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Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D. Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.
See full index of questions  Do you know of any diet programs for vegans, such as Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, etc.? These programs, little do most people know, are not healthy at all. I enjoy my vegan lifestyle, but I am unfortunately, a junk food junkie & need help taking off my extra weight. I need to have a structured plan & having a plan that would have my food prepared for me, would be so helpful. It would also help me in the long run to know exactly what I can eat and how much I should eat in order to stay at my normal weight. Thanks.
Diet plans such as Nutrisystem are effective for some in the short term because they do the work for us; no time-consuming food preparation or grocery shopping is required. But eventually people get bored with the same foods over and over and need to return to "normal" eating. This is not to say that these types of plans are necessarily bad; they are helpful during particularly busy times, or when a few pounds need to be dropped. But they are not a permanent solution. Healthy vegans have learned to work within their time and financial budgets to follow an eating plan that is nutrient-rich and provides enough but not too much energy, aiding in weight loss and maintenance. The best way to devise a structured plan is to work with a registered dietitian specializing in plant-based diets. Once you learn what foods fit into your food and nutrient needs, planning meals will become second nature. And there is no need to labor in the kitchen for hours, making all of your meals from scratch. There are shortcuts we can use and still follow a healthful vegan diet! Here are some ideas for finding the time and energy to eat right: Make healthy eating a priority by structuring small food-related tasks into your daily routine. Making a morning smoothie with frozen fruit, throwing ingredients in the crockpot midday, or washing and chopping up raw fruits and vegetables before bed takes only a few extra minutes each day. Planning meals on a Sunday night is a nice way to end a weekend, and will help start the week right. If these chores become as normal as brushing our teeth or going for our walk, they will get done. Lack of preparation spells out trouble when it's dinner time and there's nothing to eat! Invest in HEALTHUL convenience foods. Canned beans, bagged salads, frozen vegetables, hummus, whole grain breads, plain or seasoned tofu/tempeh/seitan, vegan selections from the grocery store deli, frozen vegan foods (burritos, grain-based dishes, ethnic frozen meals, etc.), instant soups, quick-cooking whole grains, and veggie burgers take very little time to prepare. Need extra flavor? There are hundreds if not thousands of healthful vegan sauces and dressings available. When you do have time, make large batches of whole grains, bean dishes, and soups. Freeze them in small containers and remove your "meal" in the morning and place in the refrigerator. By evening, it will be ready to heat and eat. If you don't have much freezer space, you can share the task with a vegan friend: alternate weeks and share your creations. Buy cookbooks designed for busy vegans. Some that come to mind are Meatless Meals for Working People  by Debra Wasserman, Student's Go Vegan Cookbook: Over 135 Quick, Easy, Cheap, and Tasty Vegan Recipes by Carole Raymond, Vegan Success: Scrumptious, Healthy Vegan Recipes for Busy People by Susan Daffron and James Byrd, and many of the "quick" vegan cooking books by Leah Leneman. You can also find quick and easy vegan recipes here at VegFamily.com, at vegweb.com, and on other vegan web sites.
What about those times when you need a little help? It is not terrible to take part in a diet program for a short time while you get back on track. I know of one vegan plan (and there may be more; email me if you know of any). Dr. McDougall's diet plan is based on instant foods like soup and oatmeal. It is nutritionally complete, except for vitamin B12, so please take a B12 supplement if you go with this plan. Visit www.rightfoods.com for more information. If you have the budget, you have the option to hire a chef in your area to cook a week's worth of vegan meals for you. Personal chefs are becoming more and more popular, and many are happy to accommodate vegans; check your community ads and local listings. You may be fortunate enough to live an area that offers vegan meal delivery. Here are just a few examples (check your local listings or do a web search to see if you have such a service in your area):
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