A vegan is a person that does not eat any food or drink that has any components from animals. Some people become vegan to improve their health. Some people do it out of love for animals. Whatever the reason, vegans eat a plant-based diet. There are a lot of food options when it comes to being vegan. However, it is also easy to eat unhealthily as a vegan. Foods that are refined and processed have little nutritional value. There are a lot of simple carbohydrates that fit into this category. Foods such as potato chips, white bread and flour, and frozen dinners to name a few. It is more important to focus on nutrient density and quality and not calories. Refined and processed food provides only empty calories and has very little nutritional value. It is very important for vegans to eat a well-balanced diet.

A well-balanced vegan diet consists of plant-based sources of complete protein (quinoa, rice and beans, buckwheat, soybeans and amaranth to name a few), complex carbohydrates, including whole grains, a variety of vegetables (all colors), legumes, fruit, nuts and seeds and essential fatty acids (EFAs). It is also necessary to take a few supplements to get nutrients that are difficult to get from a vegan diet. The supplements that I recommend are B12, Vitamin D, iodine, calcium, iron, and zinc. Ask your healthcare provider about these and other supplements they recommend for a person on a vegan diet.