Vegan Food Pyramid

Is a vegan diet inherently healthy? The opinion is however divided with half of the people saying yes while the other half say no. You would realize scraping meat from your meals would not ensure the benefits of the vegan diet. A vegan diet is healthy only if you follow a healthy vegan diet plan. Following a health diet plan will ensure your body gets all the basic nutrients daily.

Vegan Pyramid

A healthy and nutritional vegan diet consists of plant-based foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits, and vegetables. A vegan diet normally contains less cholesterol and fat and is high in fiber. A vegan food pyramid would be helpful to plan out your vegan diet. Researchers and scientists of State University of Arizona formulated this food pyramid that gives an insight into the quantity and types of food you need to have everyday to maintain the nutrient levels in the body.

Whole Grains
Whole grains include foods such as bread, cereals, wheat germ, pasta and so on. Some of the examples of whole grains include, brown rice, oats, millet and barley. You could have small servings of whole grain food 6 to 11 times a day. Whole grain forms the lower base of the pyramid.

Vegetables
Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of fiber and folate. Many vegetables are rich in calcium also. You should include fresh and raw vegetables in your daily diet. Consume vegetables in form of salads or vegetable juice. In a day you could have 3 or more servings. This is the next level above the whole grain.

Fruits
Fruits occupy the level just above the vegetables in a vegan pyramid. You could eat an assortment of fruits rich in vitamin C. Fruits such as kiwi, strawberries, papaya, mangoes and citrus fruits would be a good choice. You could have one or two helpings of fruits in a day.

Legumes
Legumes such as beans, peas and so on form the next level, along with fruits and vegetables the body requires vitamin E and other essential minerals. Hence, it is necessary to include few nuts and legumes in your daily diet. You could have a meal consisting of tofu, soy milk, and cooked legumes.

Fatty Acids and Other Vitamins
Omega-3 fatty acids are a best source of fatty acids. Use canola or flax oil used to stir frying your vegetables. Couple of walnuts a day would help in balancing the fatty acids of the body. You could use flax oil as a salad dressing. You should take food rich in vitamin B12 and vitamin D to complete your vegan diet.

A vegan is classified on the basis of food consumed. A vegan consumes only plant-based food and avoids dairy products such as milk, yogurt, butter and cheese. A lacto-vegan avoids meat, chicken and fish. He consumes milk and milk products. A lacto-ovo vegan consumes eggs and milk products but avoids meat and poultry products. A flexitarian basically consumes plant-based diet. However, they occasionally consume small amounts of meat and poultry products.

Irrespective of one's age, a well-planned vegan diet helps in meeting the nutritional needs of the body. This pyramid of vegan food briefs on the various food choices that forms the foundations of a healthy vegan diet.