{"id":10480,"date":"2023-01-25T13:18:02","date_gmt":"2023-01-25T14:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/?p=10480"},"modified":"2023-01-26T02:36:20","modified_gmt":"2023-01-26T02:36:20","slug":"going-plant-based-following-a-vegan-diet-for-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/everything-else\/going-plant-based-following-a-vegan-diet-for-fitness\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Plant-Based: Following a Vegan Diet for Fitness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3683717 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot.jpg\" alt=\"This rabbit definetly follows a plant-based diet. Should you?\" width=\"800\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot.jpg 1591w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot-300x120-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot-768x306-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot-713x284-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/lego-with-carrot-600x239-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>So you\u2019re interested in eating only plants, eh? <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, you\u2019ve come to the right place to learn all about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve helped many of our clients embark on a plant-based diet and there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to go vegan or vegetarian.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/coaching-overview-page\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tIs a Plant-Based Diet right for you? Maybe! Let our coaches help you decide.\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover in our guide to removing animal products from your diet:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#whatis\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is a plant-based diet?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#whatdo\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What foods can you eat on a plant-based diet?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#willa\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will a plant-based diet help me lose weight?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#willi\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Will I get enough protein on a plant-based diet?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#muscle\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to build muscle on a plant-based diet.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#protein\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculating protein requirements for a plant-based athlete.\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#proteinsupplements\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What are some good plant protein supplements?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#vegan\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s a plant-based day of eating look like? (A Vegan Meal Plan)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#mistakes\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Common mistakes when following a plant-based diet (Beware of \u201cFake Meat\u201d)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#supplements\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What supplements should a vegan take?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#info\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trusted resources for embarking on a plant-based diet.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"#started\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting started with a plant-based diet (Next Steps)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alright buckeroo, let\u2019s get ready to do this thing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span id=\"more-3507588\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"whatis\"><\/a><strong>WHAT EXACTLY IS A PLANT-BASED DIET?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-3683743 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato.jpg\" alt=\"Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable? Either way they&#039;re part of a plant-based diet.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato.jpg 1600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato-768x513-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato-713x476-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/boxer-with-tomato-600x401-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>There are quite a few different versions of a Plant-Based Diet. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019ll be good to start with some definitions so we land on the same page.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the Vegetarian Society, a vegetarian is someone who \u201cdoes not eat foods that consist of, or have been produced with the aid of products consisting of or created from, any part of the body of a living or dead animal.\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-4\" id=\"refmark-4\"><sup>[4]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>So NO eating: \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Meat <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Poultry<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fish<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Shellfish<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insects<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Instead, vegetarians DO eat:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grains<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Legumes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuts<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seeds<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegetables (duh)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fruits<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fungi<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plants, more or less.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3568862 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/healthy-eating-rabbit.gif\" alt=\"This rabbit loves to eat his greens.\" width=\"328\" height=\"225\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cVegetarian\u201d can be a broader term for more specific examples of plant-based eating. Some examples would be: <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Lacto-ovo-vegetarians<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is someone who doesn\u2019t eat animal flesh but does eat dairy and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Lacto vegetarians <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">don\u2019t eat eggs but do eat dairy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Ovo vegetarians <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">avoid all animal products, except eggs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Vegans <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs, and even things like honey. If it came from an animal, it\u2019s not a part of a vegan diet. Some even take it one step further and eat only a \u201craw vegan\u201d diet, where the plants consumed are not cooked before consumption. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The above are the most common forms of Plant-Based Diets, but there are others.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><b>pescatarian <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is someone who consumes no animal products except fish and shellfish. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-flexitarian-diet-plan-the-ultimate-beginners-guide-to-semi-vegetarianism\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>flexitarian<\/b><\/a><b> <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is someone who follows a vegetarian diet a majority of the time, but who will occasionally eat meat. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now granted, neither pescatarians nor flexitarians are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">technically<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> vegetarians<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">because both contain animal products on the menu. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, they are <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mostly plant-based<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so worth mentioning.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many more considerations and labels, which can tackle a lot of the ethical stances around being vegan: not wearing animal products, the treatment of animals, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To be blunt, this is outside the scope of this guide.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019m interested in \u201cIf you are going to avoid eating meat, and eat only plants, how do you do it?\u201d So we\u2019ll politely ignore clothing, testing, and captivity for this article. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which brings us to&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"whatdo\"><\/a><strong>WHAT DO YOU EAT ON A PLANT-BASED DIET? WHAT\u2019S ON A VEGAN MENU?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3684192 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-produce.jpg\" alt=\"No matter what type of plant-based diet you pick, eat lots of fruits and vegetables.\" width=\"800\" height=\"558\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-produce.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-produce-300x209-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-produce-713x498-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-produce-600x419-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>What you can or cannot eat on a Plant-Based Diet depends a lot on what kind of vegetarianism you follow. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eggs and dairy, for example, may or may not be included. It really comes down to what path you are choosing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are some general food groups we can consider as universal no matter what form of vegetarianism you follow.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>A Plant-Based Diet will include the following foods:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Whole grains.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Rice, oats, barley, and buckwheat would all be examples of whole grains. Most vegetarian diets include a sizable amount of whole grains as their base. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Vegetables. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, a vegetarian diet is going to include vegetables! And it should because vegetables are great for you! They\u2019re packed full of nutrients, fiber, and generally low in calories. Most people could stand to eat more veggies. If you find yourself not being able to stomach greens, I got you. Check out this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/vegetable-haters-how-to-start-eating-vegetables\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">post for tips on how to turn around any vegetable hater<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Legumes. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beans, lentils, and soy make up the legume family. If you\u2019re following a plant-based or vegan diet, legumes would be a great way to get protein (more on this to follow). <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Fruit. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bananas, apples, and oranges all come from plants, so all are vegetarian-friendly. While high in fructose (sugar), they are also nutrient-dense. Our general stance on fruit around these parts is to eat \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/is-fruit-healthy-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in moderation<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Nuts and seeds. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, they come from plants, so almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are good to go on any vegetarian plan you pick. So is quinoa, which although is often thought of as a grain, is actually a seed. Mind=blown.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nuts and seeds, although high in fat and calories, are another great way to get protein on a Plant-Based Diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter what type of vegetarian diet you pick, you\u2019d be free to eat the above (provided they fit into your current nutrition goals &#8211; but I\u2019ll get to that shortly).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The below will depend on what kind of vegetarianism you are trying. We may be stepping into controversial waters with the following:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Eggs. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eggs are a great source of vitamin B12 and protein, which will become important in a section further down. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Dairy. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether or not you consume dairy will be determined by your specific strain of plant-based nutrition. On the one hand, it\u2019s from an animal (moo). On the other hand, dairy can be full of nutrients that might be harder to source from only plants, like omega-3s and calcium. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Fish. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Look, I get it. Fish are animals, so technically not allowed on a vegetarian diet. However, if you eat a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mostly-<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant-Based Diet that includes a little fish, it wouldn\u2019t be too different from a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-mediterranean-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mediterranean Diet<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. There are a lot of worse ways to eat than like the Mediterraneans. And as mentioned earlier, depending on who you talk to, being pescatarian could be a form of a Plant-Based Diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s a lot of the major food groups when it comes to plant-based eating. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So here\u2019s all you need to remember:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whatever form of vegetarianism you may pick, stick to REAL food whenever possible. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pinto beans, asparagus, apples, and quinoa would all be examples of real food. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3602602 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/real-food.gif\" alt=\"These image shows some real food, critical if you&#039;re trying to lose body fat.\" width=\"373\" height=\"280\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These are nutrient-dense foods that will keep you full and energized throughout your day. Deep-fried cheese balls, donuts, and candy bars are examples of \u201cplant-based, but not real\u201d food.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And I\u2019ll give out a warning on processed vegan junk food in a moment. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For now, there may be a question you are thinking. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s one of the most common ones we get when it comes to eating a vegetarian or vegan diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"willa\"><\/a><strong>WILL A plant-based DIET HELP ME LOSE WEIGHT?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3671303 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lego_Men_Romanesco-1.jpg\" alt=\"This romanesco is 100% part of a plant-based diet. But will it help you lose weight?\" width=\"768\" height=\"556\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lego_Men_Romanesco-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lego_Men_Romanesco-1-300x217-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lego_Men_Romanesco-1-713x516-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Lego_Men_Romanesco-1-600x434-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>&#8230;MAYBE!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>There are plenty of examples of people losing weight on a Plant-Based Diet.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-5\" id=\"refmark-5\"><sup>[5]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, there are also stories of the opposite where people gained body fat when going vegan.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-6\" id=\"refmark-6\"><sup>[6]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, anecdotal evidence isn\u2019t science. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does the research say?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684202 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/magnifying-glass.gif\" alt=\"Science will help us with the question of weight loss and a plant-based diet.\" width=\"479\" height=\"270\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>If you look at studies on the subject, there\u2019s nothing here that will surprise us: plant-based calories count just as much as animal-based calories.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-7\" id=\"refmark-7\"><sup>[7]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are some studies that show the success of veganism compared to omnivore diets for weight loss.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-8\" id=\"refmark-8\"><sup>[8]<\/sup><\/a> Then there are others showing that a diet including meat outperforms vegan diets for trimming body fat.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-9\" id=\"refmark-9\"><sup>[9]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Depending on who you\u2019re trying to impress, you can find six studies that say vegans will lose more weight than meat-eaters, or half a dozen studies that show vegans will lose less weight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684203 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/sheldon-papers.gif\" alt=\"Yeah, there are a ton of contradictory studies when it comes to diet and health.\" width=\"480\" height=\"240\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It honestly doesn\u2019t matter, because when it comes to weight loss, it comes down to calories, calories, calories. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oh and calories. Did I mention calories? \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Put bluntly, if you\u2019re not losing weight, you\u2019re consuming too many calories. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3859447\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/shocking.gif\" alt=\"A gif of Buddy saying &quot;that&#039;s shocking&quot;\" width=\"405\" height=\"228\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It doesn\u2019t matter if they\u2019re vegan or vegetarian or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paleo<\/a> or certified organic. Check out our \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/why-cant-i-lose-weight-heres-the-truth\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Why can\u2019t I lose weight?<\/a>\u201d article to learn the science behind why!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Let\u2019s get to the point: You\u2019re here, you\u2019re eating plants, and you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">want to lose weight<\/a>. So here\u2019s how to do it.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you typically ate a standard American diet filled with burgers and french fries, and then moved to salads? Yeah, I\u2019d imagine that you would lose weight &#8211; simply because you\u2019re now eating fewer calories than you were eating in the past. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>However, if you go from scarfing down normal burgers to scarfing down an Impossible Burger or a vegan burger? Maybe not.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-10\" id=\"refmark-10\"><sup>[10]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s take a look:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An Impossible Burger\u2019s three-ounce patty has 220 calories.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A three-ounce regular beef patty has about 205 calories. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Impossible Burger is made with wheat protein, coconut oil, potato protein, and heme (a molecule found in plants and animals). So it\u2019s very calorically dense. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Moral of the story: don\u2019t assume that food without any meat in it will have fewer calories in it.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there are plenty of nuances, when it comes to weight loss, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/what-is-the-cico-diet-how-to-count-calories-for-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">calories in and calories out<\/a> plays a major role in whether or not you are successful. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just because something is vegan doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s necessarily healthy. As someone pointed out in our private <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NF Prime Facebook Group<\/a>, \u201cOreos are vegan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684209 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/giant-oreo.gif\" alt=\"Yep, Oreos are vegan. Part of a healthy diet? Eh...\" width=\"271\" height=\"219\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>If you don\u2019t plan properly, you could be deluding yourself into thinking veganism will be a weight-loss strategy.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I know that adopting a new lifestyle can be challenging, especially if you&#8217;re really busy. Whether it\u2019s veganism, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-keto-diet-or-ketogenic-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a low-carb diet<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">trying to build muscle<\/a>, embarking on a new habit can be tough if you don\u2019t know what to do. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Weight-loss, no matter which strategy you pick, can be a hard road to follow. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>I want you to know that you&#8217;re not alone, we&#8217;re here to help. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We offer a <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">1-on-1 Online Coaching Program<\/a> <\/strong>to help busy people like you embark on complete life overhauls. We can help you with dietary changes, exercise, and accountability so you can create new healthy habits that fit into your chaotic day-to-day life! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re thinking about a Plant-Based Diet for weight loss, we can help you switch to a less restrictive diet over time. Slow and steady is our preferred approach.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button red\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tHave a Nerd Fitness Coach guide your nutrition and weight loss!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"willi\"><\/a><b>WILL I GET ENOUGH PROTEIN ON A PLANT<\/b><b>&#8211;<\/b><b>BASED DIET?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3684227 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mixed-beans.jpg\" alt=\"Beans are a great source of protein for a plant-based diet.\" width=\"798\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mixed-beans.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mixed-beans-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mixed-beans-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mixed-beans-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Contrary to popular belief, you CAN get enough protein when following a Plant-Based Diet. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, protein consumption SHOULD be something that\u2019s prioritized if you\u2019re trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">lose weight<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">build muscle<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/healthy-eating\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">be healthier<\/a>. What we call \u201cprotein\u201d is actually a combination of different amino acids. There are 20 or so amino acids that we use to build muscle and keep our organs functioning. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Nine of these amino acids our bodies can\u2019t produce themselves, so we need to get them through food.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684234 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/pokemon-food.gif\" alt=\"Does Pikachu follow a plant-based diet? Probably.\" width=\"452\" height=\"297\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Getting all nine is important, because these amino acids do everything from build and repair muscle tissue (which is HUGE for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">strength training<\/a>), run our metabolism, and even help our genes function correctly.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-11\" id=\"refmark-11\"><sup>[11]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All nine are found together in all forms of meat. When you eat a piece of chicken, you are getting all nine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When it comes to non-animal sources, most plants will generally be missing one or two of these nine essential amino acids.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-12\" id=\"refmark-12\"><sup>[12]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Soy might be the best way to get all nine together in one plant; however, soy doesn\u2019t seem to provide the same biological functionality as dairy or eggs.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-13\" id=\"refmark-13\"><sup>[13]<\/sup><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can overcome this small challenge easily by varying your dietary choices. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Let\u2019s look at the most common example: \u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beans are low in the amino acid methionine, while high in the amino acid lysine. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversely, rice is low in lysine but high in methionine.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eat them together, and you\u2019ve covered any amino acid deficiency!<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-14\" id=\"refmark-14\"><sup>[14]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To recap: if you eat some kind of unprocessed starch (rice, corn, potatoes, beans), combined with some fruits and vegetables during the day, you\u2019ll be covered.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-15\" id=\"refmark-15\"><sup>[15]<\/sup><\/a><\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics explains \u201cProtein from a variety of plant foods, eaten during the course of a day, supplies enough of all indispensable (essential) amino acids when caloric requirements are met.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-16\" id=\"refmark-16\"><sup>[16]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you catch that caveat?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As long as you are meeting your calorie requirements from \u201cplant foods,\u201d you\u2019ll get all your necessary amino acids. But this only works if your calories are coming from plants, not cookies. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I\u2019ll say it again: EAT REAL FOOD.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684257 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/rabbit-banana.gif\" alt=\"Yep, eating real food like this banana would be a great addition to a plant-based diet.\" width=\"335\" height=\"335\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eating a variety of foods will help build up a diversified nutrient profile, including amino acids. Oats with one meal, lentils with the next, and rice with dinner, for example. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This would be a better strategy than just living off soy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And DEFINITELY better off than living off of Soylent Green\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To recap this section: vegetarians can get plenty of protein.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It just really depends on what they are eating.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So why are we focusing so much on protein? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because, muscles.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"muscle\"><\/a><b>HOW TO BUILD MUSCLE ON A PLANT-BASED DIET<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\" wp-image-3684258 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight.jpg\" alt=\"If this LEGO wants to fuel his workouts with plants, what should he eat? Let&#039;s explore.\" width=\"801\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight.jpg 1280w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight-768x512-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/LEGO-lifting-weight-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 801px) 100vw, 801px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Look in the right places and have the right conversations, and you\u2019ll be able to find uber-successful plant-based athletes that have built plenty of muscle.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, Danielle Sidell is a CrossFit athlete who follows a 100% Plant-Based Diet:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-4014074\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/danielle-sidell.jpg\" alt=\"Danielle Sidell, a CrossFit athlete \" width=\"290\" height=\"497\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/danielle-sidell.jpg 290w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/danielle-sidell-175x300-1.jpg 175w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">David Carter, a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">defensive lineman in the NFL, calls himself \u201cThe 300-Pound Vegan.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4014075\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival.jpg\" alt=\"David Carter at vegan festival\" width=\"290\" height=\"443\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival.jpg 1610w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-196x300-1.jpg 196w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-392x600-1.jpg 392w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-768x1174-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-1004x1536-1.jpg 1004w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-1339x2048-1.jpg 1339w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/David_Carter_at_vegan_festival-600x918-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 290px) 100vw, 290px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s not forget about Jeremy Reijnders, another CrossFit athlete and vegan proponent:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-4014077\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders.jpg\" alt=\"Jeremy Reijnders, the vegan, lifting weight over his head\" width=\"635\" height=\"424\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders-713x476-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders-768x513-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jeremy-reijnders-600x401-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 635px) 100vw, 635px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And one last example to round things out: Joe Venus, a vegan bodybuilder who gets anywhere from 80-180 grams of protein daily through big meals.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-17\" id=\"refmark-17\"><sup>[17]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-4014079\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus.jpg\" alt=\"Joe Venus, the began, with food in his hand\" width=\"421\" height=\"423\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus.jpg 634w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus-300x300-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus-597x600-1.jpg 597w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus-150x150-1.jpg 150w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus-600x603-1.jpg 600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/jon-venus-100x100-1.jpg 100w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 421px) 100vw, 421px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Putting on muscle with a Plant-Based Diet is certainly not impossible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you analyze how these athletes eat, you\u2019ll notice many similarities to other \u201comnivore\u201d elite athletes, and a few places where they diverge: \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Let\u2019s look at a typical day for CrossFit athlete Danielle Sidell:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-18\" id=\"refmark-18\"><sup>[18]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTypical breakfast is 2 slices of sprouted bread with vegan butter, half an avocado, mini fruit salad with strawberries, grapes and blackberries with peanut butter drizzled over the top and a cup of coffee. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My snack before lunch is some roasted chickpeas and plain popcorn &#8211; it&#8217;s a really filling snack. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For lunch I\u2019ll do a serving of Beyond Meat\u2019s chicken or beef crumbles with jasmine rice, a serving of veggies and another half of an avocado. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For afternoon snack I\u2019m typically on my way to the gym so I\u2019ll have a banana, spoonful of peanut butter and a glass of unsweetened soy milk. I like soy and pea milk the most because they have lots of protein. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After I workout I\u2019ll do a shake with pea protein and dextrose. For dinner I\u2019ll have a cup of some sort of beans, hummus for the extra fat, some sweet potato and another serving of something by Beyond Meat. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then for a snack I\u2019ll do a whole bell pepper with hummus or a serving of beet chips.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>Compare that to any other athlete, and you\u2019ll find very similar strategies: get the correct amount of calories for your goals, and eat plenty of plants. The only difference is protein sources! And protein is how you build muscle<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-19\" id=\"refmark-19\"><sup>[19]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, it\u2019s not impossible to get enough protein strictly from plants to build muscle, it simply takes foresight, some understanding of your macros, and planning. So although there is an observed correlation between muscle size and animal protein intake, we all know that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-analyze-the-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">correlation doesn&#8217;t equal causation<\/a>.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-20\" id=\"refmark-20\"><sup>[20]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just because someone doesn\u2019t eat meat, doesn\u2019t mean they will have less muscle or smaller muscles. To put it another way: eating meat doesn\u2019t necessarily <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">lead <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to bigger muscles, either! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>To recap: if you are looking to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">strength train<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-building-muscle-and-strength\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">build muscle<\/a> on a Plant-Based Diet,<\/b> i<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">t comes down to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-much-protein-do-i-need-to-eat-every-day-protein-101-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">protein consumption<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">total calorie count<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-build-your-own-workout-routine\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">training regiment<\/a>! <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"protein\"><\/a><strong>HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED TO EAT EACH DAY ON A PLANT-BASED DIET?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684265 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-rabbit.jpg\" alt=\"How much protein does a rabbit need? How much protein do YOU need?\" width=\"798\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-rabbit.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-rabbit-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-rabbit-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-rabbit-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b><i>At this point, you may be asking, \u201cSteve, how much protein do these plant-based athletes have to eat? How much protein does it take to build muscle?\u201d<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great questions. There\u2019s some debate on this.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we point out in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-much-protein-do-i-need-to-eat-every-day-protein-101-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Protein 101 Guide<\/a>, there are estimates that you need .8 of a gram to 1 full gram of protein for every pound (or 1.6-2g for every kg) you weigh.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-21\" id=\"refmark-21\"><sup>[21]<\/sup><\/a>\u00a0Another study found it might be as high as 1.4 grams of protein for every pound you weigh.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-22\" id=\"refmark-22\"><sup>[22]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>I\u2019d say 1 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass, is a good solid number to shoot for if you are trying to build muscle.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>You can also play with <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>THE NERD FITNESS PROTEIN CALCULATOR<\/strong><\/span> right here:<\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_forms  with_frm_style frm_style_calculator-style\" id=\"frm_form_53_container\">\n<form enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" method=\"post\" class=\"frm-show-form  frm_pro_form  frm_ajax_submit \" id=\"form_rvzn7\">\n<div class=\"frm_form_fields \">\n<fieldset>\n<legend class=\"frm_hidden\">The Nerd Fitness Protein Calculator<\/legend>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_action\" value=\"create\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"53\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_hide_fields_53\" id=\"frm_hide_fields_53\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_key\" value=\"rvzn7\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_meta[0]\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"frm_submit_entry_53\" name=\"frm_submit_entry_53\" value=\"ab2033ac99\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input type=\"text\" class=\"frm_hidden frm_verify\" id=\"frm_verify_53\" name=\"frm_verify\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"frm_field_493_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_pe66p\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">YOUR SEX:<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[493]\" id=\"field_pe66p\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\".54\">Male<\/option><option value=\".54\">Female<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_494_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_lv3hf\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">YOUR WEIGHT (POUNDS)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"text\" id=\"field_lv3hf\" name=\"item_meta[494]\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_495_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_mes6q\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">I AM:<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[495]\" id=\"field_mes6q\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"1\">A healthy weight<\/option><option value=\"0\">Overweight\/Obese<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_497_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_5sffy\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">MY ACTIVITY LEVEL IS:<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[497]\" id=\"field_5sffy\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"0\">Sedentary<\/option><option value=\".10\">Active<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_498_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_iep01\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">I AM TRYING TO:<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[498]\" id=\"field_iep01\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"0\">Maintain my body composition<\/option><option value=\".901\">Lose some fat<\/option><option value=\".9\">Gain muscle<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_515_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_9igv2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">ARE YOU AN EXPERIENCED LIFTER TRYING TO BULK UP?<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[515]\" id=\"field_9igv2\" data-frmval=\"0\"><option value=\"0\" selected>No<\/option><option value=\"4\">Yes<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_499_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_u2c12\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">DAILY PROTEIN RECOMMENDATION IN GRAMS (LOW END)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"text\" id=\"field_u2c12\" name=\"item_meta[499]\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_500_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_4k1to\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">DAILY PROTEIN RECOMMENDATION IN GRAMS (HIGH END)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"text\" id=\"field_4k1to\" name=\"item_meta[500]\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_key\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<!--\n\n<div class=\"frm_submit\"> \n\n<button class=\"frm_button_submit frm_final_submit\" type=\"submit\"  >Submit<\/button>\n\n<\/div>\n\n--><\/fieldset>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let me get to a more important point here: As with EVERY athlete pointed out above (Danielle Sidell, David Carter, Jeremy Reijnders, and Joe Venus): <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They all supplement with isolated plant protein for increasing protein intake without dramatically increasing calories or carbohydrates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s why:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Dr. John Berardi from Precision Nutrition points out, \u201cYou just can&#8217;t avoid carbs in a vegan plan.\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-23\" id=\"refmark-23\"><sup>[23]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you\u2019ll recall, plants have <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">less <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">protein<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0than animal sources:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100 grams of black beans: 8.5 grams of protein in it. 131 calories, 24 grams of carbohydrates (8.5 grams of which are fiber).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100 grams of chicken breast: 30 grams of protein. 165 calories, 0 grams of carbohydrates.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The same size serving of black beans has a third of the amount of protein for roughly the same calories<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-lose-weight-without-dieting-5-rules-of-weight-loss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">goal is weight loss<\/a>, you need to be aware of your calorie intake.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3684266 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/scale.gif\" alt=\"Yep, weight loss really does down to watching the number of calories you eat.\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you try to get the same amount of protein from black beans as you would from chicken, you\u2019re going to end up consuming 2-3x the number of calories and a decent number of carbohydrates.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s not necessarily a bad thing, especially if you\u2019re an athlete or strength train! After all, carbs aren\u2019t evil HOWEVER&#8230;you could struggle with CERTAIN body fat percentage goals if you are going plant-based.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s not a judgment or a challenge or anything in between &#8211; it\u2019s just reality.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Dr. Berardi highlights the biggest challenge of strength training on a Plant-Based Diet: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not that you can\u2019t bulk up. It\u2019s that due to the inherent nature of how plant-based protein-rich foods are structured, you are potentially more likely to increase your body fat through overconsumption of calories:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI feel it&#8217;s actually going to be pretty easy to build muscle on a vegan plan \u2013 you just have to eat a lot of food. What&#8217;s probably difficult is getting super ripped. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These foods have a high percentage of carbs compared to proteins and fats. It&#8217;s not a problem getting lean on a vegan plan. But to actually preserve muscle mass and be bodybuilder-lean, that might be a challenge.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b>The solution: if you consume more carbohydrates to hit your protein goals, then you\u2019ll need to eat less fat to keep your calorie intake in balance.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One goes up, the other goes down.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684271 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/seesaw.gif\" alt=\"To keep things in balance, as your carb calories go up your fat calories go down.\" width=\"352\" height=\"351\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This ensures total calories don\u2019t increase to such a point that you start to put on fat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Is there a preferred ratio of macros?<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Sure&#8230;though your results may vary! Some people do better on a low-fat diet, while others do better on a high-fat diet. This is true of a Plant-Based Diet or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/paleo-keto-slow-carb-vegan-how-to-determine-the-perfect-diet-for-you\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">any other diet! <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hulda B. Waage, a vegan powerlifter, suggests those trying to strength train on a Plant-Based Diet aim for fat intake at around 15-20%, with protein at 20-30% and carbs at 55-60%.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-24\" id=\"refmark-24\"><sup>[24]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For comparison, the International Society of Sports Nutrition generally will recommend fat intake to be around 30%.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-25\" id=\"refmark-25\"><sup>[25]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>The only consistent constant of successful athletes: Whether they\u2019re high-carb or low-carb, high-fat or low-fat, they all prioritize adequate protein consumption. This can be aided by protein supplementation &#8211; covered in our next section!<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your results may vary, because you are a unique snowflake. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our advice would be to track your macros and track your results &#8211; see how your body adapts and changes, and then adjust along the way! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before we wrap up this section though, it should go without saying that not only will you have to eat right to build muscle, you\u2019ll also have to actually work out and train. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have a whole <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Strength Training 101 series<\/a> on Nerd Fitness that can walk you through EVERY step of that process. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Want to take it with you? Download our free guide, <\/b><b><i>Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know<\/i><\/b><b>, which will give you an exact plan to follow to build muscle and gain strength. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grab the guide free when you sign up in the box below and join the Rebellion!<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta strength-101 shortcode-form-13 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><span class=\"pre\">Download our comprehensive guide<\/span> <span class=\"extra\">STRENGTH TRAINING 101!<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Everything you need to know about getting strong.<\/li>\n<li>Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.<\/li>\n<li>How to find the right gym and train properly in one.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/app.convertkit.com\/forms\/3351751\/subscriptions\" data-sv-form=\"3351751\" data-uid=\"7a45ac8ba2\" data-version=\"5\" class=\"infusion-form\" data-options=\"{&quot;settings&quot;:{&quot;after_subscribe&quot;:{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;redirect&quot;,&quot;success_message&quot;:&quot;Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.&quot;,&quot;redirect_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/one-last-step\/&quot;},&quot;analytics&quot;:{&quot;google&quot;:null,&quot;fathom&quot;:null,&quot;facebook&quot;:null,&quot;segment&quot;:null,&quot;pinterest&quot;:null,&quot;sparkloop&quot;:null,&quot;googletagmanager&quot;:null},&quot;modal&quot;:{&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15},&quot;powered_by&quot;:{&quot;show&quot;:false,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/convertkit.com\/features\/forms?utm_campaign=poweredby&amp;utm_content=form&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=dynamic&quot;},&quot;recaptcha&quot;:{&quot;enabled&quot;:false},&quot;return_visitor&quot;:{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;show&quot;,&quot;custom_content&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;slide_in&quot;:{&quot;display_in&quot;:&quot;bottom_right&quot;,&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15},&quot;sticky_bar&quot;:{&quot;display_in&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15}},&quot;version&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"email_address\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"3507588\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"174.129.254.72\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2023-01-26 01:54:38\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get it now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<h2><a name=\"proteinsupplements\"><\/a> WHAT ARE SOME GOOD PLANT PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS?<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684272 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder.jpg\" alt=\"If you&#039;re trying to build muscle on a plant-based diet, some plant protein powder might be a good idea.\" width=\"799\" height=\"395\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder.jpg 2036w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder-300x148-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder-768x380-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder-713x353-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/protein-powder-600x297-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 799px) 100vw, 799px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>If you\u2019re struggling to hit your protein intake goals for the day, it\u2019s worth looking into a protein supplement. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/protein-shakes-for-newbies-what-to-buy-when-to-drink\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">My go-to protein powder is whey<\/a>, easily the most popular and efficient protein supplements you can take.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-26\" id=\"refmark-26\"><sup>[26]<\/sup><\/a> When I can\u2019t hit my protein goals with my regular meals, I drink a whey protein shake to fill the gaps. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whey is a dairy product, so would fall into the menu of a vegetarian, but not a vegan. If you\u2019re going 100% plant-based, these are not the powders you\u2019re looking for.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3507151 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/obi.gif\" alt=\"Nope, you can&#039;t eat whey on a vegan diet. Move along.\" width=\"480\" height=\"204\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll have to forgo it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are our recommendations and suggestions for plant protein powders<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Pea protein.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A solid choice for vegan protein powder comes from peas, specifically the high protein yellow split pea. A quarter cup (28 grams) will get you about 21 grams of protein, and run you about 100 calories. There\u2019s some evidence it might be comparable to whey in building muscle.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-27\" id=\"refmark-27\"><sup>[27]<\/sup><\/a> NAKED Nutrition offers a great 100% pea protein powder you can <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WNv2xG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">check out<\/a>. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Rice protein. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A quarter cup of rice protein will contain 22 grams of protein and run 107 calories. Not too shabby. Plus, when you combine it with pea protein, you\u2019ll end up with a complete amino acid profile needed for human growth.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-28\" id=\"refmark-28\"><sup>[28]<\/sup><\/a> A good brand to look into would be <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WQirtH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Growing Naturals<\/a>.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><b>Hemp protein. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it doesn\u2019t have as much protein as pea or rice (one cup will have 12 grams of protein and 108 calories), what it lacks in this department it makes up for in its nutrient profile. Hemp protein is derived from the seeds of the cannabis plant, but it\u2019s bred in such a way that it won\u2019t have any THC. What it will provide you with though is a decent source of iron, zinc, and omega-3s, which are all things vegans tend to be deficient in (we\u2019ll touch on all three later in our section on supplementation). Nutivia sells a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2MVxnlJ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">good hemp protein<\/a> if you are interested.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want all three in a mixture (my recommendation), you can do it yourself or find a company like Vega that makes a blend of pea, rice, and hemp protein. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can mix any or all of these powders with almond milk, some berries, and oats for an awesome vegan smoothie. My friend Matt Frazier over at No Meat Athlete has some great <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/the-perfect-smoothie-formula\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">vegan smoothie recipes<\/a> for you to check out. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want some more recipes on how to prioritize protein on a Plant-Based Diet? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s do it!<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"vegan\"><\/a><strong>WHAT\u2019S A PLANT-BASED DAY OF EATING LOOK LIKE? (A VEGAN MEAL PLAN)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684276 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables.jpg\" alt=\"Let&#039;s show you some actual meals made completely from plants.\" width=\"798\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables.jpg 1280w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables-300x199-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables-768x510-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables-713x473-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/fresh-vegetables-600x398-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>So we\u2019ve laid out a few key foundational pieces of a healthy Plant-Based Diet: :<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plants contain plenty of protein if you know where to look.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant-based strength trainers need to plan their protein intake.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s break this all down and look at what a day of eating vegan &#8211; with adequate protein intake &#8211; looks like. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ll keep it at .75 gram of protein for every pound of lean body mass because it makes the math easy, and can help manage hunger\/satiety.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-29\" id=\"refmark-29\"><sup>[29]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s calculate for a 200-pound male, who is 5 foot 9, and just started strength training. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s also pretend this person just turned 35. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3507153 size-full aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/cat.gif\" alt=\"This cat is celebrating our imaginary friend&#039;s birthday.\" width=\"248\" height=\"331\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re keeping track at home, our newly created imaginary friend needs to eat 150 grams of protein per day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How can we get to 150 grams of protein, using only plants? With the help of some recipes from <a href=\"https:\/\/fitmencook.com\/vegan-meal-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fit Men Cook<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/minimalistbaker.com\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Minimalist Baker<\/a>, I\u2019ll show you how: <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Breakfast:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684277 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-smoothie.png\" alt=\"A protein smoothie is a great way to start your day.\" width=\"478\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-smoothie.png 512w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-smoothie-300x169-1.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 478px) 100vw, 478px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Apple Pie Smoothie<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calorie: 485<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein: 36g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat: 14g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates: 54g<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Lunch:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684278 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh.png\" alt=\"Tempeh is a great way to get some protein in for your plant-based diet.\" width=\"480\" height=\"270\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh.png 1600w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh-300x169-1.png 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh-768x432-1.png 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh-713x401-1.png 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-tempeh-600x338-1.png 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Spicy Peanut Butter Tempeh<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calorie: 608<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein: 43g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat: 24g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates: 42g<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Afternoon Snack<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3684290 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-snack-pack.png\" alt=\"Our snack pack here has 11 grams of protein. Something we prioritized with all our meal selections.\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-snack-pack.png 512w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-snack-pack-300x169-1.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Green Protein Snack Pack<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calorie: 117<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein: 11g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat: 8g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates: 16g<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Dinner<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-3684297 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-spaghetti.png\" alt=\"The &quot;meat&quot; here is actually just kidney beans.\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-spaghetti.png 512w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-spaghetti-300x169-1.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Italian Veggie \u201cMeatballs\u201d &amp; Spaghetti<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calorie: 498<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein: 36g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat: 12g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates: 61g<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Late Night Snack<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3684298 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast.jpg\" alt=\"Hummus and toast is a great snack, whether you&#039;re going vegan or not.\" width=\"481\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast.jpg 1335w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast-300x243-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast-768x622-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast-713x577-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/vegan-hummus-toast-600x486-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 481px) 100vw, 481px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/minimalistbaker.com\/15-vegan-protein-sources-easy-hummus-toast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Hummus and Toast<\/b><\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calorie: 316<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Protein: 19g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fat: 16g<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carbohydrates: 24g<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BOOM! 150 grams of protein, with no animal products whatsoever. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Total calories?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">2,024<\/span>. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a id=\"calculate\"><\/a>If we calculate the needs of our imaginary 35-year-old male (who weighs 200 pounds and is &#8220;lightly active&#8221;), using our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-many-calories-should-i-eat-every-day-a-look-at-total-daily-energy-expenditure-tdee\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, we know this comes in under the <\/span><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><b>2,522<\/b><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0calories recommended for weight maintenance:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_forms  with_frm_style frm_style_calculator-style\" id=\"frm_form_48_container\">\n<form enctype=\"multipart\/form-data\" method=\"post\" class=\"frm-show-form  frm_pro_form  frm_ajax_submit \" id=\"form_wcdyb2\">\n<div class=\"frm_form_fields \">\n<fieldset>\n<legend class=\"frm_hidden\">Total Daily Energy Expenditure Calculator<\/legend>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_action\" value=\"create\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_id\" value=\"48\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"frm_hide_fields_48\" id=\"frm_hide_fields_48\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"form_key\" value=\"wcdyb2\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_meta[0]\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<input type=\"hidden\" id=\"frm_submit_entry_48\" name=\"frm_submit_entry_48\" value=\"ab2033ac99\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input type=\"text\" class=\"frm_hidden frm_verify\" id=\"frm_verify_48\" name=\"frm_verify\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"frm_field_446_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_jrvcf2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Biological Sex<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[446]\" id=\"field_jrvcf2\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"5\">Male<\/option><option value=\"-161\">Female<\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Male\/Female<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_447_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_rn8552\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Age<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_rn8552\" name=\"item_meta[447]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Number is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use age in years.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_448_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_hucs72\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Weight<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_hucs72\" name=\"item_meta[448]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Weight is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use pounds (lbs). If using metric system, multiple kg times 2.2 for lbs. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_449_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_p7i982\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Height<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_p7i982\" name=\"item_meta[449]\" value=\"\" min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\" data-invmsg=\"Height is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Use inches. If using metric system, divide cm by 2.54 for total inches. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_450_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_left_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_wwa1j2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_wwa1j2\" name=\"item_meta[450]\" value=\"\" readonly min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-invmsg=\"Basal Metabolic Rate is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Your BMR is an estimate of the total calories burned a day, while in a state of rest. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_451_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_required_field frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_iqrsp2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Activity Level<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\">*<\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    \t\t<select name=\"item_meta[451]\" id=\"field_iqrsp2\" data-reqmsg=\"This field cannot be blank.\"><option value=\"\" selected> <\/option><option value=\"1.2\">Sedentary (You frequent tell Netflix you are still watching) <\/option><option value=\"1.375\">Lightly Active (You casually stroll through your neighborhood a few times a week)<\/option><option value=\"1.55\">Moderately Active  (If we called the gym on a weeknight looking for you, they&#039;d find you)<\/option><option value=\"1.725\">Very Active (You are constantly moving throughout your day job and you&#039;re on the company softball team) <\/option><\/select><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">For &#8220;Activity Level,&#8221; veer toward the side of less active. Studies consistently show that people are not as active as they self-assess. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"frm_field_452_container\" class=\"frm_form_field form-field  frm_top_container\">\n    <label for=\"field_zu1zb2\" class=\"frm_primary_label\">Total Daily Energy Expenditure (TDEE)<br \/>\n        <span class=\"frm_required\"><\/span><br \/>\n    <\/label><br \/>\n    <input type=\"number\" id=\"field_zu1zb2\" name=\"item_meta[452]\" value=\"\" readonly min=\"0\" max=\"9999999\" step=\"any\" data-invmsg=\"Basal Metabolic Rate is invalid\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"frm_description\">Your TDEE is an estimate of the total calories burned during a single day, when exercise is factored in. <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"item_key\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n<!--\n\n<div class=\"frm_submit\">\n\n<button class=\"frm_button_submit frm_final_submit\" type=\"submit\"  >Submit<\/button>\n\n<\/div>\n\n--><\/fieldset>\n<\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Which means if this person eats like the above, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">he\u2019ll build muscle and lose weight like a champ<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, if this person was 145 pounds and wanted to bulk up, they would simply increase their calorie intake by following similar strategies as above. Not eating enough is an uber common mistake I see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-skinny-guys-guide-to-building-muscle-and-bulking-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">people make who are trying to bulk up<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This example daily menu was chosen to show you, that with a little bit of thought and preparation, eating adequate protein is possible when following a Plant-Based Diet. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You just have to plan carefully (that theme again). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you notice something about all the foods we recommended? Not a whole lot of junk food to be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This was not an accident.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"mistakes\"><\/a><b>COMMON MISTAKES WHEN FOLLOWING A PLANT-BASED <\/b>DIET<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3684301 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/concerned-lego-hazmat.jpg\" alt=\"This LEGO is concerned about eating a plant-based diet wrong. The suit might be overkill.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/concerned-lego-hazmat.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/concerned-lego-hazmat-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/concerned-lego-hazmat-713x475-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/concerned-lego-hazmat-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Throughout this article, I\u2019ve been using the terms \u201cvegan diet\u201d or \u201cveggie diet\u201d and \u201cPlant-Based Diet\u201d interchangeably. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this point though, we need to differentiate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pizza, fettuccine alfredo, bowls of sugary cereal, grilled cheese sandwiches, and calorie-bomb burritos can be vegetarian. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donuts, pasta, and bread can be vegan.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plant-based? Technically, sure. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy? Wrong!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3507667 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/wrong.gif\" alt=\"Don&#039;t just live off vegan junk food. That would be &quot;wrong.&quot;\" width=\"412\" height=\"275\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your goal is weight loss and a healthy check-up at the doctor, eat plants. Full stop.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You know the drill: vegetables, fruits, tubers, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Things that you can pluck from a tree or pull from the ground, clean, and then eat. Those are whole foods that will have a lot of fiber and nutrients intact. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Michael Pollan, the author of <\/b><b><i><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2WQUHWn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Omnivore\u2019s Dilemma<\/a>,<\/i><\/b><b> sums it up well: \u201cIf it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don\u2019t.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, I\u2019m personally not saying to never eat pizza or donuts. Pizza and donuts are amazing. Just know that these processed, calorie-heavy foods are easy to overeat and are part of the reason for expanded waistlines. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In other words, if you treat them as a treat, and know your calorie goals, you can make it work.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll say it again: if you\u2019re gonna be a vegetarian, please eat vegetables. Some of the unhealthiest people I know are vegetarian, and I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen them eat a veggie.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This highlights one of the greatest mistakes people make when going vegetarian or vegan. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They only think about what they are cutting out (meat), without actively considering what they are replacing those foods with. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Remember our example of protein in plants vs. animal products: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re gonna cut out chicken, make sure you start eating black beans as a replacement.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, remember that your plant-based replacement will likely have less protein and more calories than meat. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>If you are going to follow a Plant-Based Diet, you won\u2019t have as much leeway as your omnivore friends.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> They can gobble down a serving of steak and receive 62 grams of protein from that piece of meat alone. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">62 grams of protein is almost half of the requirements of our imaginary friend from earlier. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We had to figure out breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two snacks to get us to 150 grams of plant-based protein. Compare this to an omnivore who could eat some eggs, steak, and a chicken salad and be pretty much at 150 grams of protein (and a lower calorie count too). <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>That\u2019s why the American Dietetic Association&#8217;s states \u201cvegetarian or vegan diets\u201d need to be \u201cwell planned.\u201d<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-30\" id=\"refmark-30\"><sup>[30]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In our sample day above, we ate 2,024 calories of plant-based food to get to our goal of 150 grams.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We calculated that our imaginary friend needed 2,522 calories per day to maintain his current weight. If he wanted to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/lose-weight-and-build-muscle-or-do-one-then-the-other\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">gain muscle and lose some body fat<\/a> at the same time, he\u2019d need to be in a caloric deficit to do so. Meaning less than 2,522 calories per day. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When you do the math, because a pound of body fat equals around 3,500 calories, a 500-calorie per day deficit would result in 1 pound of weight loss per week for this person. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unless of course, he overeats on donuts and Oreos and vegan burgers and pizza.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, minimize the vegan junk food and prioritize foods that will help you meet your goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3595569\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/batman.gif\" alt=\"Batman stoked you want to track your calorie intake.\" width=\"404\" height=\"339\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Another mistake I see vegetarians specifically make is simply replacing meat with buckets of cheese.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s go with another comparison:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100 grams of cheddar cheese: 25 grams of protein and 416 calories. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">100 grams of chicken breast: 30 grams of protein and 165 calories. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So be careful of just swapping out meat for cheese, because you\u2019ll end up with less protein intake and more calories overall. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another common mistake we see over and over again is people just switching to \u201cfake meat\u201d when they start a Plant-Based Diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s dive into this with its own section.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"fake\"><\/a><b>BE CAREFUL WITH \u201cFAKE MEAT\u201d<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3507159 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein.jpg\" alt=\"Avoid fake meat when going vegan, or if you&#039;re doing experiments in a lighting storm.\" width=\"802\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein.jpg 1024w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein-300x200-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein-768x512-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein-713x476-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Frankenstein-600x400-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 802px) 100vw, 802px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>Throughout this article, we\u2019ve encouraged the consumption of REAL food.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegetables, fruits, legumes, etc. As we mentioned, these are nutrient-dense, low-calorie foods that can help with a healthy life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, something we see time and time again over here at Nerd Fitness is Rebels just switching \u201creal meat\u201d to \u201cfake meat\u201d when starting a Plant-Based Diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>This switch can be a big concern because some of these products are highly processed and full of additives and refined oils you want nothing to do with.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3507671 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/Eastwood.gif\" alt=\"Yeah, some of the &quot;fake meat&quot; out there is kind of disgusting.\" width=\"267\" height=\"254\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes you\u2019ll find a veggie burger whose patty is just mashed up black beans with a little onion. That would be fine! <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most other times, you\u2019ll find processed foods like tofurky, facon, and mock chicken nuggets that are quite unhealthy.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not all imitation meat is created equal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s what you should be on the lookout for:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>TONS of ingredients. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This would be a good rule of thumb for most food: be wary of foods that have a long list of ingredients. Things like \u201cmodified corn starch\u201d or \u201chydrolyzed wheat gluten\u201d should raise some red flags. It means the foods have been processed and then processed again. This can strip a lot of the nutrient content out of the food.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-31\" id=\"refmark-31\"><sup>[31]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If they have to add \u201chydrolyzed wheat protein\u201d to make a veggie sausage look and taste somewhere in the ballpark of a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">real <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">sausage\u2026 eh, maybe skip it and just eat some lentils instead.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>They might not be \u201cvegan.\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many veggie meats will include things like egg whites and casein (a milk protein) as binding agents and to increase the protein content. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In my opinion, if you\u2019re okay with this, perhaps you can just eat plain eggs without all the other added ingredients and preservatives. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>Watch out for sodium (salt) content. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sodium is often used as a preservative, so lots of processed food will include a decent amount of salt. We should note, this is also true of processed meats too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you eat a lot of meat substitutes, you\u2019ll likely be taking in a lot of salt too. Be aware of this and perhaps minimize salt intake with other foods to compensate. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I asked one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">our NF coaches<\/a>, Kerry (a pescatarian), about some trusted brands to source meat substitutes. Kerry is a brilliant coach and only occasionally eats fish, so I knew she\u2019d be a great source of knowledge on the subject.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here are some brands to consider when looking into a meat substitute:<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.beyondmeat.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Beyond Meat<\/a>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both Kerry and CrossFit athlete Danielle Sidell mention Beyond Meat as a good source of meat alternatives. Their burger substitute is made out of pea protein and not too much else. You can find their products at many grocery stores.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hilaryseatwell.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hilary\u2019s<\/a>.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Another brand with minimal ingredients in their products is Hilary\u2019s. For example, one of their veggie burgers is beans, sweet potato, coconut oil, chilies, and a few other things. Not bad. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Again, you can find their products in grocery stores. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.noevilfoods.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">No Evil Foods<\/a>. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ve got to hand it to No Evil Foods. Their Comrade Cluck \u201cNo Chicken\u201d only has seven ingredients, one of which is water.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It should be noted, that most of their foods rely on wheat and gluten for protein. If you can process both okay, No Evil Foods is a good option.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That should get you started on some meat substitutes to experiment with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, we should discuss tofu and tempeh. They are both meat substitutes that are made from soy. These are generally minimally processed as well, so they\u2019ll contain few ingredients outside of soy. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They are also time tested. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Folks in Asian cultures have been eating tofu and tempeh for centuries, providing them a good source of protein.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-32\" id=\"refmark-32\"><sup>[32]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re looking for meat substitutes, tofu and tempeh would be worth looking into. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re male and worried about soy disrupting your hormones and causing \u201cmoobs,\u201d we dive into the science of that in our article \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-get-rid-of-man-boobs-or-moobs-the-science-and-step-by-step-plan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Get Rid of Man Boobs<\/a>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Okay, that about does it for our warning on fake meat. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s shift gears and start chatting about vitamins and minerals. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"supplements\"><\/a><strong>WHAT SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD A VEGAN TAKE<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3684317 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1.jpg\" alt=\"This scientist probably knows how to supplement her vegan diet.\" width=\"798\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1.jpg 958w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1-300x169-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1-768x433-1.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1-713x402-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-scientist-1-600x338-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 798px) 100vw, 798px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>If you are moving forward with a plant-based or vegan diet, based on our research we would recommend supplementing your diet with a few key things. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I won\u2019t get into it too much in detail here on whether people evolved to eat meat or not.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-33\" id=\"refmark-33\"><sup>[33]<\/sup><\/a> Trying to keep the inevitable amount of hate email to a minimum.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3507677 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/mail.gif\" alt=\"Saying anything pro or con on veganism is an easy way to earn lots of hate mail.\" width=\"397\" height=\"298\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to the massive <a href=\"#protein\">protein supplement section above<\/a>, these are the supplements I would recommend:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In my research, vitamins like B12 consistently comes up as a deficiency amongst vegans.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-34\" id=\"refmark-34\"><sup>[34]<\/sup><\/a> This is logical because plants don\u2019t need B12, so they don\u2019t store it.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-35\" id=\"refmark-35\"><sup>[35]<\/sup><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vitamin B12 is critical for protein metabolization, meaning if you want your body running correctly, you really don\u2019t want to be deficient in this essential nutrient.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-36\" id=\"refmark-36\"><sup>[36]<\/sup><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I would hedge my bets and take a B12 supplement. It would be my number one recommendation (outside of eating REAL food) if you\u2019re going vegetarian or vegan. Taking B12 came up multiple times as a recommendation for a Plant-Based Diet from our vegan rebels in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/academy-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">private Academy group<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This B12 supplement is a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2sVnmeX\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">good option<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It\u2019s not the only supplement worth considering. <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You could also consider taking an algae supplement, which is high in omega-3 fatty acids. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong><i>Why omega-3s? <\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Omega-3s have been shown to help fight depression.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-37\" id=\"refmark-37\"><sup>[37]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The consumption of omega-3s has been linked to greater heart health.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-38\" id=\"refmark-38\"><sup>[38]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Metabolic syndrome, which is tied to insulin resistance and obesity, is improved with the consumption of omega-3s.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-39\" id=\"refmark-39\"><sup>[39]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegetarian folks generally have lower levels of these types of acids, because meat (fish specifically) is a great source for omega-3s &#8211; a food that isn\u2019t consumed on a Plant-Based Diet. However, animals are not the only source for omega-3s. Again, I\u2019d look into an algae supplement, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Tnt0Cv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">like this one<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Another supplement worth discussing: Vitamin D. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We get it from the sun, and also by eating certain animal products. While some plants like algae do contain some Vitamin D, it\u2019s most abundant in fish and dairy products.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-40\" id=\"refmark-40\"><sup>[40]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium and also plays a critical role in our immune system.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-41\" id=\"refmark-41\"><sup>[41]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, because many of us spend time indoors, we can be deficient &#8211; though this is true of vegans and omnivores alike.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-42\" id=\"refmark-42\"><sup>[42]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Simple solution: go out in the sun more frequently, and consider a vitamin D supplement in the winter months.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3685309 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dog-sunbathing.gif\" alt=\"On second thought, this dog probably gets plenty of vitamin D.\" width=\"365\" height=\"298\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two other minerals worth discussing would be zinc and iron, because vegetarians are often low in both.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-43\" id=\"refmark-43\"><sup>[43]<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Here\u2019s why: <\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people get their source of zinc and iron through animal products. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Phytates found in whole grains and legumes can block the absorption of minerals, including zinc and iron.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-44\" id=\"refmark-44\"><sup>[44]<\/sup><\/a> If you are cutting out meat, you are probably eating a lot of grains and legumes for your protein. So yeah\u2026<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A supplement of both zinc and iron would be smart. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>It should be noted, that all supplementation becomes more important the more strict you are about avoiding animal products.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If you eat eggs and dairy, you\u2019ll get most of the nutrients you need outside of those found in plants. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eggs contain omega-3s, B12, and small amounts of vitamin D. And while this is for sure debatable, there might be some ethical ways to purchase eggs.<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-45\" id=\"refmark-45\"><sup>[45]<\/sup><\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That about does it for supplementation recommendations. If you want to do even more research, let\u2019s turn you in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"info\"><\/a><b>WHERE CAN I GET EVEN MORE INFORMATION ON EATING A PLANT-BASED DIET?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3684323 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-newsstand.jpg\" alt=\"We can point you to some trusted resources for going plant-based, no problem.\" width=\"800\" height=\"449\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-newsstand.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-newsstand-300x168-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-newsstand-713x400-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/lego-newsstand-600x337-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>There are all sorts of information for going vegan online.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, you need to be careful about who you trust. Some of it is garbage (no, broccoli doesn\u2019t have as much protein as steak).<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-46\" id=\"refmark-46\"><sup>[46]<\/sup><\/a> Although some of it is well researched and backed by science. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Let\u2019s point you to some respected advisors.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>BLOGGERS:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">No Meat Athlete<\/a> &#8211; <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mentioned my friend Matt Frazier earlier, but I would point him out as an authority on fueling an active lifestyle with plants. Check out his blog.<\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.richroll.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Rich Roll <\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; Rich\u2019s story on going from a stressed out, addicted businessman to an endurance athlete is incredible. Rich also fueled his entire transformation with nothing but plants. His posts and advice are interesting, popular, and inspiring. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/veganhealth.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Vegan Health<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8211; If you\u2019re looking for well-researched articles, Vegan Health offers a lot of science-based advice on switching over to a Plant-Based Diet. I relied on their writing when researching this post.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>RECIPES:<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/minimalistbaker.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Minimalist Baker<\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; The blog Minimalist Baker offers great vegan recipes, using whole foods, with minimal ingredients. I included one of their recipes above. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thugkitchen.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Thug Kitchen<\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; The site Thug Kitchen has a lot going for it. It\u2019s funny. The recipes they offer are delicious. Plus, all ingredients found in their meals are plant-based. I will warn you, the language on the site is crude, but also adds to its charm. <\/span><\/b><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.veganricha.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>Vegan Richa<\/strong><\/a> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8211; If you\u2019re on the hunt for some vegan recipes, head to Vegan Richa. They are Indian inspired and very flavorful. Forgoing meat does not have to mean forgoing flavor. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That should help get you started with moving to a Plant-Based Diet. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><a name=\"started\"><\/a><b>GETTING STARTED WITH A PLANT<\/b><b>&#8211;<\/b><b>BASED DIET (NEXT STEPS)<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3684324 \" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-tomatoes-on-vine.jpg\" alt=\"o matter what &quot;diet&quot; you pick, eating actual plants is a good idea.\" width=\"682\" height=\"453\" srcset=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-tomatoes-on-vine.jpg 768w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-tomatoes-on-vine-300x199-1.jpg 300w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-tomatoes-on-vine-713x473-1.jpg 713w, http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/03\/fresh-tomatoes-on-vine-600x398-1.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><b>So you\u2019re gonna adopt a Plant-Based Diet! <\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Great. Good luck, soldier! Alright, let\u2019s do this. I would encourage you to follow our recommendations here:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#1 Eat Real Food<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re going to be a vegetarian, eat actual vegetables. Don\u2019t make it about what you are not eating (meat). Make it about what you are actually eating (plants).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why I\u2019ve been using the term Plant-Based Diet. I want you to actually eat plants. Don\u2019t let the fact that an Oreo is technically vegan make you lose sight of the fact that it\u2019s highly processed and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/everything-you-need-to-know-about-sugar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full of sugar<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Eat a Plant-Based Diet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#2 Calories and Macronutrients Still Count<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cutting out an entire major food group does not guarantee you will lose weight or be healthier. An Impossible Burger has more calories but less protein than a regular beef patty.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vegan does not equal \u201cfewer calories.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Calculate how many calories you will need to make your goals (<a href=\"#calculate\">you can do so right here<\/a>), and then make a plan on how to follow through. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#3 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-much-protein-do-i-need-to-eat-every-day-protein-101-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Prioritize Protein<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Animal products are calorie for calorie the best sources of protein. You will have to put in extra effort to think about how you are getting your protein from plants.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, you will end up eating a lot more calories trying to match the same amount of protein as found in meat (remember there are more calories in beans but less protein than chicken).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Every meal you eat should have a solid source of protein: beans, lentils, oats, tempeh, etc. If you are strength training (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/strength-training-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">which you should do<\/a>), this is even more critical.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Consider a protein powder like pea, rice, or hemp to add protein with minimal calories attached.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#4 Meal Planning For the Win!<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone should <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-step-by-step-guide-to-meal-planning-and-prep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">meal plan.<\/a> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-3558839\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/chef_gif-1.gif\" alt=\"The Swedish Chef knows how to eat a plant-based diet. \" width=\"500\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re trying to lose weight or just be healthy in general, knowing where your next meal is coming from is really important.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you are going to cut out a major food group, this is hyper-OMG-please-be-careful-critical. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will again mention that the American Dietetic Association states that Plant-Based Diets can be healthy if they are \u201cwell planned.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#5 Add Variation<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I mentioned earlier, that if you allow eggs and dairy, eating a Plant-Based Diet becomes much easier. You simply have more options to choose from when it comes to what to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps allowing small concessions with a Plant-Based Diet &#8211; like eating eggs &#8211; will make your diet more manageable and sustainable. This could be better than going vegan for 30 days and then giving up.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><b>#6 Supplement<\/b><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure you are getting all the nutrients you need. There are things like B12 that just don\u2019t find their way into plants. <\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">That\u2019s why the Mayo Clinic advises those following a Plant-Based Diet to get checked for \u201cvitamin B-12, iron, ferritin, calcium and vitamin D.\u201d<a class=\"fn-ref-mark\" href=\"#footnote-46\" id=\"refmark-46\"><sup>[46]<\/sup><\/a> Statistically, vegans come up often as deficient in these vitamins and minerals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I believe that all of us should eat plants (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/should-you-try-the-carnivore-diet-5-questions-addressed\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sorry, Carnivores<\/a>, you won\u2019t get me endorsing you fully). Fruits and vegetables are packed full of nutrients your body needs to thrive. So no matter which way of life you pick, eat plants!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/proper-push-up\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">push-ups<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And, ah, be nice to each other? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Debates on how we should eat can often get heated. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3671375 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/dwight-no.gif\" alt=\"If someone doesn&#039;t eat the same as you...relax.\" width=\"480\" height=\"261\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This can be understandable, because of the passion and ethical considerations driving people\u2019s dietary choices.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, I\u2019d recommend acting curious towards the other side. I wouldn\u2019t recommend tying your identity to a style of food, but rather tying your identity to \u201cI\u2019m a curious person that learns new stuff and tries new stuff all the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>No matter how someone else eats, don\u2019t turn your nose up against them.<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Be nice, and let them do their thing. This can be true for veganism, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-paleo-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Paleo<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/the-beginners-guide-to-the-keto-diet-or-ketogenic-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Keto<\/a>, or an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Intermittent Fasting<\/a> protocol. If someone is trying something new, don\u2019t immediately put them down for it. You may legitimately learn something from someone else\u2019s way of life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Which hey, is a pillar of our philosophy here at Nerd Fitness: \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/about-2\/rules-of-the-rebellion\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Question everything<\/a>.\u201d <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Including the way you eat compared to others. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think that about does it for my advice on eating a Plant-Based Diet. In summary, stick to REAL food and think about a supplement or two.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3603676 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/sheep-giving-thumbs-up.gif\" alt=\"You and this sheep both now know how to follow a plant-based diet. But you&#039;ll have to eat more than grass.\" width=\"397\" height=\"312\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Want some help going forward from here? Well, since you\u2019ve been nice this whole time, I\u2019ll give you my top three recommendations for next steps:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">we have many clients who consider themselves <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vegetarian<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/vegan and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-kyle-the-vegetarian-lost-27-pounds-and-started-crushing-pull-ups\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">we\u2019ve helped them <\/a><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/coaching-overview-page\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-3602791 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/NERD-CoachingBanner2019-00-Main-2d2.jpg\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/coaching-overview-page\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tOur coaching program changes lives. \t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#2) Check out NF Journey, our fun habit-building app that helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>You gain access to this app through <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Nerd Fitness Prime<\/b><\/a><b>.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-3859449 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/nf-journey-1.png\" data-fslightbox=\"gallery1\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\t<a target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/prime-overview-page\/\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\n\t\t<button class=\"cta-button yellow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\tLearn more about Nerd Fitness Prime!\t\t<\/button><br \/>\n\t<\/a><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>#3) Join The Rebellion!<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup-leadin\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-in-post-signup one-column split yellow-cta nf-diet  shortcode-form-14 \">\n<div class=\"nf-signup-intro\">\n<div><span style=\"font-weight:700\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"title-first\">Download our free weight loss guide<\/div>\n<div class=\"title-second\">THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-benefit\">\n<ul>\n<li>Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace<\/li>\n<li>What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating<\/li>\n<li>3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"nf-signup-form\"><img class=\"asset-image\" src=\"&gt;\" \/><\/p>\n<form accept-charset=\"UTF-8\" action=\"https:\/\/app.convertkit.com\/forms\/3351751\/subscriptions\" data-sv-form=\"3351751\" data-uid=\"7a45ac8ba2\" data-version=\"5\" class=\"infusion-form\" data-options=\"{&quot;settings&quot;:{&quot;after_subscribe&quot;:{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;redirect&quot;,&quot;success_message&quot;:&quot;Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.&quot;,&quot;redirect_url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/one-last-step\/&quot;},&quot;analytics&quot;:{&quot;google&quot;:null,&quot;fathom&quot;:null,&quot;facebook&quot;:null,&quot;segment&quot;:null,&quot;pinterest&quot;:null,&quot;sparkloop&quot;:null,&quot;googletagmanager&quot;:null},&quot;modal&quot;:{&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15},&quot;powered_by&quot;:{&quot;show&quot;:false,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/convertkit.com\/features\/forms?utm_campaign=poweredby&amp;utm_content=form&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=dynamic&quot;},&quot;recaptcha&quot;:{&quot;enabled&quot;:false},&quot;return_visitor&quot;:{&quot;action&quot;:&quot;show&quot;,&quot;custom_content&quot;:&quot;&quot;},&quot;slide_in&quot;:{&quot;display_in&quot;:&quot;bottom_right&quot;,&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15},&quot;sticky_bar&quot;:{&quot;display_in&quot;:&quot;top&quot;,&quot;trigger&quot;:&quot;timer&quot;,&quot;scroll_percentage&quot;:null,&quot;timer&quot;:5,&quot;devices&quot;:&quot;all&quot;,&quot;show_once_every&quot;:15}},&quot;version&quot;:&quot;5&quot;}\" method=\"POST\" id=\"inf_form_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\"><input name=\"inf_form_xid\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" \/><input name=\"inf_form_name\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"Plugin Signup\" \/><input name=\"infusionsoft_version\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"1.68.0.144\" \/><input class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_field_Email\" name=\"email_address\" type=\"email\" required placeholder=\"Your Email\" \/><input name=\"null\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"null\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" name=\"inf_custom_SiteSignupURL\" type=\"text\" value=\"http:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/feed\/\" \/><input style=\"display:none;\" class=\"infusion-field-input-container\" id=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" name=\"inf_custom_SignupPostID\" type=\"text\" value=\"3507588\" \/>\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginURL\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOriginLandingPage\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_IPAddress\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"174.129.254.72\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastMedium\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastCampaign\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastSource\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastTerm\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CookieLastContent\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_CoachingOptinFormFilledDate\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"2023-01-26 01:54:38\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_infcustomcoachvariation\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookBrowserId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><br \/>\n\t<input name=\"inf_custom_FacebookClickId\" type=\"hidden\" value=\"\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"infusion-submit\">\t<input class=\"opt-in-submit button infusion-recaptcha\" id=\"recaptcha_12c97c001a652ac813119a536e4fb4a4\" type=\"submit\" value=\" Get It Now\" \/><\/div>\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"clearme\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Now, I really want to hear from you!<\/strong> I know there are many vegan and vegetarian folks in the Rebellion.<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can you share with us your experiences? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tips and tricks you follow to make it work? <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Any go-to plant-based recipes?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I\u2019d love for the comments here to be a place where we can share honestly and openly.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For the Rebellion!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>-Steve<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>PS: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Seriously, be nice. The internet has enough people being mad at other people they\u2019ve never met. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">###<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Photo Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/barneymoss\/15084611704\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Expedition<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/21561428@N03\/5373438313\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Protein Powder<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/me2_too\/12885581235\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Ketchup<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/44926815@N00\/8051153470\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">What\u2019s up, doc<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/nancydregan\/5023325968\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vectored Vegetables<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/30478819@N08\/46872802531\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Assortment of beans of different varieties<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/clement127\/8664485873\/in\/photolist-ecDKMt-nr1sJn-9p1SMn-ddhpY9-55rD9h-4hEKLL-5LjVHv-5GDH8G-5Ms9pL-qSxXKp-hjuVgR-rjoktH-49WFHG-8VSNCz-8428ra-nt9DG7-9dcRvU-qKw59o-9aFZiM-cfEbWU-s4zjbg-e3swTu-aBS4Yc-9vtQCD-7ws2Av-pF4Sct-ctYeMC-k9HpH3-4XQJrb-5LeWJm-a5BLjw-pRHK8R-nxPLc6-b5MnCk-pF8jfT-8VHTPs-AVKZau-2RwRPS-5PxenQ-dMPwxS-sp8nqb-5KqkMe-2VhkcX-kCbeE-9Y5Nji-a5kToF-9raW6u-9UpVGd-cksQgo-psrifq\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IMG_1409<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/30478819@N08\/38692212662\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Green Protein Powder<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/45692151@N03\/8479239552\/in\/photolist-dVhjvo-8hK8uY-pxihYF-58b8oS-4zxfXo-4F8twC-4jsNpD-bvyZXE-7Jc4dJ-5fVovQ-vtCfD-8N5MjJ-typrt-aHvUJr-4p1Ub-qH9hmh-8ZxYnj-5fR2g6-7rL17D-gKCWQ-9kBkU-4vorob-69CS8U-Ddynco-bsG8Yq-2BYAYJ-6VZ8xQ-ngoMAh-6LGXGW-csgKXU-5cwr6K-2H1Jh-nxAkXe-a8h54N-gYJCDg-p7byfY-65S1X4-533jCp-dwwHxC-8LQgW4-9WZqFz-6VFwgG-p3BZP6-6u6ht3-saWmkF-sjHgtE-4YSizx-evcqNM-nxCrRL-bxxRtv\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Vegetable<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/clement127\/8420027368\/in\/photolist-dQ3QME-fLhXSS-7oorCF-aDDUYe-a8CU3H-MDZ1r-8YEbSy-giuN6e-cosgGm-9X9y4L-rfG6Cd-qAfLTc-j4AqNo-oQP635-qSxXWg-dFPycD-rG4MAL-hYJnT5-iMgN7j-c5su43-qAhpox-dMMtS3-dMHYt8-i8aTZv-r2AoWu-ns5usj-cfEhWu-AvEM7v-9471aV-aErJeC-bxk1CQ-dEFnVK-dmeK8p-cfEeE7-7L26jY-b7ak8e-dPMLTx-3PepMH-fSBUSL-bmXJVu-cfEdb7-7qTTwa-MDZ4a-cfE8if-86JQ7L-qSH9BR-oikrxn-dPrGD6-bssgzt-nsxRyT\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">IMG_0784<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/149902454@N08\/35506586612\/in\/photolist-W6AxaN-VLjfkE-ikfB8d-qUdcK4-73xwQ3-8rctdN-deXJZ1-54x4NY-bnCSNM-qJQrzz-7HerV6-ca2vyu-bixmTi-btPhUs-bqzSy2-bqzShR-bnCRkv-25fSMDL-9YVW1y-dHHS7M-haQ6j3-Lz1D-W4Xevk-7hpNZZ-a5GmcL-4zWhBg-9oGGGj-7K8Mek-7FzYCs-6tfXfP-bfs4it-M3Us18-bQBQfr-4NEsAu-hHbjJ-25zKc8r-26kiSDN-97Nq9s-8TWEAX-73xtW9-7YGZNc-ehNWx2-DMBMF-bmjfWk-iKrUr5-3fPPt8-7tHhkt-BS7zt-9sjQEz-5ATtdH\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Weight Loss<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/st3f4n\/6299163746\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frankenstein<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/stavos52093\/20189988408\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scientist<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/98327290@N02\/42344531100\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Which newspaper today<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/116797173@N07\/15166693956\/in\/photolist-p7egHo-cCvdhh-dr18RQ-222KFWE-PCF84s-fbawEw-2cxq52d-26fqrat-pA5UFD-VqkQqg-2asQ4uT-2b2EYqz-29YJnbu-2cPq6Bo-P1H54R-LMF27h-7huAqe-RBjBXG-2b3ZUM4-Kuezzf-25VsPw9-NCGo3v-FTq7pf-29P3q47-Syikhy-knN98-9rczvy-28hvTdC-4ztk9k-2d3vRiy-23bm1h7-29wcKcx-25iGgpj-29ETdb5-2bc5wj4-29fjnSE-cjiXvL-fp5WCf-bmaAdW-bkStJh-g92ek1-Y38Zkk-d95P9y-29RWL2s-29j8pFH-nLLXr6-amGq6s-eX3GRi-8Za1px-j11ACD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tomatoes<\/a>;<a href=\"https:\/\/crossfit.fandom.com\/wiki\/Danielle_Sidell\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Danielle Sidell<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thefitvilla.com\/meet-jeremy-reijnders\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jeremy Reijnders<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailymail.co.uk\/femail\/article-4778532\/Is-fitness-vlogger-Jon-Venus-world-s-HOTTEST-vegan.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Joe Venus<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">GIF Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/shaun-the-sheep-movie-not-my-gif-2016-oscar-nominations-tIeCLkB8geYtW\">Rabbit, Pokemon, Sheldon, Oreo, Scared Rick, Banana, Seesaw, Wrong, Kirby, dog sunbathi<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/day-summer-lazy-rFAYqK1jRxZEQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">ng<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/explore\/organic-eats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Produce<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/research-investigation-magnifying-glass-l378rhA6c1QhJDgbu\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Magnifying Glass<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/loop-scale-weight-l44Qj5UpKZaR5jrPy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Scale<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/angry-the-office-screaming-3t7RAFhu75Wwg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">The Office<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/giphy.com\/gifs\/shaun-the-sheep-movie-not-my-gif-2016-oscar-nominations-tIeCLkB8geYtW\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sheep<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"footnote-list\" style=\"display:none;\"><span id=\"fn-heading\">Footnotes<\/span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;( returns to text)<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li id=\"footnote-4\" class=\"fn-text\">You can read all about the Vegetarian Society <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vegsoc.org\/definition\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-4\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-5\" class=\"fn-text\">Here\u2019s one such <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.ca\/2017\/05\/31\/vegan-weight-loss_n_16884650.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">example<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-5\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-6\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shape.com\/blogs\/fit-foodies\/how-i-gained-weight-vegan-dont-let-it-happen-you\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this tale<\/a> on mistakes when going vegan.<a href=\"#refmark-6\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-7\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out this report from the <a href=\"https:\/\/link.springer.com\/article\/10.1007%2Fs11606-015-3390-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Journal of General Internal Medicine<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-7\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-8\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25592014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a> done by the University of South Carolina.<a href=\"#refmark-8\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-9\" class=\"fn-text\">Check <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24500611\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">out this<\/a> study comparing an Atkins style diet to a vegan one.<a href=\"#refmark-9\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-10\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out the nutrition info on an Impossible Burger <a href=\"https:\/\/impossiblefoods.com\/newrecipe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-10\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-11\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out an interesting article on amino acids and gene expression <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC524028\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-11\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-12\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/nutritionsource\/what-should-you-eat\/protein\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article<\/a> from Harvard on the subject.<a href=\"#refmark-12\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-13\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19145965\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this study<\/a> on soy containing all nine amino acids. And <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/26224750\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this one<\/a> comparing the protein in soy to dairy and eggs.<a href=\"#refmark-13\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-14\" class=\"fn-text\">Traditional cultures that subsisted on plants for protein may have figured this out, which is why they would often serve rice and beans together. Check out this article on the subject from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.todaysdietitian.com\/newarchives\/120914p36.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Today\u2019s Dietitian<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-14\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-15\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out a report on deficiencies in a Plant-Based Diet <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2016\/03\/160316194551.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-15\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-16\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out that write up from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics <a href=\"http:\/\/www.eatrightpro.org\/~\/media\/eatrightpro%20files\/practice\/position%20and%20practice%20papers\/position%20papers\/vegetarian-diet.ashx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-16\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-17\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out an interview with Joe, where he walks you through a typical day of eating <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com\/nutrition\/a19544230\/vegan-bodybuilder-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-17\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-18\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out an interview with Danielle <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thebloklife.com\/plant-based-gangsters\/dani-sidell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-18\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-19\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acsm.org\/docs\/default-source\/files-for-resource-library\/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this<\/a> article on the subject.<a href=\"#refmark-19\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-20\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out that study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19678968\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-20\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-21\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out that paper on protein requirements for athletes <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22150425\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here.<\/a><a href=\"#refmark-21\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-22\" class=\"fn-text\">That study can be read <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/14971434\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-22\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-23\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.t-nation.com\/diet-fat-loss\/can-vegetarians-build-muscle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interesting interview<\/a> with Dr. Berardi and T-Nation on the subject.<a href=\"#refmark-23\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-24\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out an interview with Waage <a href=\"https:\/\/barbend.com\/vegan-powerlifter-hulda-b-waage-iceland-womens-squat-record\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-24\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-25\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/jissn.biomedcentral.com\/articles\/10.1186\/1550-2783-7-S1-P8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this report<\/a> on the subject.<a href=\"#refmark-25\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-26\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.austinpublishinggroup.com\/nutrition-food-sciences\/fulltext\/ajnfs-v1-id1002.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this review<\/a> from the Austin Journal of Nutrition and Review<a href=\"#refmark-26\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-27\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out that study on whey vs pea protein <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25628520\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-27\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-28\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bodybuilding.com\/fun\/wheys-vegan-alternatives-combining-pea-and-rice-protein.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this article<\/a> for an interesting look at rice and pea protein combined.<a href=\"#refmark-28\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-29\" class=\"fn-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ajcn\/article\/82\/1\/1\/4863302\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This report<\/a> is a great look at the satiating power of protein. Also, check out the ACSM\u2019s look at protein and muscle growth <a href=\"https:\/\/www.acsm.org\/docs\/default-source\/files-for-resource-library\/protein-intake-for-optimal-muscle-maintenance.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-29\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-30\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out the ADA\u2019s take on Plant-Based Diets <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19562864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-30\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-31\" class=\"fn-text\">Harvard Health does a great write up on processed food <a href=\"https:\/\/www.health.harvard.edu\/staying-healthy\/not-all-processed-foods-are-unhealthy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-31\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-32\" class=\"fn-text\">You can check out the full report on soy, including tofu and tempeh from <i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutrients <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5188409\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-32\"><\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-33\" class=\"fn-text\">I believe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2010\/08\/02\/128849908\/food-for-thought-meat-based-diet-made-us-smarter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">we did<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-33\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-34\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out this study <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5188422\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5188422\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/23356638\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, another <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/20648045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>, and lastly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/24667752\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-34\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-35\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"http:\/\/www.fao.org\/docrep\/004\/Y2809E\/y2809e0b.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this look<\/a> at plants and B12.<a href=\"#refmark-35\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-36\" class=\"fn-text\">Check <a href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/ency\/article\/002403.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">out this look<\/a> at B12 and protein.<a href=\"#refmark-36\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-37\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/pii\/S2213422015005387\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this report<\/a> in Science Direct<a href=\"#refmark-37\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-38\" class=\"fn-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3712371\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">This review<\/a> goes into great detail of why Omega-3s and fish can help with the cardiovascular system<a href=\"#refmark-38\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-39\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out a study on omega-3s and metabolic syndrome <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19593941\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-39\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-40\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC3651966\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this report<\/a> on Vitamin D.<a href=\"#refmark-40\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-41\" class=\"fn-text\">The Cleveland Clinic has a great write-up <a href=\"https:\/\/my.clevelandclinic.org\/health\/articles\/15050-vitamin-d--vitamin-d-deficiency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-41\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-42\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/19562864\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this report<\/a>, plus this <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/18400738\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">one<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-42\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-43\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out <a href=\"https:\/\/academic.oup.com\/ajcn\/article\/78\/3\/633S\/4690005\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this report<\/a> on vegetarians low in zinc and iron.<a href=\"#refmark-43\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-44\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out a study on phytates and mineral absorption <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/abs\/10.1046\/j.1365-2621.2002.00618.x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">right here<\/a>.<a href=\"#refmark-44\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-45\" class=\"fn-text\">Here\u2019s an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/lifeandstyle\/2016\/feb\/03\/can-you-be-vegan-eat-eggs\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interesting article<\/a> on ethical eggs.<a href=\"#refmark-45\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-46\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out this crude, but <a href=\"https:\/\/eathropology.com\/2013\/04\/08\/broccoli-has-more-protein-than-steak-and-other-crap\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interesting article<\/a> on the subject.<a href=\"#refmark-46\"><\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"footnote-46\" class=\"fn-text\">Check out Science Daily\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedaily.com\/releases\/2016\/03\/160316194551.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">report here<\/a><a href=\"#refmark-46\"><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<p>The post <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\/blog\/how-to-eat-a-plant-based-diet-a-scientific-look-at-going-vegan-safely\/\">Going Plant-Based: Following a Vegan Diet for Fitness<\/a> first appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nerdfitness.com\">Nerd Fitness<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>So you\u2019re interested in eating only plants, eh? Well, you\u2019ve come to the right place to learn all about it.\u00a0 We\u2019ve helped many of our clients embark on a plant-based diet and there is definitely a right way and a wrong way to go vegan or vegetarian.\u00a0 Here\u2019s what we\u2019ll cover in our guide to [\u2026]<br \/>\nThe post Going Plant-Based: Following a Vegan Diet for Fitness first appeared on Nerd Fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1311,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":""},"categories":[20,1,21,22,19],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10480"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10584,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10480\/revisions\/10584"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1311"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bestratefinders.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}