5 tips for a healthy and full plant-based diet

MD (in training) and model Vienne (25) is committed to healthy food and lifestyle. Her mission is to help people get the maximum health benefit from a plant-based diet. Besides her passion for food, Viënne also has a great interest in sustainable fashion and beauty. She came into contact with the fashion world through (portofolio) shoots and collaborations with fashion brands. Since 2022 she has been a model at Belle&co.

Should we all eat more plant-based foods?

It could be beneficial not only for the environment, animal welfare, but also for our health. The most recent guidelines on a good diet from the Dutch Health Council, which combines all scientifically proven information about a healthy diet, clearly shows that a more plant-based and less animal-based diet is desirable.

It has not been proven whether a 100% plant-based diet is healthier than a diet consisting of, for example, 80-85% plant-based products. The last bit, the 20-15% is a purely ethical consideration that everyone should make for themselves. For many this is a logical choice: An eating pattern that does not contain any animal products.

If you start eating more plant-based, you leave certain products and therefore also certain nutrients. It is therefore important to pay a little more attention to certain nutrients. From an ethical point of view, supplementation is the most sustainable option for getting certain nutrients.

 

Today I have 5 tips for you on how to get the maximum health benefit from your plant-based diet.

Eat as varied and unprocessed as possible.

Varied means that you automatically get as many different nutrients as possible.

For example, vegan cheese, vegan ice cream, meat substitutes, etc. cannot be a nutritious basis.

Vegetables, fruit, nuts/seeds, whole grains and legumes, on the other hand, are the five main groups and therefore the basis of a healthy plant-based diet.

But – stop. What exactly are legumes? 

Legumes are, for example, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans or black beans.

If you eat something from each group every day, you will receive a variety of good nutrients.

Eat at least 160g legumes daily.

To get enough protein, you should eat legumes and whole grains every day. The amino acid profile of both food categories complement each other perfectly. The grains and the legumes don’t need to be necessarily combined in one meal. 

 

Eat two servings of plant-based dairy daily.

For sufficient calcium in the diet, it is important to eat two portions of plant-based dairy, which is fortified with calcium. The latter is important, because not all plant-based dairy is always enriched with it. For example, EU legislation does not allow calcium to be added to organic products. For good bone health, calcium in combination with an adequate intake of vitamin D is important. Because vitamin D is a potential critical nutrient in virtually any diet, I will not discuss it separately here. Always vitamin D supplementation in the winter months and with insufficient sun exposure during the summer.

 

Take a vitamin B12 supplement.

Vitamin B12 is the only truly critical nutrient within a plant-based diet, which means that this nutrient is always deficient. Supplementation is always necessary. In general, a daily dose of 100-150 mg is sufficient. In case of a deficiency, always consult your doctor first. In chronic disease and older age, a dose of 1000 mcg is better.

A good vegan and natural B12 supplement is for example from Goldea Health  (€14.95 for 1000 mcg). It contains different forms of B12 and can also be taken every other day because of the higher dosage. Another good supplement is from Holland & Barret (€14.99 for 100 mcg). It contains a lower dose and should therefore be taken every day.

 

Take an omega-3 supplement.

Omega-3 exists in an animal and vegetable form. Chia seed, hemp seed or flaxseed are good resources of the vegetable vorm. 1-2 tb broken flaxseed per day is sufficient. The animal form is only found in fish or microalgae. For vegans, an omega-3 supplement based on algae oil is an option. For example, a good omega-3 supplement is from Goldea Health  (€16.95 per month -30 pieces) or from Vitakruid (€41.90 – 60 pieces with VIENNE10 you can get a 10% discount).

 

Want to know more? Or do you have questions/comments/suggestions? Visit my website. 

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