Reminder: it's very hard to get adequate nutrition on a high-carb, low-fat, low-protein diet

firespeed45

New member
This is inspired by a recent post from a person who is eating a mostly raw, high-carb, low-fat, low-protein diet. It was deleted by the mods, but it got a good amount of attention.

This is a subreddit for vegan fitness enthusiasts, and we should be basing our actions on the best available evidence. Some of OP's statements in that post were simply not supported by the evidence.

A very good source of evidence-based nutrition advice is veganhealth.org, created by group of highly credentialed vegan nutrition experts.

It can be easy to get enough protein if you're eating legumes and whole grains with every meal. But it would be difficult to do so if most of your diet is fruits and raw vegetables. I recommend using MyFitnessPal or Cronometer to track your food intake for a few days to make sure you are getting enough protein and other nutrients.

Omega-3 fatty acids are a requirement for all humans. Most fruits and vegetables contain almost no fat, so there's no way to get adequate omega-3 fatty acids from them. Avocados and coconuts are high in fat, but these fats are very high in omega-6 and low in omega-3. Our bodies use omega-6 more efficiently than omega-3, so all people (not just vegans) should include some food that are very high in omega-3 every day. Most nuts and seeds are not high in these fats. Only things like flax, hemp, chia, canola oil, and soy products have enough to really make a difference.

It's also essential that ALL vegans supplement their diets with vitamin B-12. There are no reliable vegan sources of B-12. But it's easy to get it when eating fortified foods like cereal, soy milk, etc. If you're not eating fortified foods, it's very important to take a B-12 supplement at least a few times a week.

There are several other nutrients that can be limited on a typical vegan diet, and especially one that is based on raw fruits and vegetables.

Most people on this sub seem to be aware of these issues, but I wanted to post a reminder for those who might be considering going down the raw food, high-carb path. A vegan diet is not some magical thing that is automatically healthier than the typical omnivore diet. We need to plan and work hard to make sure we're staying healthy. I've seen too many vegans give up because they were eating a highly restrictive diet without enough attention paid to the nutrition content of their food.
 
@coffeedrinker I'm a huge fan of fake meats, Just Egg, and all that shit. But I understand it's not for everyone, and some people just like to eat beans and lentils. I can't even imagine a vegan diet without fake meat OR legumes.
 
@firespeed45 Fake meat totally grosses me out. I'm looking to avoid animal products, not mimic them. I don't understand the obsession with recreating animal products with highly processed vegetable matter. I really don't. Unless you're trying to convert carnivores and this is the only avenue?
 
@keithfin007 Meat tastes good to me. Meat is terrible for animals and the environment. Fake meat satisfies my desire for the flavor and texture of meat in a way that is in line with my ethics.

Fake meat has made it much easier to remain a vegan for 25 years.
 
@keithfin007 I love the taste of real meat, but dislike plant-based meat, I don't even like tofu. For me to be a successful vegan I have to stay away from it. Different strokes I guess.
 
@denispa Yeah, totally. When I left the meat world, the texture was something I missed for a while.

I think it's interesting I'm being downvoted. I'd think most vegans would want to sincerely stay away from the meat world, but I guess there are a lot of people who really, really miss it.
 
@firespeed45 Fantastic post! Thanks so much! I get so exasperated with all of the un-evidenced misinformation that is spread around and perpetuated regarding nutrition, and it’s great the mods caught this one and removed it.

Thanks again so much!
 
@boosted I'm not sure what your question is. It's likely that you're getting enough protein on a high-protein diet. It's possible you're not getting enough omega-3 fatty acids on a low-fat diet. But if a good portion of your fats come from soy, flax, etc., it's probably fine. I would use Cronometer or another nutrient tracking app to make sure you're getting enough of every nutrient of concern.
 
@firespeed45 Finally, someone criticizing the raw vegan diet, I have never heard them put forth evidence, I've only heard them say how they "feel" good on the diet
 
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