I briefly discussed what a plant based diet is in my previous post, but let’s dig a little deeper. What does eating a plant based diet entail? What can you eat and what can’t you eat? And why?
Why the plant based diet may seem intimidating
People tend to focus on the list of foods you can’t eat on a plant based diet, not all of the wonderful foods that you can eat. I know I did when I first started out! Once I came to the realization that we were making this life changing decision, it hit me–I had no idea what I was going to cook! Most of the recipes I had accumulated and dishes that I made no longer applied to this way of eating. The thought of how I was going to navigate this change was overwhelming. But the desire to live a healthier life trumped all, so I took a deep breath and got to work.
First, I compiled a list of all of the foods and ingredients that were not included in a vegan plant based diet. And this is where a lot of people lose interest. I get it! There’s that word again: intimidating! I was disgusted and infuriated when I learned about all of the hidden animal products and by-products in our food. I was oblivious to the fact that there are animal products in much of the food we eat on a daily basis!
But I realized I was looking at it all wrong. So next I made a list of all of the foods we could eat and it seemed much more manageable then. (If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a list maker. To the extreme. I have lists for my lists. You’ll see…) 😁
Ok, so here it is. The foods to avoid on a vegan diet.
Foods Not Included In a Vegan Plant Based Diet
- Meat (beef, lamb, pork, bacon, sausage, lunch meat, all lean meats, etc.)
- Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck, etc)
- Fish and Seafood (all fish, shellfish, lobster, shrimp, etc.)
- Eggs
- Milk and Cream
- Cheese
- All other dairy (including sour cream, cream cheese, etc)
- Lard (fat from pigs)
- Honey (I discuss this in greater detail here)
- Gelatin (it is derived from animal bones and connective tissue)
- Sugar (*see note below)
- Foods with added sugar
- Some Wine, Beer, and Liquor (*see note below)
- Foods fortified with Vitamin D (vitamin D3 is made from lanolin–the oily substance from sheep’s wool.)
- Ghee (clarified butter)
- Casein (protein from cow’s milk)
- Whey (by-product of cheese production)
- Glucose (usually derived from animal tissues and fluids)
- Lactose (a sugar from the milk of mammals, usually cows)
- Albumin (egg whites)
- Isinglass (gelatin obtained from fish bladders)
- Pepsin (enzyme from stomach of animals)
- Worcestershire sauce (contains anchovies)
- Glycerides (produced mainly from vegetable oil but animal fats are sometimes used)
- Rennet (enzymes produced in stomachs of cows and sheep)
- Tallow (fat from animals)
- Carmine and Cochineal (artificial red coloring from insects; a.k.a. E120, Natural Red 4)
- Stearic Acid / Stearate (fatty substance from stomach of pigs)
- Shellac / Resinous glaze / Confectioners glaze (extracts from insects–especially in shiny candies)
* Sugar
Some sugar is not vegan. Are you as shocked as I was?!
Animal bone char (also called natural carbon) is used to process sugar in order to make it pure white. Before it is processed, sugar has an off-white color. Who cares if sugar is pure white?! 🤦♀️ I certainly don’t!
Brown sugar is simply refined white sugar mixed with molasses, so it may contain animal bone char as well. And since confectioners sugar is refined white sugar mixed with cornstarch–you guessed it! It may contain bone char.
The USDA does not allow the meat industry here in the U.S. to use animal bones for charring sugar. Sounds good right? Maybe, except they do allow sugar companies to use animal bones from foreign countries (Afghanistan, Argentina, India, and Pakistan). Sounds a bit counterintuitive to me.
So what do you do if you don’t want to eat animal bones in your sugar? It’s simple actually. To be certain the sugar you buy does not contain bone char, buy organic or raw. Organic sugars are processed differently and do not use animal bones. Plus the added bonus of no synthetic chemicals, pesticides, and fertilizers! Sugar in the raw also does not contain bone char since it has less processing.
There are a lot of organic options now, which is awesome! Check your local supermarket or health food store to see what’s available. Whole Foods 365 brand is not only reasonably priced, but all of their 365 products are either organic or certified non-GMO. I’ve also found organic sugar at Costco, Natural Grocers, Sprouts, Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and even Target.
* Beer, Wine, and Liquor:
Now let’s talk about why on earth beer, wine, and liquor would contain animal parts. Essentially, it’s the same reason the sugar industry uses bone char. Aesthetic.
We will get into this more in depth in a later post, but here’s the gist of it. Beer and wine naturally have particles floating around in the liquid, so a process called fining is used to clarify it. This may involve using things like isinglass (from fish bladders), casein, or gelatin as clarifying agents. They bind to the molecules and form larger particles that are easier to filter and remove.
Some companies use different processes in fining which are animal-free. You can also buy unfined and unfiltered alcohol which skips this process all together. Knowing which companies and products are vegan-friendly can require a lot of research and still be a bit ambiguous at times. I recommend checking out barnivore.com. It’s a really great resource to see if your favorite adult beverage is animal-free.
Whole Food Plant Based Diet
A whole-foods plant based (WFPB) diet is a stricter version of the vegan diet. Foods are eaten in their most natural state (or as close to their most natural state as possible), and they are minimally processed. If you’re following a whole foods plant based diet, you will also want to avoid these foods:
- Refined grains (i.e. white rice, white pasta, white bread, tortillas)
- Sugar
- Processed oils (olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, etc.)
- Refined sweeteners (maple syrup, agave syrup, etc.)–instead, whole foods are used as natural sweeteners i.e. dates and other dried fruits, date paste, mashed banana.
- Processed sweets (vegan cookies, brownies, cakes, etc.)
- Soda, processed fruit juices
- Fast food
- Junk food (chips, crackers, etc.)
- Processed vegan-friendly foods (vegan butter, cheese, meats, etc.)
So What Can I Eat?
Now the fun list! What you get to eat on a plant based diet! This is not a full comprehensive list (that would be miles long); this is just to give you some ideas in each of the different categories. There are hundreds of options!
I also strongly encourage you “eat the rainbow” for the healthiest, most diverse diet. Our bodies benefit from a variety of healthy foods, and you will be getting a wide array of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals crucial to your health. Plus the added bonus: foods will never get mundane when you’re constantly switching it up! Please consult your physician and a registered dietician for an appropriate diet specific to you.
- Vegetables
- Red: red pepper, beets, red onion
- Orange: carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, orange pepper
- Yellow: corn, yellow summer squash, yellow pepper
- Green: broccoli, kale, lettuce, collard greens, swiss chard
- Purple: cabbage, eggplant, purple potatoes
- White: cauliflower, garlic, onion, potato
- Brown: mushroom, onion
- Fruits
- Red: apple, strawberry, tomato, raspberry, watermelon
- Orange: orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe
- Yellow: lemon, mango, pineapple, banana
- Green: grapes, apples, kiwi
- Blue: blueberries
- Purple: grapes, plums, blackberries
- Whole Grains
- Barley
- Brown rice
- Millet
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Whole grain bread
- Whole wheat pasta
- Healthy Fats
- Avocado
- Plant based oils (olive, sesame, flaxseed, coconut, etc)
- Nuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Seeds
- Chia seeds
- Flax seeds
- Hemp seeds
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sesame seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Legumes
- Chickpeas
- Lentils
- Peanuts (yes, peanuts are legumes!)
- Beans (they are technically a legume, but I’m giving them their own category here)
- Black beans
- Edamame
- Kidney beans
- Navy beans
- Pinto beans
- Soybeans
- Raw, natural nut butters
- Peanut, almond, cashew, tahini, etc.
- Plant-based Milks (remember to watch for added sugar)
- Almond milk
- Cashew milk
- Coconut milk
- Flax milk
- Hemp milk
- Macadamia nut milk
- Oat milk
- Soy milk
- Rice milk
- Fresh Herbs
- Basil
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Sage
- Thyme
- Spices and Seasonings
- Basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme
- Cayenne and crushed red pepper flakes
- Chili powder
- Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
- Cumin
- Curry powder
- Garlic and ginger (ground or fresh)
- Kala namak (we’ll discuss this beauty in another post)
- Paprika
- Condiments
- Ketchup (organic)
- Lemon juice, lime juice
- Mustard
- Nutritional Yeast (an absolute must-have!)
- Soy sauce, tamarind, liquid aminos
- Vinegars
- Plant-Based Proteins (always use in moderation since they are processed foods)
- Seitan
- Tempeh
- Tofu
- TVP (textured vegetable protein)
- Beverages
- Water
- Coffee, tea
- It’s a personal choice whether or not you choose to drink alcohol; you’ll get no judgement from me. 🍷 Just remember to make sure your adult beverage of choice does not contain animal products. And as always, moderation! 😉
Other plant-based foods
It’s also worth noting there is now a large selection of plant based cheeses, yogurts, eggs, meats, sour cream, mayonnaise, frozen meals, etc. This is up to you whether or not you consume these foods. Keep in mind they are highly processed and not the best option in terms of nutrition and health.
Convinced?
Have I persuaded you yet that you’ll never go hungry on a plant based diet?! Whether you stop eating all animal products immediately, gradually decrease your meat consumption, or strive to eat less meat, there is definitely no shortage of food options! 🌱