Avoid the Plant-based Pitfalls!

Since it started in 2014, Veganuary has become a popular challenge to kick off a new year. Whilst I personally avoid all-or-nothing dietary approaches, and nutritionally I advocate a flexitarian approach to food…. an adapted approach to Veganuary can be a great opportunity to open yourself up to new healthy food ideas! 

Of course, the choice to go vegan can be based on a range of factors, which can be highly personal – but whether you choose to go the whole way this January, are a long-term vegan, or just fancy expanding a flexitarian approach – there are some nutrition pitfalls to be aware of. 

So how can we avoid these?

1.     Vary your protein

By now, we know that it doesn’t have to be difficult to meet your protein needs from plant sources; however, it can be trickier to keep things varied.  From a health standpoint, eating the same foods repetitively doesn’t just limit your nutrient range, but could also increase your risk of developing food intolerances.

Beans and legumes (eg. Lentils) are good sources of plant-based protein, although on their own, they can lack some of the essential amino acids (building blocks) that make up a “complete” protein.  These can be provided by whole grains, such as brown rice, wheat and spelt, which on their own lack the essential amino acids provided by beans and legumes.

When it comes to beans, soya is a bit of a special case, as it contains good quantities of those essential amino acids – and as such it is found in several plant-based foods and meals.

Nuts and seeds can also provide some protein, and of course, you can find several plant based protein powders, so getting a selection of these can be helpful too.

2.     Be selective with your soya

Even if you succeed in keeping your protein options varied, soya foods can have some downsides.  Phytates (or phytic acid) are a type of antinutrient, so called because they can bind to minerals in food, such as zinc and calcium, preventing your body from absorbing them.  One of the best ways to minimise these is by eating fermented forms of soya, such as tempeh and natto. Tempeh is by far the easiest variation to find, and you can find this in the chilled section of many supermarkets as well as in several health food shops.

Given its popularity, nearly all soya is genetically modified.  In health terms, this means that soya foods can contain very high levels of pesticide residue, which place extra burden on our body’s detoxification system.  To help avoid this, buy organic non-GMO soya products.

3.     Avoid the seed oils

Many dairy-free products, such as margarine, salad dressings, and even dairy-free milks, contain oils for taste, texture and consistency.  Whilst this in itself is not bad by any means, the majority of these oils are vegetable and seed oils.  These include: sunflower (seed) oil, vegetable oil and rapeseed oil.  The issue with these oils is that they can be inflammatory in the body.  Commercial seed extraction processes generally involve solvents (increasing toxic load in the food), and even cold-pressed seed oils can further contribute to a pro-inflammatory omega 3 and omega 6 imbalance.

When cooking your own food use the following healthier choices of oils: extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil and coconut oil.  These oils come from “flesh” rather than seeds, in terms of omega 3 and 6, they are neutral, and they also include their own benefits.

4.     Junk food is still junk food

On the one hand, it is fantastic that there is so much more choice available for those who follow a plant-based approach.  However, the downside of that means that there is also a lot more junk food available in this category!  The term “plant-based” makes many of us think of unprocessed, nutrient rich foods.  However, plant-based chocolate biscuits are still chocolate biscuits!  That’s not to say you shouldn’t treat yourself as part of an 80/20 approach to healthy eating.  Just don’t be fooled into thinking that plant-based automatically means healthy!

As far as I’m concerned, junk food is that which is highly processed, stripped of micronutrients and made with commercial seed oils – which of course can apply to all types of food.

5.     Long chain omega 3 fatty acids

There’s been a lot of talk about boosting omega 3 fatty acids in our diets, and this applies to most of us, regardless of our dietary approach.  The issue that can arise around a plant-based diet, is that it can be harder to find food sources.  A healthy omega 3 and omega 6 balance is essential for managing inflammation in the body and given that fatty acids make up the walls of our cells, the types of fats we eat can affect nearly every system in the body!

Even if you avoid many of the omega 6 heavy seed oils, long chain omega 3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA (which are the really important ones) are generally found in oily fish and seafood.  Certain seeds contain good levels of short chain omega 3 fatty acids, but the conversion rate to the long chain varieties is very poor.

So, if you don’t eat oily fish (or supplement with purified fish oil), then it is a good idea to get some vegan long chain omega 3 fatty acids, which are generally derived from algae.

6.     Soak or sprout your beans and grains

As healthy as beans and legumes can be, not everyone does so well with them!  Even if beans don’t make you obviously flatulent (!) some people just don’t digest them well.  There are thankfully some ways that you can help to get around this.

Soaking raw beans (and even grains) for a few hours, or even overnight, can help to minimise phytates and cooking them in a pressure cooker, further reduces these too.

Alternatively, a super convenient option is to use sprouted beans.  You can find these in the grocery section of many supermarkets.  These don’t need any cooking, and can be eaten raw in salads, or added to hot foods.  Sprouting helps to reduce phytates and other antinutrients, and also increases the protein availability of beans too!

7.     Include fortified foods and targeted supplements for vegan diets

Certain micronutrients are lacking in plant-based diets – or at least versions of them that humans can efficiently absorb and use.  Finding foods fortified with nutrients, such as vitamin B12, iron and iodine is a good idea, and it is worthwhile to find a multinutrient specifically designed for vegans along with your long chain omega 3 fatty acids.

As far as I am concerned, variety is great for a healthy dietary approach, so take advantage of the healthy plant-based recipes you will find this month, and add them to your meal planning!

Find this helpful? Feel free to share the link with friends!