Nutrition
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“Those who eat a plant-based diet lower their risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and other health conditions. Research also shows that a plant-based diet can be less expensive than an omnivorous diet.”
Most people should be able to get all of the required nutrition from a healthy balanced plant-based diet.
“All the elements of nutrition are contained in the fruits, vegetables, and grains.” {The Review and Herald, May 8, 1883}
Here are some tips to help you ensure that you’re getting enough nutrition:
1. Avoid eating the same foods everyday.
You may have heard that health experts from around the world recommend that you consume 30 different plants per week. This is because in 2018, a group of scientists published results from the American Gut Project which is a collaboration of researchers and over 10,000 citizen scientists from the US, UK & Australia. The study showed that participants who ate a wider variety of plants had more diverse gut microbiomes. Participants who ate 30 or more different plants per week were more likely to have certain “good” gut bugs than those who ate just 10. It should also be noted that the 30 plants guide is not limited to just fruits & vegetables. This list also includes: nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, herbs, etc.
This isn’t to say that it is mandatory for you to consume 30 different plants a week in order to be considered “healthy” because studies still suggest that eating 5 portions of fruits and vegetables a day can have a positive impact on your long-term health.
When planning your meals, remember to “eat the rainbow”. Try to include foods with a diverse range of colours. Consider trying foods you’ve never tasted before & explore different recipes.
“The meals should be varied. The same dishes, prepared in the same way, should not appear on the table meal after meal and day after day. The meals are eaten with greater relish, and the system is better nourished, when the food is varied.” {Life & Health, July 1, 1905}
“By eating fruits and vegetables of different colours, you are very likely to achieve a good range of vitamins and minerals for maintaining health and wellbeing. Certain colours are especially rich in protective compounds and each fruit or veg varies in different vitamin and mineral contents (eating 5 of the same colour still only counts as one portion so try to mix it up).” {NHS Trust, Are you getting enough?}
2. Balance macronutrients
Ensure your meals have a good balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.
“Optimal sources of carbohydrates, such as wholesome vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, are high in fiber and nutrients. Refined carbohydrates from sugars, flours, and other processed foods can lead to mal-nourishment and promote illness.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“Fine-flour bread does not impart to the system the nourishment that is to be found in unbolted wheat bread. Its common use will not keep the system in the best condition.” {Christian temperance & Bible hygiene, page 46}
“Protein is readily available throughout the plant kingdom, but those foods that are particularly rich in protein include legumes, nuts and nut butters, seeds and seed butters, soy foods, and intact whole grains.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“Ideally, a healthful diet is loaded with wholesome carbohydrates, moderate in fat, and temperate in protein. The emphasis must be on the quality of the totality of foods coming from whole plant sources as opposed to calculations and perfect ratios.” {Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
3. Familiarise yourself with food sources of each required nutrient.
Having knowledge on the nutrition content in foods and using this information to help plan your meals better can be helpful in preventing nutrition-related diseases. You can use this page [INSERT NUTRITION DOC] as a rough guide to help you learn where you can find sources of each required nutrient.
“Much tact and discretion should be employed in preparing nourishing food to take the place of that which has formerly constituted the diet of those who are learning to be health reformers.” {Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 474}
4. Read nutrition labels
When purchasing food be sure to check the ingredients list & labels for information on calories, serving sizes and nutrient content. Try to be aware of hidden sugars, unhealthy fats and excessive amounts of sodium.
In the UK, some food products use a colour coding scheme to highlight the amount of fat, saturates, sugar & salt. (Red = high, Amber = medium, Green = low).
Any food & drink with red labels should be limited. Aim to consume these foods less often and in smaller amounts.
Everyone’s nutritional needs are different. You should learn what type of foods are best for you depending on your lifestyle & climate.
“Not all foods, wholesome in themselves, are equally suited to our needs under all circumstances. Care should be taken in the selection of food. Our diet should be suited to the season, to the climate in which we live, and to the occupation we follow.” {Life & Health, July 1, 1905}
When following a plant-based diet it’s important to also make sure that meat is substituted for other foods so that you don’t lack any essential nutrition. For example, you can replace meat with other sources of protein and iron such as: beans, lentils, chickpeas, etc.
“The proper cooking of food is a most important accomplishment. Especially where meat is not made a principal article of food is good cooking an essential requirement. Something must be prepared to take the place of meat, and these substitutes for meat must be well prepared.” {Counsels on Diet & Foods}
It should also be noted that when adopting a plant-based diet you may need to take a regular B12 supplement. This is because there are not many plant-based sources of B12. However, if you’re not a fan of taking supplements in the form of a tablet you could also search for foods that have been fortified with B12 such as: cereals, vegan yoghurts, nutritional yeast, etc. You can learn more about B12 here.
“Half of the plate should consist of vegetables and fruits in accordance with the US Department of Agriculture, American Cancer Society, and American Heart Association, because they are filled with fiber, potassium, magnesium, iron, folate, and vitamins C and A—almost all of the nutrients that tend to run low in the American population, according to the Scientific Report of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.”{Plant-Based Diets: A Physician’s Guide, Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT}
“The evidence indicates that of all cancer-related deaths, almost 25–30% are due to tobacco, as many as 30–35% are linked to diet, about 15–20% are due to infections, and the remaining percentage are due to other factors like radiation, stress, physical activity, environmental pollutants etc. Therefore, cancer prevention requires smoking cessation, increased ingestion of fruits and vegetables, moderate use of alcohol, caloric restriction, exercise, avoidance of direct exposure to sunlight, minimal meat consumption, use of whole grains”, etc {Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes, Pharmaceutical Research 25, no. 9: 2097-2116}