half an avocado, mini fruit salad with strawberries, grapes and blackberries with peanut butter drizzled over the top and a cup of coffee.

My snack before lunch is some roasted chickpeas and plain popcorn – it’s a really filling snack.

For lunch I’ll do a serving of Beyond Meat’s chicken or beef crumbles with jasmine rice, a serving of veggies and another half of an avocado.

For afternoon snack I’m typically on my way to the gym so I’ll have a banana, spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of unsweetened soy milk. I like soy and pea milk the most because they have lots of protein.

After I workout I’ll do a shake with pea protein and dextrose. For dinner I’ll have a cup of some sort of beans, hummus for the extra fat, some sweet potato and another serving of something by Beyond Meat.

Then for a snack I’ll do a whole bell pepper with hummus or a serving of beet chips.”

Compare that to any other athlete, and you’ll find very similar strategies: get the correct amount calories for your goals, and eat plenty of plants. The only difference is protein sources! And protein is how you build muscle.[19]

Again, it’s not impossible to get enough protein strictly from plants to build muscle, it simply takes foresight, some understanding of your macros, and planning. So although there is an observed correlation between muscle size and animal protein intake, we all know that correlation doesn’t equal causation.[20]

Just because someone doesn’t eat meat, doesn’t mean they will have less muscle or smaller muscles. To put it another way: eating meat doesn’t necessarily lead to bigger muscles, either!

To recap: if you are looking to strength train and build muscle on a Plant-Based Diet, it comes down to protein consumption, total calorie count, and training regiment!

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED TO EAT EACH DAY ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?

At this point, you may be asking, “Steve, how much protein do these plant-based athletes have to eat? How much protein does it take to build muscle?”

Great questions. There’s some debate on this.

There are estimates that you need .8 of a gram to 1 full gram of protein for every pound (or 1.6-2g for every kg) you weigh.[21] Another study found it might be as high as 1.4 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.[22]

I’d say 1 gram of protein, for every pound of lean body mass, is a good solid number to shoot for if you are trying to build muscle. If you don’t know how to calculate your lean body mass – just go with 0.8 grams per pound (1.6 grams per kg) and adjust up or down from there depending on your results.

Let me get to a more important point here: As with EVERY athlete pointed out above (Danielle Sidell, David Carter, Jeremy Reijnders, and Joe Venus):

They all supplement with isolated plant protein for increasing protein intake without dramatically increasing calories or carbohydrates.

Here’s why: Dr. John Berardi from Precision Nutrition points out, “You just can’t avoid carbs in a vegan plan.”[23]

As you’ll recall, plants have less protein but more carbohydrates and more calories than animal sources:

100 grams of black beans: 22 grams of protein in it. 339 calories, 63 grams of carbohydrates (16 grams of which are fiber).

100 grams of chicken breast: 30 grams of protein. 165 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates.

The same size serving of black beans has less protein, twice as many calories, and more carbs compared to chicken. If your goal is weight loss, you need to be aware of your calorie intake.

If you try to get the same amount of protein from black beans as you would from chicken, you’re going to end up consuming 2-3x the number of calories and a tremendous number of carbohydrates.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you’re an athlete or strength train! After all, carbs aren’t evil HOWEVER…you could struggle with CERTAIN body fat percentage goals if you are going plant-based.

That’s not judgment or a challenge or anything in between – it’s just reality.

Dr. Berardi highlights the biggest challenge of strength training on a Plant-Based Diet: It’s not that you can’t bulk up. It’s that due to the inherent nature of how plant-based protein-rich foods are structured, you are potentially more likely to increase your body fat through overconsumption of calories:

“I feel it’s actually going to be pretty easy to build muscle on a vegan plan – you just have to eat a lot of food. What’s probably difficult is getting super ripped.

These foods have a high percentage of carbs compared to proteins and fats. It’s not a problem getting lean on a vegan plan. But to actually preserve muscle mass and be bodybuilder-lean, that might be a challenge.”

The solution: if you consume more carbohydrates in order to hit your protein goals, then you’ll need to eat less fat to keep your calorie intake in balance.

One goes up, the other goes down.

This ensures total calories don’t increase to such a point that you start to put on fat.

Is there a preferred ratio of macros? Sure…though your results may vary! Some people do better on a low-fat diet, while others do better on a high-fat diet. This is true of a Plant-Based Diet or any other diet!

Hulda B. Waage, a vegan powerlifter, suggests those trying to strength train on a Plant-Based Diet aim for fat intake at around 15-20%, with protein at 20-30% and carbs at 55-60%.[24]

For comparison, the International Society of Sports Nutrition generally will recommend fat intake to be around 30%.[25]

The only consistent constant of successful athletes: Whether they’re high carb or low carb, high fat or low fat, they all prioritize adequate protein consumption. This can be aided by protein supplementation – covered in our next section!

Your results may vary, because you are a unique snowflake.

Our advice would be to track your macros and track your results – see how your body adapts and changes, and then adjust along the way!

Before we wrap up this section though, it should go without saying that not only will you have to eat right to build muscle, you’ll also have to actually work out and train.

We have a whole Strength Training 101 series on Nerd Fitness that can walk you through EVERY step of that process.

Want to take it with you? Download our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know, which will give you an exact plan to follow to build muscle and gain strength.

Grab the guide free when you sign up in the box below and join the Rebellion!

Download our comprehensive guide STRENGTH TRAINING 101!

Everything you need to know about getting strong.

Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.

How to find the right gym and train properly in one.

I identify as a:

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WHAT ARE SOME GOOD PLANT PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS?

If you’re struggling to hit your protein intake goals for the day, it’s worth looking into a protein supplement.

My go-to protein powder is whey, easily the most popular and efficient protein supplements you can take.[26] When I can’t hit my protein goals with my regular meals, I drink a whey protein shake to fill the gaps.  

Whey is a dairy product, so would fall into the menu of a vegetarian, but not a vegan. If you’re going 100% plant-based, these are not the powders you’re looking for.

You’ll have to forgo it.

Here are our recommendations and suggestions for plant protein powders:

Pea protein. A solid choice for vegan protein powder comes from peas, specifically the high protein yellow split pea. A quarter cup (28 grams) will get you about 21 grams of protein, and run you about 100 calories. There’s some evidence it might be comparable to whey in building muscle.[27] NAKED Nutrition offers a great 100% pea protein powder you can check out.

Rice protein. A quarter cup of rice protein will contain 22 grams of protein and run 107 calories. Not too shabby. Plus, when you combine it with pea protein, you’ll end up with a complete amino acid profile needed for human growth.[28] A good brand to look into would be Growing Naturals.

Hemp protein. While it doesn’t have as much protein as pea or rice (one cup will have 12 grams of protein and 108 calories), what it lacks in this department it makes up for in its nutrient profile. Hemp protein is derived from the seeds of the cannabis plant, but it’s bred in such a way that it won’t have any THC. What it will provide you with though is a decent source of iron, zinc, and omega-3s, which are all things vegans tend to be deficient in (we’ll touch on all three later in our section on supplementation). Nutivia sells a good hemp protein if you are interested.

If you want all three in a mixture (my recommendation), you can do it yourself or find a company like Vega that makes a blend of pea, rice, and hemp protein.

You can mix any or all of these powders with almond milk, some berries, and oats for an awesome vegan smoothie. My friend Matt Frazier over at No Meat Athlete has some great vegan smoothie recipes for you to check out.

Want some more recipes on how to prioritize protein on a Plant-Based Diet?

Let’s do it!

WHAT’S A PLANT-BASED DAY OF EATING LOOK LIKE?

So we’ve laid out a few key foundational pieces of a healthy Plant-Based Diet: :

Plants contain plenty of protein if you know where to look.

Plant-based strength trainers need to plan their protein intake.

Let’s break this all down and look at what a day of eating vegan – with adequate protein intake – looks like.

We’ll keep it at .75 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass because it makes the math easy, and can help manage hunger/satiety.[29]

Let’s calculate for a 200-pound male, who is 5 foot 9, and just started strength training.

Let’s also pretend this person just turned 35.

If you’re keeping track at home, our newly created imaginary friend needs to eat 150 grams of protein per day.

How can we get to 150 grams of protein, using only plants? With the help of some recipes from Fit Men Cook and Minimalist Baker, I’ll show you how:

Breakfast:

Apple Pie Smoothie

Calorie: 485

Protein: 36g

Fat: 14g

Carbohydrates: 54g

Lunch:

Spicy Peanut Butter Tempeh

Calorie: 608

Protein: 43g

Fat: 24g

Carbohydrates: 42g

Afternoon Snack

Green Protein Snack Pack

Calorie: 117

Protein: 11g

Fat: 8g

Carbohydrates: 16g

Dinner

Italian Veggie “Meatballs” & Spaghetti

Calorie: 498

Protein: 36g

Fat: 12g

Carbohydrates: 61g

Late Night Snack

Hummus and Toast

Calorie: 316

Protein: 19g

Fat: 16g

Carbohydrates: 24g

BOOM! 150 grams of protein, with no animal products whatsoever.

Total calories?

2,024.

If we calculate the needs of our imaginary 35-year-old male (who weighs 200 pounds and is “lightly active”), using our Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator, we know this comes in under the 2,522 calories recommended for weight maintenance:

Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator

Your gender * Male Female

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Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest.

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For "Activity Level," veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess.

Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)

Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in.

  Which means if this person eats like the above, he’ll build muscle and lose weight like a champ.

Now, if this person was 145 pounds and wanted to bulk up, they would simply increase their calorie intake by following similar strategies as above. Not eating enough is an uber common mistake I see people make who are trying to bulk up.

This example daily menu was chosen to show you, that with a little bit of thought and preparation, eating adequate protein is possible when following a Plant-Based Diet.

You just have to plan carefully (that theme again).

Did you notice something about all the foods we recommended? Not a whole lot of junk food to be seen.

This was not an accident.

COMMON MISTAKES WHEN FOLLOWING A VEGETARIAN DIET

Throughout this article, I’ve been using the terms “vegan diet” or “veggie diet” and “Plant-Based Diet” interchangeably.

At this point though, we need to differentiate.

Pizza, fettuccine alfredo, bowls of sugary cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches, and calorie-bomb burritos can be vegetarian.

Donuts, pasta, and bread can be vegan.

Plant-based? Technically, sure.

Healthy? Wrong!

If your goal is weight loss and a healthy check-up at the doctor, eat plants. Full stop.

You know the drill: vegetables, fruits, tubers, etc.

Things that you can pluck from a tree or pull from the ground, clean, and then eat. Those are whole foods that will have a lot of the fiber and nutrients intact.

Michael Pollan, the author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, sums it up well: “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”

Now, I’m personally not saying to never eat pizza or donuts. Pizza and donuts are amazing. Just know that these processed, calorie-heavy foods are easy to overeat and are part of the reason for expanded waistlines.

In other words, if you treat them as a treat, and know your calorie goals, you can make it work.

I’ll say it again: if you’re gonna be a vegetarian, please eat vegetables. Some of the unhealthiest people I know are vegetarian, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them eat a veggie.

This highlights one of the greatest mistakes people make when going vegetarian or vegan. They only think about what they are cutting out (meat), without actively considering what they are replacing those foods with.

Remember our example of protein in plants vs. animal products:

If you’re gonna cut out chicken, make sure you start eating black beans as a replacement.

Also, remember that your plant-based replacement will likely have less protein and more calories than meat.

If you are going to follow a Plant-Based Diet, you won’t have as much leeway as your omnivore friends. They can gobble down a serving of steak and receive 62 grams of protein from that piece of meat alone.

62 grams of protein is almost half of the requirements of our imaginary friend from earlier.

We had to figure out breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks to get us to 150 grams of plant-based protein. Compare this to an omnivore who could eat some eggs, steak, and a chicken salad and be pretty much at 150 grams of protein (and a lower calorie count too).

That’s why the American Dietetic Association’s states “vegetarian or vegan diets” need to be “well planned.”[30]

In our sample day above, we ate 2,024 calories of plant-based food to get to our goal of 150 grams.

We calculated that our imaginary friend needed 2,522 calories per day to maintain his current weight. If he wanted to gain muscle and lose some body fat at the same time, he’d need to be in a caloric deficit to do so. Meaning less than 2,522 calories per day.

When you do the math, because a pound of body fat equals around 3,500 calories, a 500-calorie per day deficit would result in 1 pound of weight loss per week for this person.  

Unless of course, he overeats on donuts and Oreos and vegan burgers and pizza.

So, minimize the vegan junk food and prioritize foods that will help you meet your goals.

Another mistake I see vegetarians specifically make is simply replacing meat with buckets of cheese.

Let’s go with another comparison:

100 grams of cheddar cheese: 25 grams of protein and 416 calories.

100 grams of chicken breast: 30 grams of protein and 165 calories.

So be careful of just swapping out meat for cheese, because you’ll end up with less protein intake and more calories overall.

Another common mistake we see over and over again is people just switching to “fake meat” when they start a Plant-Based Diet.

Let’s dive into this with its own section.

BE CAREFUL WITH “FAKE MEAT”

Throughout this article, we’ve encouraged the consumption of REAL food.

Vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc. As we mentioned, these are nutrient dense, low-calorie foods that can help with a healthy life.

However, something we see time and time again over here at Nerd Fitness is rebels just switching “real meat” to “fake meat” when starting a Plant-Based Diet.

This switch can be a big concern because some of these products are highly processed and full of additives and refined oils you want nothing to do with.

Sometimes you’ll find a veggie burger whose patty is just mashed up black beans with a little onion. That would be fine!

Most other times, you’ll find processed foods like tofurky, facon, and mock chicken nuggets that are quite unhealthy.

Not all imitation meat is created equal.

Here’s what you should be on the lookout for:

TONS of ingredients. This would be a good rule of thumb for most food: be wary of foods that have a long list of ingredients. Things like “modified corn starch” or “hydrolyzed wheat gluten” should raise some red flags. It means the foods have been processed and then processed again. This can strip a lot of the nutrient content out of the food.[31]

If they have to add “hydrolyzed wheat protein” to make a veggie sausage look and taste somewhere in the ballpark of a real sausage… eh, maybe skip it and just eat some lentils instead.

They might not be “vegan.” Many veggie meats will include things like egg whites and casein (a milk protein) as binding agents and to increase the protein content.

In my opinion, if you’re okay with this, perhaps you can just eat plain eggs without all the other added ingredients and preservatives.

Watch out for sodium (salt) content. Sodium is often used as a preservative, so lots of processed food will include a decent amount of salt. We should note, this is also true of processed meats too.

If you eat a lot of meat substitutes, you’ll likely be taking in a lot of salt too. Be aware of this and perhaps minimize salt intake with other foods to compensate.

I asked one of our NF coaches, Kerry (a pescatarian), about some trusted brands to source meat substitutes. Kerry is a brilliant coach and only occasionally eats fish, so I knew she’d be a great source of knowledge on the subject.

Here are some brands to consider when looking into a meat substitute:

Beyond Meat. Both Kerry and CrossFit athlete Danielle Sidell mention Beyond Meat as a good source of meat alternatives. Their burger substitute is made out of pea protein and not too much else. You can find their products at many grocery stores.

Hilary’s. Another brand with minimal ingredients in their products is Hilary’s. For example, one of their veggie burgers is beans, sweet potato, coconut oil, chilies, and a few other things. Not bad.

Again, you can find their products in grocery stores.

No Evil Foods. I’ve got to hand it to No Evil Foods. Their Comrade Cluck “No Chicken” only has seven ingredients, one of which is water.

It should be noted, that most of their foods rely on wheat and gluten for protein. If you can process both okay, No Evil Foods is a good option.

That should get you started on some meat substitutes to experiment with.

Also, we should discuss tofu and tempeh. They are both meat substitutes that are made from soy. These are generally minimally processed as well, so they’ll contain few ingredients outside of soy.

They are also time tested.

Folks in Asian cultures have been eating tofu and tempeh for centuries, providing them a good source of protein.[32]

If you’re looking for meat substitutes, tofu and tempeh would be worth looking into.

If you’re male and worried about soy disrupting your hormones and causing “moobs,” we dive into the science of that in our article “How to Get Rid of Man Boobs.”

Okay, that about does it for our warning on fake meat.

Let’s shift gears and start chatting about vitamins and minerals.

WHAT SUPPLEMENTS TO TAKE IF YOU GO VEGAN

If you are moving forward with a plant-based or vegan diet, based on our research we would recommend supplementing your diet with a few key things.

I won’t get into it too much in detail here on whether people evolved to eat meat or not.[33] Again, trying to keep the inevitable amount of hate email to a minimum.

In addition to the massive protein supplement section above, these are the supplements I would recommend:

In my research, vitamins like B12 consistently comes up as a deficiency amongst vegans.[34] This is logical because plants don’t need B12, so they don’t store it.[35]

Vitamin B12 is critical for protein metabolization, meaning if you want your body running correctly, you really don’t want to be deficient in this essential nutrient.[36]

I would hedge my bets and take a B12 supplement. It would be my number one recommendation (outside of eating REAL food) if you’re going vegetarian or vegan. Taking B12 came up multiple times as a recommendation for a Plant-Based Diet from our vegan rebels in the private Academy group.

This B12 supplement is a good option.

It’s not the only supplement worth considering.

You could also consider taking an algae supplement, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Why omega-3s?

Omega-3s have been shown to help fight depression.[37]

The consumption of omega-3s has been linked to greater heart health.[38]

Metabolic syndrome, which is tied to insulin resistance and obesity, is improved with the consumption of omega-3s.[39]

Vegetarian folks generally have lower levels of these types of acids, because meat (fish specifically) is a great source for omega-3s – a food that isn’t consumed on a Plant-Based Diet. However, animals are not the only source for omega-3s. Again, I’d look into an algae supplement, like this one.

Another supplement worth discussing: Vitamin D. We get it from the sun, and also by eating certain animal products. While some plants like algae do contain some Vitamin D, it’s most abundant in fish and dairy products.[40]

Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium and also plays a critical role in our immune system.[41]

However, because many of us spend time indoors, we can be deficient – though this is true of vegans and omnivores alike.[42]

Simple solution: go out in the sun more frequently, and consider a vitamin D supplement in the winter months.

Two other minerals worth discussing would be zinc and iron, because vegetarians are often low in both.[43]

Here’s why:

Most people get their source of zinc and iron through animal products.

Phytates found in whole grains and legumes can block the absorption of minerals, including zinc and iron.[44] If you are cutting out meat, you are probably eating a lot of grains and legumes for your protein. So yeah…

A supplement of both zinc and iron would be smart.

It should be noted, that all supplementation becomes more important the more strict you are about avoiding animal products. If you eat eggs and dairy, you’ll get most of the nutrients you need outside of those found in plants.

Eggs contain omega-3s, B12, and small amounts of vitamin D. And while this is for sure debatable, there might be some ethical ways to purchase eggs.[45]

That about does it for supplementation recommendations. If you want to do even more research, let’s turn you in the right direction.

WHERE CAN I GET EVEN MORE INFORMATION ON EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?

There’s all sort of information for going vegan online.

However, you need to be careful about who you trust. Some of it is garbage (no, broccoli doesn’t have as much protein as steak).[46] Although some of it is well researched and backed by science.

Let’s point you to some respected advisors.

BLOGGERS:

No Meat Athlete – I mentioned my friend Matt Frazier earlier, but I would point him out as an authority on fueling an active lifestyle with plants. Check out his blog.

Rich Roll – Rich’s story on going from a stressed out, addicted businessman to an endurance athlete is incredible. Rich also fueled his entire transformation with nothing but plants. His posts and advice are interesting, popular, and inspiring.

Vegan Health – If you’re looking for well-researched articles, Vegan Health offers a lot of science-based advice on switching over to a Plant-Based Diet. I relied on their writing when researching this post.

RECIPES:

Minimalist Baker – The blog Minimalist Baker offers great vegan recipes, using whole foods, with minimal ingredients. I included one of their recipes above.

Thug Kitchen – The site Thug Kitchen has a lot going for it. It’s funny. The recipes they offer are delicious. Plus, all ingredients found in their meals are plant-based. I will warn you, the language on the site is crude, but also adds to its charm.

Vegan Richa – If you’re on the hunt for some vegan recipes, head to Vegan Richa. They are Indian inspired and very flavorful. Forgoing meat does not have to mean forgoing flavor.

That should help get you started with moving to a Plant-Based Diet.

IN DEFENSE OF A PLANT-BASED DIET

So you’re gonna adopt a Plant-Based Diet!

Great. Good luck, soldier! Alright, let’s do this. I would encourage you to follow our recommendations here:

#1 Eat Real Food

If you’re going to be a vegetarian, eat actual vegetables. Don’t make it about what you are not eating (meat). Make it about what you are actually eating (plants).

That’s why I’ve been using the term Plant-Based Diet. I want you to actually eat plants. Don’t let the fact that an Oreo is technically vegan make you lose sight of the fact that it’s highly processed and full of sugar.

Eat a Plant-Based Diet.

#2 Calories and Macronutrients Still Count

Cutting out an entire major food group does not guarantee you will lose weight or be healthier. An Impossible Burger has more calories but less protein than a regular beef patty.

Vegan does not equal “less calories.”

Calculate how many calories you will need to make your goals (you can do so right here), and then make a plan on how to follow through.

#3 Prioritize Protein

Animal products are calorie for calorie the best sources of protein. You will have to put in extra effort to think about how you are getting your protein from plants.

Also, you will end up eating a lot more calories trying to match the same amount of protein as found in meat (remember there are more calories in beans but less protein than chicken).

Every meal you eat should have a solid source of protein: beans, lentils, oats, tempeh, etc. If you are strength training (which you should do), this is even more critical.

Consider a protein powder like pea, rice, or hemp to add protein with minimal calories attached.

#4 Meal Planning For the Win!

Everyone should meal plan. If you’re trying to lose weight or just be healthy in general, knowing where your next meal is coming from is really important.

If you are going to cut out a major food group, this is hyper-OMG-please-be-careful- critical.

I will again mention that the American Dietetic Association’s states that Plant-Based Diets can be healthy if they are “well planned.”

#5 Add Variation

I mentioned earlier, that if you allow eggs and dairy, eating a Plant-Based Diet becomes much easier. You simply have more options to choose from when it comes to what to eat.

Perhaps allowing small concessions with a Plant-Based Diet – like eating eggs – will make your diet more manageable and sustainable. This could be better than going vegan for 30 days and then giving up.

#6 Supplement

Make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. There are things like B12 that just don’t find their way into plants.

That’s why the Mayo Clinic advises those following a Plant-Based Diet to get checked for “vitamin B-12, iron, ferritin, calcium and vitamin D.”[46] Statistically, vegans come up often as deficient in these vitamins and minerals.

I believe that all of us should eat plants (sorry, Carnivores, you won’t get me endorsing you fully). Fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients your body needs to thrive. So no matter which way of life you pick, eat plants!

Do some push-ups.

And, ah, be nice to each other?

Debates on how we should eat can often get heated. Which can be understandable, because of the passion and ethical considerations driving people’s dietary choices.

However, I’d recommend acting curious towards the other side. I wouldn’t recommend tying your identity to a style of food, but rather tying your identity to “I’m a curious person that learns new stuff and tries new stuff all the time.”

No matter how someone else eats, don’t turn your nose up against them.

Be nice, and let them do their thing. This can be true for veganism, Paleo, Keto, or an Intermittent Fasting protocol. If someone is trying something new, don’t immediately put them down for it. You may legitimately learn something from someone else’s way of life.

Which hey, is a pillar of our philosophy here at Nerd Fitness: “Question everything.” Including the way you eat compared to others.

I think that about does it for my advice on eating a Plant-Based Diet. In summary, stick to REAL food and think about a supplement or two.

Now, I really want to hear from you! I know there are many vegan and vegetarian folks in the Rebellion.

Can you share with us your experiences? Tips and tricks you follow to make it work? I’d love for the comments here to be a place where we can share honestly and openly.

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

PS: Seriously, be nice. The internet has enough people being mad at other people they’ve never met.

PPS: If embarking on a complete life overhaul stresses you out, we can help!

I’ll again remind you of the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program! We work with busy people just like you level up their lives. Whether it’s through dietary advice (Plant-Based or not), creating workouts, or providing accountability, we are here to help you create a healthier version of you. Click right here to learn if we are a good fit for each other.

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All photo citations can be found right here.[47]

Footnotes    ( returns to text)

Beyonce, Jay-Z, and James Cameron have all embraced a switch to a vegan diet.

These thoughts on the China Study echo my own.

Today is not one of those days.

You can read all about the Vegetarian Society right here.

Here’s one such example.

Check out this tale on mistakes when going vegan.

Check out this report from the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Check out this study done by the University of South Carolina.

Check out this study comparing an Atkins style diet to a vegan one.

Check out the nutrition info on an Impossible Burger right here.

Check out an interesting article on amino acids and gene expression right here.

Check out this article from Harvard on the subject.

Check out this study on soy containing all nine amino acids. And this one comparing the protein in soy to dairy and eggs.

Traditional cultures that subsisted on plants for protein may have figured this out, which is why they would often serve rice and beans together. Check out this article on the subject from Today’s Dietitian.

Check out a report on deficiencies in a Plant-Based Diet here.

Check out that write up from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics here.

Check out an interview with Joe, where he walks you through a typical day of eating right here.

Check out an interview with Danielle here.

Check out this article on the subject.

Check out that study here.

Check out that paper on protein requirements for athletes here.

That study can be read right here.

Check out an interesting interview with Dr. Berardi and T-Nation on the subject.

Check out an interview with Waage right here.

Check out this report on the subject.

Check out this review from the Austin Journal of Nutrition and Review

Check out that study on whey vs pea protein right here.

Check out this article for an interesting look at rice and pea protein combined.

This report is a great look at the satiating power of protein. Also, check out the ACSM’s look at protein and muscle growth here.

Check out the ADA’s take on Plant-Based Diets here.

Harvard Health does a great write up on processed food right here.

You can check out the full report on soy, including tofu and tempeh from Nutrients right here.

I believe we did.

Check out this study here, another here, another here, another here, and lastly here.

Check out this look at plants and B12.

Check out this look at B12 and protein.

Check out this report in Science Direct

This review goes into great detail of why Omega-3s and fish can help with the cardiovascular system

Check out a study on omega-3s and metabolic syndrome here.

Check out this report on Vitamin D.

The Cleveland Clinic has a great write-up here.

Check out this report, plus this one.

Check out this report on vegetarians low in zinc and iron.

Check out a study on phytates and mineral absorption right here.

Here’s an interesting article on ethical eggs.

Check out this crude, but interesting article on the subject.

Check out Science Daily’s report here

Photo: Ketchup, What’s up, doc, Vectored Vegetables, Assortment of beans of different varieties, IMG_1409, Green Protein Powder, Vegetable, IMG_0784, Weight Loss, Frankenstein, Scientist, Which newspaper today, Tomatoes

How to Eat a Plant-Based Diet: A Scientific Look at Going Vegan Safely published first on https://www.nerdfitness.com