- A vegan diet has been linked to a decreased risk of cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity.
- A dietitian shared the biggest mistakes people make when trying the plant-based diet.
- People can mistakenly rely too heavily on processed foods and skip supplements.
Whether it's for environmental, ethical, or health reasons, switching to a vegan diet can be beneficial.
Research has linked plant-based diets to a whole host of health benefits, including a decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, as well as supporting weight loss.
Even some of the world's most elite athletes, like Venus Williams and Lewis Hamilton, are vegans.
A vegan diet eliminates animal products, including meat, dairy, instead focusing on fruits, vegetables, carbohydrates, and legumes.
But becoming plant-based can be a tricky transition to make, and should involve learning about the nutrients your body needs and meal prepping if you want to experience the health benefits, Alyssa Fontaine, a vegan dietitian based in Canada, told Insider.
Fontaine, who runs a plant-based nutrition company, told Insider about the most common mistakes people make when going vegan.
Not eating enough protein
Fontaine said that many people who are vegan come to her with iron deficiencies because they don't properly substitute their animal protein with nutritious plant proteins.
She recommended looking up plant proteins right away and learning how to use them to avoid developing deficiencies.
Plant-based proteins include things like pulses, such as lentils, chickpeas, and beans, and soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and edamame, as well as nuts and seeds.
According to Fontaine, a quarter of your plate should be protein, if not more. A quarter should be carbohydrates and the other half should be vegetables.
"So it's very similar to what you would see on a traditional plate, but you have to replace that protein section," she said.
Eating processed vegan food
It can be easy to turn to processed food or takeout if you are strapped for time and there are no real health benefits to products like vegan sausages, Fontaine said.
To really reap the benefits of a plant-based diet, you have to cook a little bit, she said, even if it's just an hour a week. She recommended carving out some time in the week to meal prep.
She suggested looking up some protein-rich recipes online and making around four you like the look of in bulk.
"In my fridge right now I have a tofu stir fry, a chili, a white bean dish, and a tofu cream cheese," she shared. "I don't know when I'm going to eat them, but I know they're good for around four to five days."
Not taking a multivitamin supplement
Transitioning to a vegan diet can be a big change, and there is a lot of information to take in. To give yourself time to figure out what works for you, start with a multivitamin supplement, Fontaine advised.
"Just start with a multivitamin so that you'll at least have your vitamin D, B12, and a bit of iron. It will just give you a little bit more room to make mistakes and learn as you go," she said.
Trying to be a perfect vegan
Getting all of the nutrients your body needs is extremely important, but you don't have to be a "perfect vegan" all the time, Fontaine said.
While she is conscious of adding enough protein to each meal day-to-day, when she's eating out on the weekends, she will enjoy the occasional vegan pizza or mac and cheese. She believes that this balance is crucial and the reason she has sustained her vegan diet for over five years.
"I don't hold myself to the standard of being perfect. You've got to have a little fun with it and it has to taste good or else why are you doing this?" she said.