Choosing to follow a plant-based lifestyle comes with a lot of perks – think saving the planet and lowering your risk of diabetes, just for starters. But do these incredible benefits come at the cost of nutrition?
Absolutely not.
A balanced diet must include all three macronutrients – carbohydrates, proteins and fats – on a daily basis in order for your body to function properly. Luckily, it’s deliciously easy to cover all your nutritional bases with a plant-based lifestyle.
Carbs are your friend
While there’s a lot of mixed messages out there surrounding carbohydrates, they’re actually the body’s main source of energy and should make up 45 – 65% of your daily calorie needs. You brain, muscles, and heart all need carbs to function properly.
Get enough carbs by consuming:
- Whole grains
- Fruits
- Vegetables (especially starchy ones like potatoes and squash)
Fuel up with plant-based proteins
Everyone who lives a plant-based lifestyle has probably been asked, “But how do you get enough protein?” at some point. The answer is really simple – plant-based protein sources are everywhere. Responsible for the growth and maintenance of your hair, nails, skin, eyes, and muscle tissues, 10 – 35% of your daily calories should come from protein.
Enjoy plant-based proteins like:
Don’t forget about healthy fats
Everybody needs a daily dose of healthy fats. Did you know your body uses fats for brain development, energy reserves, the transportation of fat-soluble vitamins, and even organ protection? Fats should make up 25 – 35% of your daily calorie needs.
Try these great sources of healthy fats:
- Avocado
- Oils
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Nut butters
Find the right macronutrient balance
You don’t need to hit each macronutrient at every meal – but your daily totals should ultimately balance out. While the occasional off-day isn’t a huge deal, consistently missing your macronutrient targets could lead to hormonal imbalances, sluggishness, high cholesterol and more.
Meal plans make managing macronutrients easy
If monitoring your macronutrient intake sounds like way too much work, our 7-Day Plant-based Meal Plan will help you do it the easy way. Every mouth-watering recipe in the plan includes macronutrient counts, meaning you can properly fuel your body without stressing over nutrition labels.
Our world is a busy place; you need the right nutrients to keep up. Save your time and energy with a simple and delicious plant-based meal plan designed to fuel you forward!
Need more plant-based nutrition facts? Check out these posts:
- 3 high protein vegan breakfast ideas
- How to eat vegan and get every vitamin and nutrient you need
- 7 vegan health facts that will blow your mind
- The top 5 heart-friendly plant-based foods
- 7 reasons almonds can actually make you healthier
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