The Vegan Diet: A Complete Guide for Beginners

The vegan diet has become very popular. More and more people have decided to go vegan for ethical, environmental, or health reasons.

This type of diet may result in various health benefits, including improved blood sugar control and heart health. It can also help you lose weight if that’s your goal.

But a diet based exclusively on plant foods may, in some cases, increase your risk of nutrient deficiencies.

That’s where this detailed beginner’s guide to the vegan diet comes in. It aims to cover everything you need to know, so you can follow a vegan diet healthfully.

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Veganism is defined as a way of living that attempts to exclude all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, whether for food, clothing, or any other purpose.

That’s why a vegan diet avoids all animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy.

People choose to follow a vegan diet for various reasons. These usually range from ethics to environmental concerns, but they can also stem from a desire to improve health.

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Different types of vegan diets

There are different varieties of the vegan diet. The most common include:

• Whole food vegan diet. This diet is based on a wide variety of whole plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
• Raw food vegan diet. This diet is based on raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, or plant foods cooked at temperatures below 118°F (48°C) (1 Trusted Source).
• 80/10/10 diet. The 80/10/10 diet is a raw food vegan diet that limits fat-rich plants such as nuts and avocados and relies mainly on raw fruits and soft greens instead. It is also referred to as the low-fat, raw food vegan diet or fruitarian diet.
• Starch solution. This is a low-fat, high-carb vegan diet similar to the 80/10/10 diet, but it focuses on cooked starches like potatoes, rice, and corn instead of fruit.
• Raw till 4. This low-fat vegan diet is inspired by the 80/10/10 diet and starch solution. Raw foods are consumed until 4 p.m., with the option of a cooked plant-based meal for dinner.
• Thrive diet. The thrive diet is a raw food vegan diet. Followers eat plant-based, whole foods that are raw or minimally cooked at low temperatures.
• Junk food vegan diet. This is a vegan diet lacking whole plant foods that rely heavily on mock meats and cheeses, fries, vegan desserts, and other heavily processed vegan foods.

Although several variations of the vegan diet exist, most scientific research rarely differentiates between different types of vegan diets. As a result, the information in this article relates to vegan diets as a whole.

Vegan diets can help you lose weight

Vegans tend to be thinner and have a lower body mass index (BMI) than non-vegans (2, 3).

This might explain why an increasing number of people turn to vegan diets as a way to lose weight.

Part of the weight-related benefits vegans experience may be explained by factors other than diet. These may include healthier lifestyle choices, such as physical activity, and other health-related behaviors.

However, several randomized controlled studies, which control for these external factors, report that vegan diets are more effective for weight loss than the diets they are compared to (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13).

Interestingly, the weight loss advantage persists even when whole-food diets are used as control diets.

These include diets recommended by the American Dietetics Association (ADA), the American Heart Association (AHA), and the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) (4, 5, 6, 7).

Researchers also generally report that participants on vegan diets lose more weight than those following calorie-restricted diets, even when they’re allowed to eat until they feel full (4, 8).

The natural tendency to eat fewer calories on a vegan diet may be caused by a higher dietary fiber intake, which can make you feel fuller.

Vegan diets, blood sugar, and type 2 diabetes

Adopting a vegan diet may help keep your blood sugar in check and type 2 diabetes at bay.

Several studies show that vegans benefit from lower blood sugar levels, higher insulin sensitivity, and up to a 78% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes than non-vegans (14, 15, 16, 17).

In addition, vegan diets reportedly lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes up to 2.4 times more than diets recommended by the ADA, AHA, and NCEP (5, 6, 18).

Part of the advantage could be explained by the higher fiber intake, which may blunt the blood sugar response. A vegan diet’s weight loss effects may further contribute to its ability to lower blood sugar levels (4, 6, 9, 10).

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Vegan diets and heart health

A vegan diet may help keep your heart healthy.

Observational studies report that vegans may have up to a 75% lower risk of developing high blood pressure and a 42% lower risk of dying from heart disease (16 19).

Randomized controlled studies — the gold standard in research — add to the evidence.

Several reports that vegan diets are much more effective at reducing blood sugar, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and total cholesterol than diets they are compared with (4, 5, 9, 20, 21.)

These effects could be especially beneficial since reducing blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar may reduce heart disease risk by up to 46% (22).

Other health benefits of vegan diets

Vegan diets are linked to an array of other health benefits, including benefits for:

• Cancer risk. Vegans may benefit from a 15% lower risk of developing or dying from cancer (20).
• Arthritis. Vegan diets seem particularly effective at reducing symptoms of arthritis such as pain, joint swelling, and morning stiffness (23, 24, 25).
• Kidney function. People with diabetes who substitute meat for plant protein may reduce their risk of poor kidney function (26, 27 28, 29, 30, 31).
• Alzheimer’s disease. Observational studies show that aspects of the vegan diet may help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (32, 33)

That said, keep in mind that most of the studies supporting these benefits are observational. This makes it difficult to determine whether the vegan diet directly caused the benefits.

Randomized controlled studies are needed before researchers can make strong conclusions.

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Foods to avoid

Vegans avoid eating any animal foods, as well as any foods containing ingredients that come from animals. These include:

• Meat and poultry: beef, lamb, pork, veal, horse, organ meat, wild meat, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, quail, etc.
• Fish and seafood: all types of fish, anchovies, shrimp, squid, scallops, calamari, mussels, crab, lobster, etc.
• Dairy: milk, yogurt, cheese, butter, cream, ice cream, etc.
• Eggs: from chickens, quails, ostriches, fish, etc.
• Bee products: honey, bee pollen, royal jelly, etc.
• Animal-based ingredients: whey, casein, lactose, egg white albumen, gelatin, cochineal or carmine, isinglass, shellac, L-cysteine, animal-derived vitamin D3, and fish-derived omega-3 fatty acids

Foods to eat

Health-conscious vegans substitute animal products with plant-based replacements, such as:

• Tofu, tempeh, and seitan. These provide a versatile protein-rich alternative to meat, fish, poultry, and eggs in many recipes.
• Legumes. Foods such as beans, lentils, and peas are excellent sources of many nutrients and beneficial plant compounds. Sprouting, fermenting, and proper cooking can increase nutrient absorption (34).
• Nuts and nut butter. Unblanched and unroasted varieties are good sources of iron, fiber, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E (35).
• Seeds: Hemp, chia, and flaxseeds contain a good amount of protein and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids (36, 37, 38).
• Calcium-fortified plant milk and yogurt. These help vegans achieve their recommended dietary calcium intake. Opt for varieties also fortified with vitamins B12 and D whenever possible.
• Algae. Spirulina and chlorella are good sources of complete protein. Other varieties are great sources of iodine.
• Nutritional yeast. This is an easy way to increase the protein content of vegan dishes and add an interesting cheesy flavor. Pick vitamin B12-fortified varieties whenever possible.
• Whole grains, cereals, and pseudocereals. These are a great source of complex carbs, fiber, iron, B vitamins, and several minerals. Spelled, teff, amaranth, and quinoa are high-protein options (39, 40, 41, 42).
• Sprouted and fermented plant foods. Ezekiel bread, tempeh, miso, natto, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi, and kombucha often contain probiotics and vitamin K2. Sprouting and fermenting can also help improve mineral absorption (34, 43).
• Fruits and vegetables. Both are great foods to increase your nutrient intake. Leafy greens such as bok choy, spinach, kale, watercress, and mustard greens are particularly high in iron and calcium.

Risks and how to minimize them

Favoring a well-planned diet that limits processed foods and replaces them with nutrient-rich ones is important for everyone, not only vegans.

That said, those following poorly planned vegan diets are particularly at risk of certain nutrient deficiencies.

Studies show that vegans are at a higher risk of having inadequate blood levels of vitamin B12, vitamin D, long-chain omega-3s, iodine, iron, calcium, and zinc (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51T, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56).

Not getting enough of these nutrients is a concern for everyone, but it may pose a particular risk to those with increased requirements, such as children or people who are pregnant or nursing.

Your genetic makeup and the composition of your gut bacteria may also influence your ability to derive the nutrients you need from a vegan diet.

One way to minimize the likelihood of deficiency is to limit the amount of processed vegan foods you consume and opt for nutrient-rich plant foods instead.

Fortified foods, especially those enriched with calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, should also make a daily appearance on your plate.

Vegans wanting to enhance their absorption of iron and zinc should try fermenting, sprouting, and cooking foods (34.

Also, the use of iron cast pots and pans for cooking, avoiding tea or coffee with meals, and combining iron-rich foods with a source of vitamin C can further boost iron absorption (57).

The addition of seaweed or iodized salt to your vegan diet can help you reach the recommended daily intake of iodine (58).

Lastly, foods containing omega-3s, especially those high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), can help the body produce longer-chain omega-3s, such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Foods high in ALA include chia, hemp, flaxseeds, walnuts, and soybeans. However, there’s debate regarding whether this conversion is efficient enough to meet daily needs (59, 60).

A daily intake of 200–300 mg of EPA and DHA from an algae oil supplement may be a safer way to prevent low levels (61).

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Supplements to consider

Some vegans may find it difficult to eat enough of the nutrient-rich or fortified foods above to meet their daily requirements.

In this case, the following supplements can be particularly beneficial:

• Vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 in cyanocobalamin form is the most studied and seems to work well for most people (62).
• Vitamin D. Opt for D2 or vegan D3 forms, such as those manufactured by Nordic Naturals.
• EPA and DHA. These are sourced from algae oil.
• Iron. You should only supplement with iron in the case of a documented deficiency. Ingesting too much iron from supplements can cause health complications and prevent the absorption of other nutrients (63).
• Iodine. Take a supplement or add 1/2 teaspoon of iodized salt to your diet daily.
• Calcium. Calcium is best absorbed when taken in doses of 500 mg or less at a time. Taking calcium at the same time as iron or zinc supplements may reduce their absorption (57, 64).
• Zinc. This is taken in zinc gluconate or zinc citrate forms and should not be taken at the same time as calcium supplements (64).

A vegan sample menu for 1 week

To help get you started, here’s a simple plan covering a week’s worth of vegan meals:

Monday

• Breakfast: vegan breakfast sandwich with tofu, lettuce, tomato, turmeric, and a plant-milk chai latte
• Lunch: spiralized zucchini and quinoa salad with peanut dressing
• Dinner: red lentil and spinach dal over wild rice

Tuesday

• Breakfast: overnight oats made with fruit, fortified plant milk, chia seeds, and nuts
• Lunch: seitan sauerkraut sandwich
• Dinner: pasta with a lentil Bolognese sauce and a side salad

Wednesday

• Breakfast: mango and spinach smoothie made with fortified plant milk and a banana-flaxseed-walnut muffin
• Lunch: baked tofu sandwich with a side of tomato salad
• Dinner: vegan chili on a bed of amaranth

Thursday

• Breakfast: whole grain toast with hazelnut butter, banana, and a fortified plant yogurt
• Lunch: tofu noodle soup with vegetables
• Dinner: jacket sweet potatoes with lettuce, corn, beans, cashews, and guacamole

Friday

• Breakfast: vegan chickpea and onion omelet and a cappuccino made with fortified plant milk
• Lunch: vegan tacos with mango-pineapple salsa
• Dinner: tempeh stir-fry with bok choy and broccoli

Saturday

• Breakfast: spinach and scrambled tofu wrap and a glass of fortified plant milk
• Lunch: spiced red lentil, tomato, and kale soup with whole grain toast and hummus
• Dinner: veggie sushi rolls, miso soup, edamame, and wakame salad

Sunday

• Breakfast: chickpea pancakes, guacamole and salsa, and a glass of fortified orange juice
• Lunch: tofu vegan quiche with a side of sautéed mustard greens
• Dinner: vegan spring rolls

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How to eat vegan at restaurants

Dining out as a vegan can be challenging.

One way to reduce stress is to identify vegan-friendly restaurants ahead of time by using websites such as Happycow. Apps like VeganXpress and Vegman may also be helpful.

When dining in a non-vegan establishment, try scanning the menu online beforehand to see what vegan options they may have for you.

Sometimes, calling ahead of time allows the chef to arrange something, especially for you. You can then arrive at the restaurant confident that you’ll have something hopefully more interesting than a side salad to order.

When picking a restaurant on the fly, make sure to ask about their vegan options as soon as you step in, ideally before being seated.

When in doubt, opt for certain ethnic restaurants that tend to have dishes that are naturally vegan or can be easily modified to become so. Mexican, Thai, Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, and Indian restaurants tend to be great options.

Once in the restaurant, try identifying the vegetarian options on the menu and asking whether the dairy or eggs can be removed to make the dish vegan.

Another easy tip is to order several vegan appetizers or side dishes to make up a meal.

Healthy vegan snacks

Snacks are a great way to stay energized and keep hunger at bay between meals.

Some interesting, portable vegan options include:

• fresh fruit with a dollop of nut butter
• hummus and vegetables
• nutritional yeast sprinkled on popcorn
• roasted chickpeas
• nut and fruit bars
• trail mix
• chia pudding
• homemade muffins
• whole wheat pita with salsa and guacamole
• cereal with plant milk
• edamame
• whole grain crackers and cashew nut spread
• a plant-milk latte or cappuccino
• dried seaweed snacks

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Whenever you’re planning a vegan snack, try to opt for fiber- and protein-rich options, which can help keep hunger away.