A vegan diet consists of avoiding foods that are not of animal origin, like meat, eggs, fish, dairy products and honey. A person who maintains a vegan lifestyle also does not wear clothing made from leather or natural fur, nor do they use products with ingredients that come from animal sources or are tested on animals.

In a vegan diet, plant-based foods, like grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, tubers, vegetable oils, seeds and nuts, are prioritized instead.

Vegan diets are generally high in fiber, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds, and can therefore reduce the risk of diseases like high blood pressure, heart attack, atherosclerosis, diabetes, cancer and obesity.

What to eat

A vegan diet is generally made-up of the following foods:

Whole grains: rice, wheat, corn, quinoa, oats and amaranth
Legumes: beans, chickpeas, soybeans, peas and peanuts
Tubers: potatoes, sweet potatoes, cassava and yams
Fruits: mango, orange, lemon, avocado, banana, papaya, apple and pear
Vegetables: kale, tomatoes, chard, broccoli, chayote and spinach
Seeds: chia, linseed, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds
Nuts: Brazil nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts
Soy derivatives: tofu, tempeh, textured soy protein, miso and seitan
Others: plant-based milks, olive oil, coconut oil

It is also possible to reword traditional recipes into vegan ones, or purchase ready-made products in supermarkets or natural stores, such as soy sausages, plant-based milk, chickpea burgers, beans or lentils.

Foods to avoid

When maintaining a vegan diet, you should avoid all foods of animal origin, such as:

Meat, such as chicken, eggs, fish, beef and seafood
Milk and dairy, such as cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and butter
Sausages and cold-cuts, such as hot dogs, ham, mortadella, turkey breast and salami
Fats of animal origin, such as butter, cod liver oil and lard
Beekeeping products, such as honey, propolis and royal jelly
Yeasts with living organisms, such as fresh (baker's) yeast
Gelatin and products made with collagen

Products that have been tested on animals, or products that use animal parts in their production, such as silk or leather clothing, for example, are also not used by those maintaining a vegan lifestyle

3-day meal plan

The following table outlines a sample 3-day vegan meal plan:

Meal	Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
Breakfast	1 cup of almond milk + 1 whole grain toast with hummus + 1 pear	300 ml of oat milk blended with strawberry and banana + 1 tablespoons of oat flour	1 soy yogurt + 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds + 1 slice of whole grain bread with eggplant paste
Morning snack	1 banana, sliced with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter	10 cashews + 1 apple	1 cup of green juice + 2 Brazil nuts
Lunch	Tofu + whole grain rice + stir-fried broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and cauliflower + 1 whole orange	Whole grain pasta with soy bolognese + salad made with spinach, lettuce, tomato and grated eggplant and 1 teaspoon of avocado oil + 1 cup of lemonade	Lentil hamburger + cooked quinoa + green bean, carrot and zucchini strew + 1 medium slice of papaya
Afternoon snack	1 soy yogurt + 6 chopped strawberries + 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds	1 slice of bread with guacamole amde with half an avocado, onion, tomato, olive oil lemon juice and pepper	300 ml of coconut milk blended with bananas and 1 tablespoon of flaxseed + 3 walnuts
Dinner	1 serving of bean soup with potato, carrots, kale and chayote + 1 guava	1 plate of salad made with whole grain pasta, cooked chickpeas, lettuce, tomato, zucchini, and grated carrots, seasoned with olive oil and salt + 1 tangerine	1 sandwich made iwth bread, lentil hamburger, lettuce, tomato, onion and eggplant paste

This meal plan is just a sample, as meal plans can vary based on individual preferences and the person's health history. You are advised to see a registered dietitian to devise a plan that suits your nutritional needs and health goals.

Do vegans need to take supplements?

Although a vegan diet is usually high in fiber, vitamins and minerals, it is important to be monitored periodically by a registered dietitian or doctor. An unbalanced vegan diet can lead to a deficiency in some nutrients, like vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron and protein.

However, vegans should only take supplements if deemed necessary by a health care professional, after evaluating eating habits and blood tests.

Tips on how to start

People who are interested in starting a vegan lifestyle can start by gradually reducing the amount of animal protein they consume and increase the intake of legumes, like chickpeas, soybeans, lentils and beans.

Another good option to gradually enter veganism is to first adopt a plant-based diet, which is primarily made up of foods that are plant-based, with little intake of animal protein.

Difference between being vegan and vegetarian

Veganism is a type of vegetarianism that avoids the consumption of any animal-based sources of food, clothing and cosmetic products.

Vegetarianism is a style of eating where no type of meat is consumed. However, some vegetarians may or may not eat eggs, milk and other dairy products. Vegetarianism can be divided into several types, such ovolactovegetarianism, lactovegetarianism, ovovegetarianism, strict vegetarianism and veganism.

Vegan recipes

Some healthy and tasty vegan recipes that you can include in your diet are:

1. Chickpea burger

Ingredients:

300g cooked chickpeas
1 small chopped onion
1 clove of chopped garlic
1 grated raw carrot
5 tablespoons of olive oil
1.5 cups of oats
1/2 cup of potato starch or sweet cassava starch
1 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
Black pepper to taste

Directions:

Soak the chickpeas in water for 12 hours. Drain and cook in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes, until soft. Drain, and once cooled, mix in a blender and set aside.

Saute the onion and garlic in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add salt, pepper and parsley, then add to a processor or blender and blend until creamy. Transfer the chickpeas and the blended stirfry to a bowl and add the carrots. Mix well and gradually add the oats and cassava flour until the burger becomes moldable.

Shape the burgers into equal sizes. Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan and then place the burgers. Cook until brown on both sides. Add olive oil as needed. Serve with bread, lettuce and tomato and other vegetables as desired.

2. Vegan almond cheese

Ingredients:

1 cup of almonds
Juice squeezed from half a lemon
1 teaspoon of agar-agar
½ teaspoon of salt
1 pinch of turmeric (optional)
2 cups of filtered water

Directions:

Soak the almonds for 8 hours. Then drain and add the almonds with the filtered water to a blender. Mix, then strain the mixture through a fine cloth and save the ground almonds for another recipe.

Transfer the almond milk to a pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook over medium heat, stirring with a spoon for 4 to 5 minutes to activate the agar-agar. Place the mixture in a glass container and wait for it to cool and harden. Refrigerate and consume within 7 days.

3. Vegan brigadeiro

Ingredients:

1 cup of demerara sugar
1/2 cup of boiling water
3/4 cup of oat flour
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder.

Directions:

Carefully mix the sugar with the boiling water in a blender for about 3 minutes. Then add the oat flour and mix for another 2 minutes until you obtain a smooth cream, similar to a condensed milk consistency.

Then, add the cocoa powder and cream to a pot and stir over low heat. Remove from heat once it boils and no longer sticks to the pot. Wait for it to cool, roll into small balls, and serve.

4. Vegan corn cake

Ingredients:

2 cups of corn (canned or fresh)
2 cups of corn flour and couscous flakes
1 cup of wheat flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
400 ml of coconut milk
1/2 cup of grated coconut
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons of sodium bicarbonate

Directions:

Add the oil, sugar and coconut milk to the blender and mix. Add, little by little, the flour, corn flour and salt. Turn off the blender and stir with a spoon if necessary. Set this dough aside. Then blend the corn, without over-mixing.

Mix the beaten corn with the dough with a spoon and add the yeast. Place the dough in a baking dish greased with oil and wheat flour. Bake in a preheated oven at 180° C for 45 minutes, and then for another 10 minutes at 200° C until brown. Wait for it to cool, remove from the pan and serve.