Home Women’s Diet What I Eat in a Day as a Plant-Based Dietitian

What I Eat in a Day as a Plant-Based Dietitian

12 August 2023 2 years ago96 Views

You can meet your nutritional needs while eating a plant-based diet with smart food choices. Learn how I do it in this review of what I eat in a day as a plant-based dietitian.

When I talk to people about the power of eating a plant-based diet filled with whole plant foods, they often worry about whether they’ll meet their nutritional needs. So, I thought it would be helpful to analyze a typical day’s worth of foods that I eat in my plant-based diet (which is 100% plant-based—essentially vegan) and share it with you today. Even I was excited to see how the nutritional value of my food choices added up!

This one day diet analysis includes this recipe for Scrambled Turmeric Tofu with Greens.

While I stayed close to my energy goals of about 1700 calories per day (combined with daily exercise), I was able to pack in the nutrients and exceed my targets for many categories of micronutrients.

Like all diets, some nutrients may fall a tiny bit short here and there, but the beauty of a diet based on variety is that it means you’ll be higher in those nutrients the next day. Note that I included my protein shake as a snack, which includes a micronutrient supplement. I always make sure that I’m including a vitamin B12 supplement regularly to make sure I meet the nutritional needs for this nutrient, which is only available in animal foods and fortified foods. And I get 15 minutes of sunshine every day in sunny southern California, as well as take a daily vitamin D and calcium supplement.

But check out how high my protein and calcium intake are on an entirely plant-based day of eating—many people might find this surprising. Now, check out my levels of antioxidant vitamin C. And this analysis doesn’t even take into account my intake of phytochemicals!

This daily diet includes this recipe for Maple and Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts.

It’s important to note that we all have our own unique nutrient needs, including for energy (or calories). My personal energy needs are lower.

But many individuals may require double that amount of energy (upwards of 3,500 calories). So, that means they’d get to double up on the healthy servings of foods and nutrients. The key to eating a plant-based diet is balancing out your meals to make sure they include all of the major food groups: plant protein, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. And avoid filling your plate with highly processed foods, so that all of your food choices count and provide key nutrients to your day.

It’s easy, delicious, and fun. Plus you can feel good about your impact on your own health, as well as the health of animals and the planet. Check out my one-day plant-based menu with nutritional analysis below.

This daily diet includes this recipe for Herbed Lentil Patties with Mushroom Sauce.

My Typical One Day Plant-Based Menu

Breakfast
Scrambled Tofu with Greens (which has the following):

Extra firm tofu (3 oz)
Nutritional yeast (1 tsp)
Green onions (½ each)
Sliced mushrooms (1 oz)
Chopped greens (⅓ c)
Sun-dried tomatoes (2 tsp)

Whole grain toast (1 slice) with 1/4 cup blueberries on top

Coffee (8 ounces)

Fortified soy milk (1 cup)

Snack
Protein Green Smoothie (which has the following):

Vega All-in-One Plant-Based Protein Powder (1 scoop)
Orange juice (½ cup)
Ginger root (1 inch)
Carrot (1 each)
Kale (1 cup)
Turmeric root (1 inch)
Banana (1 each)
Spirulina (½ tsp)

Lunch
Black Bean and Rice Bowl (which has the following):

Brown basmati rice (½ c)
Black beans (4 ounces)
Bell pepper (¼ each)
Pomegranate arils (¼ cup)
Avocado (¼ each)
Fresh cilantro (¼ cup)

Iced Tea (12 ounces)

Dinner
Herbed Lentil Patty with Mushroom Sauce (which has the following):

Lentils (⅓ cup)
Quinoa (1 ½ Tbsp)
Carrot (2 Tbsp)
Onion (⅛ each)
Ground flax seeds (1 ½ tsp)
Old-fashioned oats (1 Tbsp)
Mushrooms (1 ½ Tbsp)

Mashed Potatoes (5 ounces)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts (which has the following):

Brussels sprouts (4 ounces)
Red onion (⅛ each)
Hazelnuts (1 Tbsp)
Dried cranberries (1 Tbsp)

Orange (1 medium)

Sparkling water (12 ounces)

Snack

Sunflower seeds, shelled (1 ounce)

Nutritional Analysis for my One Day Plant-Based Menu (as noted above)

Total Calories: 1749

Total Protein: 83 grams

Total Carbs: 267 grams

Total Fat: 39 grams fat

Macronutrient Distribution: 61% carbohydrates, 20% fat, 19% protein

Total Amount in One Day Diet Daily Value for this nutrient Micronutrients: Total % Daily Value* Vitamin A 901 mcg RAE 99% 900 mcg RAE Thiamin (B1) 3.1 mg 261% 1.2 mg Riboflavin (B2) 2.8 mg 212% 1.3 mg Niacin (B3) 24 mg 151% 16 mg NE Pantothenic Acid (B5) 5.1 mg 102% 5 mg Vitamin B6 4.0 mg 238% 1.7 mg Manganese 4.8 mg 209% 2.3 mg Phosphorus 1257 mg 101% 1250 mg Potassium 4135 mg 88% 4700 mg Selenium 45 mg 82% 55 mcg Sodium 1296 mg 56% 2300 mg Zinc 7 mg 62% 11 mg Vitamin K 420 mcg 350% 120 mcg Calcium 1280 mg 98% 1300 mg Copper 2 mg 224% 0.9 mg Iron 18.3 mg 102% 18 mg Magnesium 436 mg 104% 420 mg Folate (B9) 633 mcg DFE 158% 400 mcg DFE Vitamin B12 6 mcg 251% 2.4 mcg Vitamin C 322 mg 357% 90 mg Vitamin D 11 mcg 56% 20 mcg Vitamin E 11 mg 71% 15 mg

Nutrient analysis based on USDA database

Micronutrients based on the Daily Values, NIH

*This column displays the percentage of the average requirement for nutrients that were found in the one day diet; 100% means that the diet provided 100% of the average daily requirement for that nutrient.

To learn more about meeting your nutrient needs on a plant-based diet, check out the following blogs: