What Can You Eat on a Vegan Diet?

A diet with no animal products does pose a lot of limitations, but you might be surprised about what you can eat


A heavy emphasis on fruits, vegetables, and whole grains is the healthy way to try the vegan diet.

For those of you that are meat-eaters and egg lovers, veganism may sound like a foreign concept. A vegan diet is a strict form of a vegetarian diet, which eliminates all animal products such as dairy, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, lard, and gelatin. In some cases, people also avoid honey.

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With all of the elimination, you may be wondering what you can eat on such a restrictive diet. The vegan food pyramid highlights grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and herbs. The sources of health protein on a vegan diet include beans, peas, lentils, and soy. Whether it be half a cup of tofu, one cup of soy milk, or half a cup of beans, vegans are advised to have three to six servings of protein a day. The good news is you can make vegan cupcakes, vegan pancakes, and comforting vegan dinner recipes, such as vegan lasagna. By substituting eggs with applesauce in baking and substituting almond milk for regular milk, you can still enjoy your favorite, creamy dishes. If you love butter, there is always vegan butter that is made with coconut.

Even though vegan and vegetarian diets are plant-based, watch out for a plant-based diet high in fat, sodium, and sugar. If you are interested in trying the vegan diet, speak with a doctor or nutrition and use the vegan health guidelines for recommendations.

The accompanying slideshow is provided by special contributor Nikkitha Bakshani.

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