Ok, I got an interesting response from a few people on yesterday’s post about Olivia Munn eating 80% fruits and vegetables:
What if I’m vegan? What if I eat a 100% plant based diet?
and
How do we know what exactly that 80% was?
Those are awesome questions!
The media made the”80% fruits and vegetables” quote sound like Olivia was eating “80% carbohydrates (from fruit and vegetables).” Which would, for most people, have them be pretty wicked hungry most of the time.
But maybe that was my assumption, or just how it sounded in that one soundbite.
In truth, I’ve had plenty of vegan clients that were able to get a great balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Not only were they able to eat balanced meals, they also reported feeling much more full.
This paper “Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete”, and review of sports nutrition stances:
https://www.drfuhrman.com/library/vegan_athlete.pdf
That paper puts protein requirements between 1.4-2.0 grams per kilogram of bodyweight, for vegan or vegetarian athletes.
For people who track their weight in pounds, that’s 0.6-0.9 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, each day.
So, you’re still looking at about 1/4 of your plate being vegan protein:
- Tofu
- Tempeh
- Natto
- Edamame
- Lentils
- Beans,
- Hemp protein powder,
- Pea protein powder
Or, if you’re vegetarian, you can also add:
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese
- Kefir
- Greek Yogurt
And you can still get those healthy fats as well:
- Omega 3’s from algae (EPA and DHA)
- Fax oil
- Olive oil
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Avocado
And those are just some of the possible examples. I’m sure I’m missing a million more options for vegan and vegetarian proteins and fats.
Olivia Munn could absolutely be getting a really balanced, healthy diet
It just didn’t sound like it from the way the interview cut it. I have no idea.
There’s a strong possibility that she meant that she ate 80% whole foods and plant based, and really balanced… and that they media spun it into an “80% fruits and vegetables magic fat loss program”! And, that’s actually fairly likely.
Often we’ll get a juicy headline that a million media outlets run with, and later find out that what the celebrity actually did was much more moderate, balanced, and obviously healthy.
Simple Balanced Meals for Everyone
I just want to be clear: There’s nothing magic about eating a plant based diet for fat loss. The same way there’s nothing magic about eating gluten free. Or nothing magic about eating Paleo. There’s basically quantity and quality (however you choose to measure quality).
In general, people feel full with a balanced plate: Half the plate vegetables, and the energy divided fairly evenly between proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. And that can be done as a vegan, vegetarian, or carnivore.
Calories = Weight
Quality of food = Fullness
Balanced macronutrients = Fullness
Workouts = Leanness
Protein = Leanness
Simple.
Author, Fat Loss Happens on Monday
Food habits coaching expert, Strength Matters Magazine and Strength Matters Summit
P.S. Could Oliva Munn possibly look more amazing on Instagram today?
