One of the newest diet trends right now is the Pegan diet; a combination that incorporates two of the more well known diets: paleo and vegan. The pegan diet focuses primarily on fruits and vegetables, specifically encouraging that 75 percent of your diet comes from plant based foods, and the other 25 percent from animal protein and high-quality fats. Animal sources should come from organic, grass-fed and antibiotic-free animals like chicken, beef, fish and eggs, and high-quality fats from olive, coconut and avocado oils, as well as avocados and nuts. The diet also incorporates healthy grains from gluten-free, whole grains, like quinoa for example. Soy, dairy and sugar are three big no-no's while following this diet plan.
From a dietitian stand point I love that 75% of this diet is based on fruits and vegetables. I definitely think that this brings vitamins, minerals and nutrients that our bodies need in their purest and most absorbable form. I also agree with the healthy fats that are encouraged, this is what we should always gravitate towards regardless of following a pegan diet or not. One huge problem I have though is the discrimination against dairy. For individuals who can't tolerate dairy, and I know there are a lot of you, then yes of course stay away. But, if you tolerate dairy well, then I encourage three servings of low fat dairy daily from milk, cheese, or yogurt. Some studies have shown that this helps with weight maintenance. Another problem I have is the limited amount of protein. If people are trying to lose weight then they optimally need at least 35% of their total calories to come from lean, healthy protein. We don't want the body to break down muscle to get its protein needs, we want to encourage lean muscle building and that means adequate protein intake. The pegan diet also excludes legumes/beans, besides lentils, which I definitely don't agree with. These are good natural sources of protein and should not be discarded from any healthy diet plan.
So, if you want to try to follow a pegan diet go for it, but if you tolerate dairy don't leave it out, and keep consuming legumes. Otherwise how can any dietitian argue with a diet that encourages 75% of intake from plant based foods...I love that!