5 common mistakes people make transitioning to a plant-based diet
Maybe you want to make the move to a plant-based diet or have already made the transition. Whilst plant-based eating can be so simple and really enjoyable once you know what you are doing, there are a few common mistakes many people make that can make them feel like their failing on a plant-based diet, especially when it comes to their health.
Firstly, let's address the vegan -v- plant-based idea. I did a whole blog post on the definition of vegan v plant-based which recommend reading as it's important to know.
To summarise briefly, veganism is about animal rights and ethics, avoiding all cruelty and exploitation of animals for food, clothing, beauty products, household items and so much more. It's not about health. A plant-based diet, however, is one that places an emphasis on getting the majority, to all, of your food from healthy whole plant sources such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and wholegrains. A plant-based diet can still incorporate small amounts of animal foods such as meat and dairy.
Switching up what you eat can be difficult. You may be challenging tradition, cultural "norms", habits, and convenience. Whether you're just in decision mode right now or you're already in motion with it, here are some common mistakes you should avoid in order to feel your best on a plant-based diet.
1. Assuming you have to go all or nothing
Transitioning to a plant-based diet is generally most successful when done gradually. A great starting point is focusing on meals you already eat and seeing how you can make small substitutions to make them more plant-based. For example, swapping out minced meat for lentils in a spaghetti bolognese.
Maybe you're currently living on a diet of processed foods that your body has gotten used to. Cutting these out suddenly can result in you feeling irritable, hungry, and drained of energy. These symptoms usually only last a few days and most people do feel so much better after completely cutting out highly processed foods (sugary drinks, frozen pizzas, packaged ready-made meals). However, if you don't ease into it, you could find a plant-based diet very hard to stick with. Instead, focus on slowly substituting these foods out for healthier options. Swap a pot noodle for a homemade noodle soup. Swap out pizza for a plant-filled wholegrain sandwich instead.
If it takes you 1 month or 1 year to make the transition, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is that you are making positive changes in your diet and that you are enjoying it too.
2. Thinking you need to cut out all animal foods from your diet
Maybe you want to go plant-based but there are certain things like cheese or fish holding you back. As I mentioned above, a plant-based diet is one that focuses the majority of your food from plant sources but it doesn't necessarily mean you need to cut out all animal foods. If you're not ready to give up certain foods from animal sources yet, that's OK. You can still keep a small amount of them in your diet if you want to and you can still call yourself plant-based. However, if you're ready to eliminate all animal foods, you can get absolutely everything you need from plant-based sources.
3. Removing foods but not replacing them
Cutting back on animal protein is part of transitioning to a plant-based diet. Unfortunately, where people make a mistake is taking it off their plate but not replacing it. Protein is a really important part of a balanced meal as it helps the body grow and repair and helps optimise energy levels. When cutting out animal meats from our diet it's so important to replace them with plant protein foods such as soy (tofu, tempeh, edamame), chickpeas, peas, lentils, and beans. Although it's also important to note that most foods contain some protein so getting a wide variety of plant foods throughout your week, along with rich sources of plant protein as above, will help you get the protein you require.
4. Relying too much on vegan processed foods
In recent years there has been an explosion in the amount of plant-based meat alternatives. So many of these products mimic animal foods in taste, texture, and appearance and they can be really helpful for people when transitioning over to a plant-based diet and reducing animal-based foods.
Whilst these foods are convenient and are a healthier option than red & processed meats when it comes to trans fats, cholesterol, and carcinogens, they can still be high in salt. It's OK to incorporate these vegan meat alternatives in your diet in limited amounts, however, I want to emphasise the importance of getting the majority of your food from whole plant sources. Whole plant foods contain so many important nutrients without added saturated fat, trans fats, oils, sugars, and salt.
5. Not supplementing when required
When it comes to plant-based eating, you can get the majority of the nutrients you need through whole foods alone. However, there are a couple of really important nutrients that are highly recommended through supplementations.
Vitamin B12 is a very important one, especially for vegans. Due to modern farming and manufacturing practices, and soil degradation, it's a vitamin that can only be found in some fortified plant foods such as nutritional yeast and fortified plant milk.
Vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin. It's produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight. However, due to high rates of skin cancer, it's recommended to focus on foods that are fortified with vitamin D such as plant milk and cereals, and take a supplement.
Speak to your doctor about checking your B12 and vitamin D levels, to see if you may need to take a supplement. Other nutrients to be aware of are omega 3's, zinc, and iodine. For more details on nutrients of focus on a plant-based diet, check out this blog post.