What is the best way to begin a vegan lifestyle change? Do you have any suggestions for breakfast that are both meatless and low carbohydrate?

The first step in this journey is to find out exactly what is a "vegan lifestyle." The Vegan Outreach group defines vegan practice as, "not eating meat, dairy, or eggs; not buying leather or wool; trying to avoid products made by companies that test on animals." The American Vegan Society suggests excluding honey and silk. Vegan groups give some attention to the health benefits of vegan style eating, but their main focus is on maintaining a lifestyle that minimizes the mistreatment of animals. By exploring your feelings about ethical issues related to animal products and food, you will find your niche in the wide range of interpretations of what the vegan lifestyle ought to entail.

Whether you settle on a strict or liberal definition for your vegan lifestyle, you will definitely have to cut animal products from your eating plan. Most of your new protein sources will contain carbohydrates, so a low carbohydrate/vegan meal would be incredibly hard to achieve. You would have to severely restrict carbohydrate foods, such as grains, fruits, and vegetables, and, as a result, you would be at risk of not meeting your nutrient needs. Grain products serve as the main sources of B vitamins, which are essential for metabolism and growth/maintenance of body tissues, and the benefits of carbohydrate rich fruits and vegetables are backed by many scientific studies.

Reduce your intake of a certain group of foods that provides a lot of carbohydrate but lacks so many of those great nutrients. That group of foods, "junk food," is the ideal place to cut carbs, chemicals added in processing, and unhealthy trans fats. So, go ahead and cut back on chips, crackers, sugary cereals, breakfast bars, cookies, candy, and soda, but don't sacrifice the whole grain goodness that you find in a steaming bowl of oatmeal.

Although you will be cutting the commonly recognized protein sources — meat, fish, poultry, dairy — from your eating plan, have no worries... plant foods also contain a good amount of protein.

Food	Portion Size	Protein (in grams)
bread (whole wheat)	1 slice	3
potato	1 medium	3
oatmeal (cooked)	1 cup	6
nuts and seeds	¼ cup	6
legumes	½ cup	8
tofu	½ cup	9
soy milk	8 ounces	9

Experts at the Institute of Medicine have recommended that we take in 15 - 20 percent of calories from protein, which amounts to about 65 grams of protein per day for men, and approximately 55 grams for women.

By cutting animal products out of your eating plan, you will have cut out the most common sources of a number of key nutrients. Vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids are now high priority nutrients when it comes to planning a nutritionally adequate vegan eating plan.

Vitamin B₁₂

The only reliable sources of vitamin B₁₂ are animal products, fortified cereals, fortified soy products and nutritional yeast (Red Star Nutritional Yeast, 4 micrograms (mcg)/tablespoon). Not all cereals or soy products are fortified, so check the nutrient label for this information. The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for adults is 2.4 mcg/day.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in fortified dairy products, but is also made by our skin with sun exposure. Adequate Intake (AI) has been set at 200 International Units (IU)/day for people aged 19 - 50 years, and 400 IU/day for those 51 - 69 years of age. Your needs can be met by getting an average of 15 minutes of summer sun on your face or hands, 2 - 3 times per week. To ensure adequate levels of vitamin D, incorporate fortified non-dairy milks (e.g., soy, rice, almond milks) and cereals listed above into your daily intake. Check nutrient labels for fortification information.

Calcium

Calcium is essential for building and maintaining bone structure, as well as proper functioning of muscles and nerve reactions. Though Americans tend to depend on dairy for calcium, this nutrient is found in plant foods such as collard greens, kale, almonds, tahini, and blackstrap molasses. Soy products can also be good sources, but be sure to check the nutrient label, because calcium content varies depending on processing methods. An 8 oz serving of fortified soy or rice milk will provide 1/3 of your daily needs (1000 mg/day for persons < 50 years of age, 1200 mg for > 50 years of age).

Omega-3 fatty acids

Pay attention to your need for essential omega-3 fatty acids. Vegan sources are flax, soybean, and canola oils. The Adequate Intake of omega-3 is 1.6 g/day and 1.1 g/day for men and women respectively. Omega-6 fatty acids are also essential, but needs are easily met because top sources, such as vegetable oils like corn, safflower, soy, nut, and seed oils, are used often in vegan cooking.

A few people may be able to overhaul completely their eating plan and stick with those changes, but the rest of us will have better chances of success if we take small steps towards our goal.

1. Set off towards your ultimate goal of the vegan lifestyle change with a small objective, such as cutting one thing out of your eating plan, red meat, for example. Fish, poultry, dairy, and eggs may still be on your menu, but you need to explore the nearest health food store and start sampling vegan protein sources, such as tofu, seitan, tempeh, legumes, texturized vegetable protein, and meat analogs. The vegan food guide pyramid provides a great picture of a balanced vegan eating plan.
2. A week or a month later, when you are comfortable with the changes you have made, take that next step. Cut all meats, fish, and poultry from your eating plan. At this point, eggs and dairy products will be the main animal products, but you need to try out vegan egg replacers, soy cheeses, and soy milks. Start experimenting with one new vegan dish each week; and, check out recipe sources, such as Vegetarian Times or the vegan cookbook section at your local library.
3. When you feel that the non-animal portion of your eating plan is diverse and providing adequate amounts of those specific nutrients listed above, take that important step of finally cutting out dairy and eggs. By taking your time to reach the ultimate goal of vegan style eating, you will have eased into new approaches to menu planning and meal preparation. You will also have avoided the waste of a complete overhaul of your refrigerator/freezer contents.

Now for those vegan breakfast options that are higher in protein: a typical American breakfast might contain approximately 75 percent of calories from carbohydrate, but we'll aim for less than what you would get from the jumbo bagel, cream cheese, and latte combo that may have lurked in your past…

Veggie omelet ¾ cup vegan egg substitute (e.g., General Dietary's Ener-G egg replacer) ½ cup sautéed red/green peppers 1 slice soy cheese salt and pepper 1 slice Whole-wheat toast 8 oz. Lowfat soy latte

Total Nutrient composition of this meal 380 kcals 39 g protein 13 g fat 32 g carbohydrates 164 IU Vitamin D 464 mg Calcium

Alternatively, you could choose specially formulated high protein vegan foods found at health food stores and online.

When taking on any important life change goal, it is best to have a clear understanding of the challenges that lie ahead. Adopting a vegan eating plan is such a goal, and it seems as though you are taking on the responsibility of becoming well informed.

Alice

Related Q&As

Nuts about nuts: Are some better for health than others?

What are the benefits of soy?

What's the story about protein in grains and vegetables?