So... I tried being vegan for a week.
For those of you don't know, I was a vegetarian for over 8 years.
A lot of you have asked me to 'test' the vegan diet over the years.
Along with my own curiosity, I was really eager to find out if a vegan diet would complement my approach to nutrition.
My approach to my diet is all based around
macros.
If you'd like to learn more about how I tackle nutrition (and training), check out my 12-week program
The Bod.
So yes, I am no longer a vegetarian (but I love, love, LOVE vegan and vegetarian food!).
The reason behind my shift in nutrition was that I ended up very anaemic and deficient in vitamin B12.
I still to this day don't eat a lot of red meat or pork, but have found a happy balance that leaves me full of energy and nourished.
One of the things that was cemented for me in my
vegan week was that hitting your protein without overdoing carbohydrates and/or fats is really, really hard. I was definitely put to the test.
I also found that as each day passed, I was feeling more and more lethargic and exhausted.
One tip I have for you if you're thinking about trialling a vegan diet is...
To also be wary not only of your protein, carbohydrate and fat intake, but also your iron, vitamin and fibre intake.
Many of you who followed along my vegan journey on Snapchat loved my recipe recreations.
Some of the other recipes I prepped for the week included:
- Vegan bolognese
- Tofu dahl
- Chickpea and pumpkin burgers
- Vegan lentil dahl
One thing I can say about the whole week was that I never once felt that I was sacrificing taste.
There are just so many delicious vegan recipes, and the taste department was definitely not one I felt I was lacking in.
Another quick tip I have for you is:
Quinoa was a lifesaver for me! Adding it to dishes helped boost the protein content of lots of savoury dishes I prepared.
It was a great experience overall, and I cannot commend vegans who can hit their macros enough haha!
What do you think of my 'vegan for a week' experience?
Are you thinking about following a vegan diet (or already do) and would like to follow the same program as me?
The Bod offers customisable nutrition for any kind of diet including vegan and vegetarian!
Sophie xx
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