Daily Vegan diet? How much veggies needed?
Okay.. I'm going shopping for my first ever start to a vegan diet tomorrow [For now, I'm still vegetarian to finish up all the non vegan things and am planning tomorrow's start]
I was just wondering how much fruits and veggies I should try for each day? I have a list of all the needed nutrients and where they come from in a vegan diet, so I'm planning on getting a bunch of those, but I'm just wondering how much I need about to be on the safer side? I know that all the veggies and fruits have different nutrition, but in general, how many and how much varied amounts of these are needed?
Please no "We're meant to be meat eaters" crap. My body can't digest meat and other animal products still give me a bit of a stomach ache.
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The food groups are redefined for a low-fat whole plant based diet:
+ Legumes - cooked and sprouted beans. Peas. A small quantity of nuts. Make sure to include ground flax seed for Omega-3 fatty acids. Vitamin B12 and D supplements may be necessary.
+ Whole grains - avoid processed cereals. Seek out non-wheat, non-gluten whole grains that you prepare yourself.
+ Vegetables - colorful vegetables raw, steamed, or sauteed. You must include leafy greens for protein, calcium, iron, and other nutrients.
+ Fruits - eat whole fruits not fruit juices that contain unhealthy added sugar, flavors, colorings, preservatives, and other additives.
You can vary quantities quite a bit, but I make sure to include legumes and whole grains in every meal. Although 'vegan' avoid excess oils, fats, sugars, and other processed ingredients.
In terms of quantities, check with Dr. Neal Barnard. A typical serving of vegetables is a cup. I would think about two cups of leafy greens and three cups of colorful vegetables would be sufficient for a healthy diet every day.
I believe that the most important thing in any diet is to get a huge variety of foods. You therefore need to include as many different fruits, vegetables and oils as you can find, in order to build a balanced diet.