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Vegan Nutrition
Tips and information to make the most of your meal plan subscription
With our Vegan Meal Plans, you stack the odds in your favour. To take maximum advantage of our meal plans, take the time to read the information below.
Important Advice and Useful Tips
What you SHOULD do
- To increase the amount of omega-3 in your diet, cook with canola oil, eat ground flax seed, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds.
- Move! Physical activity should be part of a healthy lifestyle.
- To find out which calorie level is right for you, compute your estimated energy requirements (EER). To find out what your healthy body weight is, compute your body mass index (BMI).
- Drink enough water throughout the day (1.5 to 2 liters/day).
- Consult your Doctor if you have a medical condition. We also recommend that you consult a Registered Dietitian and tell her/him that you follow the SOSCuisine Meal Plans.
What you should watch out for
- Vitamine B12: Plant foods do not contain vitamin B12. To ensure an adequate intake of vitamin B12, it is important to consume 2 servings of fortified dairy substitutes or an adequate amount of B12-enriched nutritional yeast everyday. Some “meat-free“ products are also fortified in vitamin B12. Otherwise, a supplement is recommended.
- Iodine: If you have chosen to eliminate dairy products, you could be at risk of iodine deficiency. Therefore, be sure to include sources of iodine in your diet, such as iodized table or sea salt for seasoning or even a serving of sea vegetables (algae) every week.
- Iron: Plant iron is far less better absorbed than iron from meat, which is why it is important to add a source of vitamin C to a meal of beans/legumes and tofu to maximize the absorption of plant iron. This is something that our meal plans have taken into consideration.
- Vitamin D: As there is very little vitamin D in the Canadian and North European diets, vitamin D supplements are recommended in winter due to lack of sunlight.
N.B. Before consuming any supplements, consult your doctor to verify if it suits your condition. - Trans Fat: At the grocery store, choose products without trans fat. For example, make sure the list of ingredients do not show hydrogenated oil.
- Caffeine: Moderate your consumption of caffeine-containing beverages (coffee, tea, soft drinks, energy drinks, etc.)
- Alcohol: If you drink alcoholic beverages, do so with moderation: No more than one drink/day for women and two drinks/day for men.
FAQ: Veganism
What is veganism?
Veganism is a lifestyle choice to not consume animal products. It is most apparent in a vegan diet which excludes meat, fish, dairy, eggs, and honey, but it can extend to other products, like leather, cosmetics, and even building materials. Many vegans give up animal products as way to stand up for animals right, but veganism is also becoming more popular among environmentalists, since raising animals for consumption has been shown to have a large carbon footprint. However, there are those who simply follow a vegan diet in order to avoid health risks associated with animal products or because they dislike animal products in general.
I’ve heard that a vegan diet can be unhealthy. Is it possible to follow a vegan diet and meet my nutritional needs?
Absolutely! A vegan diet excludes animal products, but that just means there’s more room for fruit, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and grains. Without help though, it can be difficult to know if you’re eating the right foods in the right amounts and combinations. That’s why all of SOSCuisine’s meal plans are based on the Mediterranean Diet and adhere to the latest nutritional recommendations. Our team of registered dietitians composes personalised, varied, and balanced weekly meal plans to ensure that all your nutritional needs are met, even with vegan restrictions.
What is considered an “animal product” in your meal plans?
In general, animal products are any products that are derived or made from animals. This includes meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, gelatin, and sometimes honey. Our meal plans exclude all categories of animal products.
While our meal plans emphasise homemade, fresh ingredients wherever possible, it is important to know that many artifical flavours and colours as well as preservatives can be derived from animals in some way. Therefore, it is important to purchase items that are explicitly labelled vegan to ensure that you are not consuming any animal products.
Can I follow a gluten-free, vegan diet?
Absolutely! With alternative grains and flours becoming more mainstream, it’s easier than ever to follow a gluten-free diet whether you’re vegan or not.
Info Nutrition: Veganism
The most recent recommendations (references) for veganism consist of 50 nutritional targets that must be attained day after day, so as to ensure optimal health and a deficiency-free diet, despite the exclusion of meat, poultry, fish, seafood, dairy, eggs and honey.
- Adequate caloric intake, to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
- Optimal intakes of vitamins and minerals, especially magnesium, selenium, zinc, iron, calcium, vitamins A, B3, B9, B12, D, E and K
- Optimal intakes of carbs (including fiber and added sugars), fats and proteins
- Optimal intakes of good fats (monounsaturated, polyunsaturated) and the optimal omega-6 / omega-3 ratio
- No trans fat, and limited amounts of saturated fats and added/concentrated sugars
- The recommended proportions of the various food groups
- Vegetables and Fruits, including the essential dark green and orange vegetables
- Protein foods
- Whole grain foods
Articles: Vegan
IMPORTANT: The information provided on this website does not replace a medical consultation and is not intended for self diagnosis. We recommend that you seek the advice of your doctor or healthcare professional before undertaking a change to your diet or lifestyle. See Terms & Conditions.