What does a vegan eat?
A vegan eats an entirely plant-based diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, legumes, cereals, oilseeds, and many varied plant-based alternatives 🥗
We often hear that vegans only eat seeds and salad.
In reality, a vegan diet is much more varied and tasty than one might think!
So, what does a vegan actually eat?
1) Edible or not?
Before starting, let's first see what a vegan cannot eat!
a) Animal-derived products
The vegan diet excludes all products of animal origin:
- Meat
- Fish
- Dairy products
- Eggs
- Honey
Even though a very large portion of the products we consume in stores contain at least one of these elements, it is entirely possible to enjoy the same flavors and stay healthy while eating vegan!
b) What does a vegan eat?
Now that we have seen what a vegan cannot eat, let's look at examples of foods a vegan can eat—and not just those! There are many recipes and delicious vegan dishes; we will look at a few:
1) Fruits
Indeed, fruits play a large role in the vegan diet. Rich in vitamin A, as well as fiber, antioxidants, potassium, and magnesium! And of course, a great diversity of different tastes 😋🍉
2) Vegetables
Vegetables have diverse flavors and textures, allowing for frequent variety; you can't get bored with vegetables! Often low in calories, vegetables provide water (essential for the body's functioning) and are rich in vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
3) Soy-based products
Tofu, soy milk, soy flour, desserts, plant-based steaks... There are many soy-based foods!
4) Legumes and Cereals
Legumes are plants whose fruit is a pod: beans, lentils, split peas, chickpeas, fava beans...
Cereals: bread, pasta, rice, corn, semolina, barley, oats...
5) Nuts
(Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts...)
Nuts contain many nutrients and are very good sources of plant-based protein. It is even recommended to consume a small handful per day!
6) Seeds
(Sunflower, chia, flax, sesame, poppy seeds...)
Rich in essential nutrients for our body, seeds contain essential fatty acids, antioxidants, and fiber.
2) Vegan recipes
As promised, there are many ways to cook and concoct delicious recipes using only foods that are part of the vegan diet!
Here are a few examples of what a vegan eats:
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, there are also vegan foods that mimic the taste of certain meats, milk, cheese... and are healthy! You lose nothing by being vegan 😉🌱
Here are some examples:
- Soy-based plant meats
è Tofu (plain, smoked, marinated...)
è Tempeh (fermented)
è Textured soy protein (in piece form)
- Wheat-based plant meats
è Seitan (texture similar to meat: used for steaks, nuggets, roasts, vegan kebabs...)
- Legume and cereal-based plant meats
è Patties and steaks (lentils, chickpeas / red beans)
è Plant-based meatballs (chickpeas / lentils)
- Industrial alternatives and meat analogues
è Plant-based steaks and nuggets (Ex: Beyond Meat, HappyVore, Heura)
è Vegan sausages (pea, wheat / soy-based)
è Plant-based bacon (coconut, mushroom, or seasoned seitan-based)
è Plant-based strips (replacing chicken or beef, soy or pea-based)
è Chocolate: Find it at the Révolution Végétale store! 😉🍫
3) The vegan diet: much more than seeds and salad
Being vegan is far from boring! There are a thousand and one ways to treat yourself while respecting your choices. Whether for ethics, health, or just the desire to discover new flavors, eating vegan won't be a "sacrifice"!
