Plant Based Diet
I believe that health on the inside is just as important as what we look like on the outside. Which is why I recommend trying to substitute animal products on occasion or a plant based lifestyle.
If you wish to move towards a plant based diet we recommend you start by replacing your White protein options on the 'Sista Swap' list. You can use (organic ) Tofu, tempeh and homemade Seitan (Seitan is wheat and not a complete protein so ensure you include something from category blue during the day – see options below).
If you are macro tracking be careful of added fats and carbs to meat substitutes.
When choosing your carb option try to include at least one item from each of the following list, you don’t have to do it for every meal but throughout the day you want at least one category blue and one category yellow as these compliment each other and make a complete protein
CATEGORY BLUE (lysine & Threonine)
• Beans
• Soy beans
• Lentils
• Peas
• Chickpeas
CATEGORY YELLOW (Methionine & other)
• Oats
• Rice
• Pasta
• Rye
• Wheat inc bread
• Corn
For healthy fats try to choose nuts and seeds as these will give you the most benefit
• Cashew, peanuts, walnuts
• Nut butters
• Sunflower Seeds
• Seasame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
Plant based Proteins
For more info see below here
Plant Based Protein
We can get enough protein eating an entirely plant based diet however it is important to understand what a complete protein is on a plant based diet and most plant proteins are not complete proteins and need to be paired with other foods to make a complete protein
The term “complete protein” refers to amino acids, the building blocks of protein. There are 20 different amino acids that can form a protein, and nine that the body can’t produce on its own. These are called essential amino acids, these have to come from diet. In order to be considered “complete,” a protein must contain all nine of these essential amino acids in roughly equal amounts. Most plant proteins are low in particular amino acids and need to be paired with grains or pulses or other foods which contain them. These amino acids do not need to be consumed at every meal, throughout the day is sufficient. If you are on a plant based diet then taking Essential amino acids is recommended (rather than Branched chain amino acids
Diary
You can substitute whey and casien with vegan protein blends, complete blends are better as they contain full amino profile
If you use milk you can swap for nut miks or soya milks
Supplements on a plant based diet.
Vegans need to pay extra attention to the following
• B12
• Vit D
• Omega 3
• Iron
B12 – Vegans are often missing B12, you can try adding Nutritional yeast into your diet as this is high in B12. You can also try fortified cereals
Vit D – vegans can obtain Vit D from mushrooms
Iron – Tofu is a good source of iron
Omega 3 – nuts such as walnuts can be a good source
Sources of calcium
Good sources of calcium for vegans include:
fortified unsweetened soya, rice and oat drinks.
calcium-set tofu.
sesame seeds and tahini.
pulses.
brown and white bread (in the UK, calcium is added to white and brown flour by law)
dried fruit, such as raisins, prunes, figs and dried apricots.
Take a vitamin supplement to ensure you are not deficient
Soya products
Studies have shown that Soy is not harmful to the human body, this video is interesting and explains how the phytoestrogens In soya affect the body
https://nutritionfacts.org/video/who-shouldnt-eat-soy/
It is better to choose organic soya products only . Fermented soya products such as tempeh carry more health benefits than unfermented such as tofu and may be easier to digest for some people