The following website has the vegan take on the food pyramid. If you do not properly substitute certain foods in your diet, you will not be healthy. Vegans can still be fat blobs. They can also be underweight.
I am personally against vitamins and supplements. If you eat right, you can get a perfect balance in your daily diet. I took a nutrition class a coupla months ago, and we used this great website to monitor ourselves. I was almost exact on everything. I was only low in calcium & B12. That's when I started taking B12, & I chose oj & soymilk w/calcium. Easy peasy.
It's very easy to stick to the above pyramid...
Legumes: You need a min. of 2 servings of legumes (such as meat/dairy substitutes, beans, lentils, peas, etc.). I try to eat a heaping salad for lunch at least 3-4 days a week. I add kidney beans and black beans which takes up most of this requirement. You MUST fill this category. It's where your getting your protein (and good fiber)!
Veggies: 3 or more servings. Along w/a heaping salad (throw in some shredded carrots for a nice crunch!), I like a half a veggie sandwich. Wheat bread, lettuce, tomato, bell peppers, pickles, avocado, etc. Make some sweet potato fries w/dinner or have a handful of carrots as a snack & your done w/veggies! Lotsa potential for your fiber intake, as well as vitamin C, etc.
Fruit: If you eat fruit for breakfast, and wait at least 30min to eat anything else, it will have your body prepared for cleansing everything out for the rest of the day. I'm a busy person... If you're like me, eat a banana in the car on the way to work. Time saver! I cube half an apple to mix in my salad, and slice the other half as a snack for my car ride home. Make sure to eat 3 servings per day!
Whole grains: This is my FAVorite category! 6-11 servings a day. What?! I get to eat bread, pasta, and rice? Sweet Jesus! For breakfast on a cold morning, hot cereal is perfect. & I'm not an oatmeal fan. In fact, I hate it. However, I have found a delicious brown sugar & maple. Three Sisters is great! I bought it at Whole Foods, and it's multigrain, natural flavors, & they use 25% less packaging than other brands! I've switched to whole wheat pasta, & I'm shocked at how much better it tastes! So, eat up w/out the guilt!!!
B12/Calcium: As a vegetarian or a vegan, you are not consuming B12. It's only in animal carcasses. A supplement is cheap & easy. In fact, it's the only vitamin I take. A bottle is $7.50 & it lasts forever. As for calcium, vegans can find this in a ton of varieties. For example, I love Simply Orange. They have a calcium infused, pulp free juice. Yum! You can also get this in fortified soymilk & broccoli.
Fat: Well, actually I'm referring to Omega 3 Fatty Acids. These are the healthy fats. Chow down on walnuts (I throw 'em in my salad!) or canola oil, etc.
Vitamin D: Finally, a reason to lay out in the sun! Take a few minutes a day to get some healthy rays. If you live in a high latitude, take a supplement.
I'm not a fan of oatmeal either. I thought I'd try it one last time and I think I found a brand I actually like that's cheap! Trader Joe's Organic Oats and Flax Instant Oatmeal is amazing. It's just rolled oats, flaxseed, organic cane juice, and a little salt. I put half a banana in mine and it is so delish!! Thanks for all the great info Shayla!! :)
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