FREE E-Guide: 10 Things Every Vegan Needs to Know About Nutrition

Vegan Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

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Hey folks! 👋🏼 I am starting my "maternity le

Hey folks! 👋🏼 I am starting my "maternity leave" and am committing to firm boundaries with work so that I can focus on resting, healing and nurturing!

That being said, I am going to be extra quiet to completely absent on this Instagram account for a bit.

There are LOADS of informative posts + highlights for you to peruse in the meantime, as well as a bunch of wonderful resources on my website (you can find all of these through the link in my bio):

〰️BLOG: Several years’ worth of posts about intuitive eating, veganism, eating disorder recovery and more. 🔗taylorwolfram.com/blog

〰️E-GUIDE: Learn 10 things every vegan needs to know about nutrition! This free e-guide provides must-have information and practical how-to’s. 🔗taylorwolfram.com/guide

〰️VIDEO SERIES: Bite-sized videos explaining how intuitive eating works for vegans. 🔗taylorwolfram.com/videos

〰️COURSE: The Anti-Diet Vegan Nutrition Online Course teaches you how to meet your nutrient needs as a vegan, without any of the usual restrictive, diet-y or fatphobic advice! It includes more than 6 hours of nutrition education and is the most comprehensive resource we offer. 🔗taylorwolfram.com/course

〰️GROUP: My associate dietitian Jessica runs a weekly virtual support group for folks healing from eating disorders and disordered eating! 🔗taylorwolfram.com/groups

I deeply value the community + connection here and look forward to catching up when I’m back!

💖

When you hear the phrase "mindful eating" what com

When you hear the phrase "mindful eating" what comes to mind?

🤔

Did you know that there is an official definition for mindful eating?

@the_center_for_mindful_eating is a non-profit providing resources to professionals + consumers to explore & learn how to apply mindfulness practices to their relationship with food & eating.

They define mindful eating as “allowing yourself to become aware of the positive and nurturing opportunities that are available through food selection and preparation by respecting your own inner wisdom.”

They also clarify, “TCME does not endorse any philosophy or program that includes or promotes weight loss measures or procedures because evidence does not support that it deepens or improves an individual’s mindful eating practice.” (That part is really important! Mindful eating is NOT a weight loss tool.)

I have a blog post about what mindful eating may look like (and what it definitely does not look like) — you can read it at taylorwolfram.com/mindful-eating!

✨Some ways I've seen mindful eating benefit my clients:

➖Helps them reconnect with their body
➖Aids in rebuilding body trust
➖Increases the joy & pleasure of eating
➖Enhances the ability to feel satisfaction while eating
➖Increases awareness of food preferences
➖Eases stress & anxiety about food

👉Are you familiar with mindful eating? How has it impacted you?

🆕 on the blog: My associate dietitian @jessicasteinbachrd wrote about mindful eating in the context of eating disorder recovery! Check out this new post to learn 3 ways folks healing from an eating disorder can eat mindfully, even while following a meal plan! 🔗 link in bio

ID: Tweets from Taylor that say "The goal of intuitive eating and mindful eating is not to eat less or lose weight. If you’ve been led to believe that you’re only “succeeding” at these approaches if you’re eating small quantities of food or losing weight, I am sorry.

Attunement and connected eating are goals of these approaches. Sometimes this may result in eating less food, sometimes it may result in eating more. Keep tabs on sneaky diet mentality that defines “success” as shrinking food portions and/or body size."

In case you needed this reminder: carbohydrates an

In case you needed this reminder: carbohydrates and carbohydrate-rich foods are not the enemy!!!

I can’t imagine life without bagels 🥲

There are so many myths about carbohydrates!

The truth is carbohydrates are an excellent source of energy. The best, actually. They are an important component of balanced meals and do not need to be avoided. And, carbohydrate-rich foods deliver other important nutrients, too!

Pictured here are some bagels that my husband made 🤤 I’ve been asking him to make more so we can freeze a bunch to have on hand for after the baby arrives, which will be sometime in the next couple weeks!! 😅

Now tell me, do you prefer savory or sweet bagels? I’m an everything girl all the way! 😋

As a vegan registered dietitian, I feel compelled

As a vegan registered dietitian, I feel compelled to post about vitamin B12 every so often because the myths and misinformation about this nutrient just will not go away! 😫

Just this week I saw a vegan bragging on Twitter about how they have never taken a B12 supplement. Not something to brag about, folks!

📢Consider this a PSA to take your vitamin B12 supplement if you're vegan!!

MYTH: You can get vitamin B12 from fermented foods, sea vegetables and mushrooms.

FACT: The only reliable vegan sources of the active form of vitamin B12 are fortified foods & dietary supplements.

Plain and simple! We don't have enough evidence to say that any unfortified plant food is a reliable source of the active form of vitamin B12 that we need. Vitamin B12 supplements are pretty affordable and accessible and you do NOT want to mess around with a B12 deficiency. Be a responsible vegan and take your B12 supplement!

✅ Want to get more vegan nutrition facts and learn how to apply them? Check out my vegan nutrition online course! 🔗 taylorwolfram.com/course (link also in bio)

Building balanced vegan meals isn’t rocket scien

Building balanced vegan meals isn’t rocket science!

But, I find that many people are confused about what a balanced meal looks like because they've been so misled by diet culture.

🗝️Key components of a balanced meal include:

✔️Grain/starch
✔️Protein
✔️Fruit/veggie
✔️Fat
✔️Flavor/fun

🤔If you're feeling unsatisfied after a meal, ask yourself if you're missing any of these components! If not, consider if you ate *enough* food. Sometimes a meal can have all these components but we simply need MORE of it! And of course, make sure you're eating foods you genuinely enjoy.

Take this bowl of quick homemade curry for example. It contains a grain (rice), protein (tofu), fat (coconut milk), and a variety of veggies!

And don't forget the flavor - lots of yumminess in here thanks to spicy red curry paste, zippy lime juice, and fresh garlic & ginger.

Remember, this isn’t about perfection. Every single meal doesn’t have to include every single one of these components! However, when most meals contain all or most of these components, we are more likely to feel adequately nourished and satisfied!

Please note that whenever I show plated food, it is not an indication of the "correct" amount of food to eat. Everyone’s needs are different and I encourage you to listen to *your* body.

✨Want in-depth guidance on putting together vegan meals that are not only nourishing but also satisfying? Hop on into the Anti-Diet Vegan Nutrition Online Course! Link in bio. ✨

ID: A shallow white bowl filled with rice, cubed baked tofu, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms and red bell pepper in a pool of creamy red curry.

Continuing with the nutrition theme during the mon

Continuing with the nutrition theme during the month of March (it's still National Nutrition Month!), let's talk about plant-based iron!

Here's the deal: Iron isn't hard to come by in plant foods. In fact, plant eaters often eat MORE iron than meat eaters. However, we don't necessarily absorb all of that iron.

One key strategy to promote good plant-based iron absorption is to eat iron-containing foods with at least 50 milligrams of vitamin C. The amount of vitamin C does matter here. Smaller amounts (like 25 milligrams) will give iron absorption a little boost, but not a ton. I often hear advice like "Just squeeze some lemon juice on your food!" but that doesn't deliver that much vitamin C (1 tablespoon of lemon juice contains 6 milligrams of vitamin C).

So, here are some iron-rich foods and vitamin C-rich foods to mix and match!

Note: The serving sizes here have a "+" after them as a reminder that these are minimum serving sizes to get a good dose of these nutrients!

🌱Iron-Rich Plant Foods:
1/2 cup+ tofu, tempeh
1/2 cup+ cooked spinach
1/2 cup+ cooked lentils, beans, peas
1/2 cup+ cooked Swiss chard
1 cup+ iron-fortified cereal

🍓Foods with 50mg+ Vitamin C:
1 orange, grapefruit, kiwi
1/2 cup+ cooked broccoli
1 cup+ strawberries
3/4 cup+ orange juice, grapefruit juice
1/4 cup+ red & yellow bell pepper (1/2 cup+ for green bell pepper)

💪 Want to learn more strategies for promoting good iron absorption - including what to eat and what NOT to consume with iron-rich foods? Check out my vegan nutrition online course! 🔗 taylorwolfram.com/course (link also in bio)

Like meat and potatoes? You can eat that vegan! 😋

Take this dish for example - it was inspired by a meal that my partner's family makes with animal-based foods and I veganized it!

This is kielbasa and sauerkraut with green beans and potatoes! This photo features mashed potatoes, and sometimes I make it with roasted potatoes, and we've even done slow cooked potatoes with onions. So many yummy options!

It's totally OK if you feel like you need something "meaty" to feel satisfied. Usually that means you enjoy umami flavor, meaty texture, high-protein foods, and/or plenty of of fat at meals. And you can get that without harming animals! Especially nowadays with SO many vegan meat options available in so many stores.

And for the record, vegan meats are not "bad!" They are actually associated with better bone health in vegans and can help you feel full and satisfied. They can be a completely nutritious and healthful part of your plate. No need to restrict them!

What's your fave way to enjoy vegan meat and potatoes?

Please note that whenever I show plated food, it is not an indication of the "correct" amount of food to eat. Everyone’s needs are different and I encourage you to listen to *your* body.

🍽️ Want more vegan meal inspo? Head to taylorwolfram.com/meals (link also in bio) to get 25 quick + easy vegan meal and snack ideas!

ID: A close-up photo of a shallow white bowl showing a heap of mashed potatoes, green beans, sauerkraut and chunks of vegan kielbasa.

In case you missed my stories last week, I shared

In case you missed my stories last week, I shared a few important articles in which folks spoke out about harm done by a prominent thin white person in the Health At Every Size® community. Links are in my bio.

The person doing the harming is @lindobacon, an academic & author who wrote a book called Health At Every Size. Over the years, this book has led many folks to incorrectly assume that Lindo invented HAES® or is the leader of HAES®.

Last week, @fatmarquisele published a post on her Patreon (which I recommend joining/supporting) about her experiences with Lindo, and then @bodyliberationwithlindley published a blog post about her experiences (she also has a Patreon you can join/support). Shortly after, @haes_by_asdah (the organization that has the registered trademark on Health At Every Size® & HAES®, which you can donate to and/or join) published an article on their website about Lindo. I've seen more folks speaking out about their experiences as well.

Many thanks to all of them, especially @fatmarquisele, for taking the risk to publicly speak out and invite us into conversation & action.

I know lots of you aren't super familiar with Health At Every Size® and may have trouble following this. What I see as the major takeaways are:
-Marginalized folks are being oppressed in their own liberation movements and this is not OK
-Privileged folks are doing harm whether we realize it or not
-It's critical that we examine the ways in which we have done harm and are doing harm, and do better

I am a multi-privileged person who supports & participates in various liberation movements, and I deeply appreciate these kinds of learning opportunities and calls to action. This work is never done. It's ongoing, and we're never going to arrive at being the perfect ally, accomplice, advocate, activist, etc. I am constantly learning, messing up, examining and growing.

I urge everyone to be aware of & challenge white supremacy culture, including fear, perfectionism, paternalism, either/or thinking, individualism, defensiveness and urgency. I notice these reactions popping in me, and I'm sure you notice them popping up in you. Let's do this together!

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