UNDATED (Cleveland Clinic) -- Some consider a vegan diet an extreme way to eat healthy. But like everything there is a right and wrong way to approach it.
The vegan diet is a healthy lifestyle choice, but you have to make sure you're getting all of the vitamins and minerals your body needs to perform. Cleveland Clinic registered dietician Laura Jeffers says, "Becoming a vegan can be a very healthy lifestyle change. But you have to be knowledgeable and aware of what you're doing and what you and what you're taking in."
Vegan diets are plant-based and exclude all animal products, including milk, cheese, and eggs. Jeffers says people eating a vegan diet can fall short in things like Vitamin B12, calcium, and sometimes protein.
But she says the key to eating a healthy vegan is being aware of the plant-based sources that contain these items.
For instance, like dark green, leafy vegetables are a good source of calcium and beans and grains are packed with protein.
Jeffers says a good way to get started on a vegan diet is to talk to a dietitian. "It may be a really good idea to speak with a dietitian that's either been vegan or is vegan now because they're going to be able to give you the ins and outs of what they do day to day."
Jeffers says you can work with a dietitian to create a properly planned diet for yourself that is nutritionally adequate.