Use our calorie intake calculator to determine the ideal amount of calories you should be eating on a whole food, plant-based vegan diet.
Whether you're trying to lose, gain, or maintain weight, having an idea of your daily calorie needs can be helpful for figuring out a healthy vegan eating plan.
Many assume that switching to a vegan or plant-based diet automatically means weight loss but it's not always that simple. It depends greatly on your eating habits previously and the new habits that you form.
On a whole food plant-based diet, the focus is on unprocessed, nutrient dense foods which are typically lower in calories for the same portion size as animal-based foods. This can aid in weight loss but it's still possible to overeat without realizing it.
To gauge what your daily calorie needs are based on your individual goals, use the calorie calculator below.
Disclaimer: This calorie calculator is for adults 18 years and older and is not designed for those that are pregnant or breastfeeding. These are estimates and do not replace advice from a medical professional or registered dietitian.
Vegan Daily Calorie Intake Calculator
How to use these results
Studies have shown that the composition of calories (e.g. carbohydrates, fat, protein, fiber) has different effects within the body in terms of utilization, storage, thermic effect, satiation, and more.
Calorie calculators do not take these different effects into consideration. Animal products have no fiber, and are typically high in fat and low in carbohydrates. Whole plant foods are typically high in fiber and carbohydrates, and low in fat.
As such, use calorie calculator recommendations as a guide only. More specifically, when eating whole plant foods, if satiation and energy requirements are not met by calorie calculator recommendations, it’s critical to eat more calories from whole plant foods to avoid feeling lethargic and hungry, and bingeing on typically more calorie dense vegan junk food, or worse, reverting to animal products.
Weight Loss
For sustainable weight loss, it is recommended to decrease maintenance calories by no more than 15%. When you go above 20% it can be difficult to maintain and can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
For women, never go below 1200 calories a day. It's best to stay well above this amount to ensure proper nutrition and maintain a healthy menstrual cycle.
If you're ready to lose weight in a sustainable and healthy way, check out our free Vegan Weight Loss Meal Plan which provided 14 days of recipes, shopping lists, nutrition information and suggested schedule.
Vegan Macros
It's important to remember that one can lose weight with a calorie deficit regardless of macro ratio. Macros, or macronutrients, include Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrates. As long as your overall daily calorie intake is below your maintenance calories, weight loss is achievable.
There is no need to complicate it further by eating low carb, keto, or high protein. By eating a well-balance diet you set yourself up for the best possible outcome without risking any nutrient deficiencies.
Vegan Nutrition
We have several articles discussing vegan nutrition including the best plant-based protein sources, everything you need to know about vitamin B12, and how to simplify nutrition without the overwhelm.
Want to take your nutrition knowledge to the next level? Check out our Comprehensive Vegan Nutrition Guide, co-written with a Registered Dietitian. It has everything you need to keep you healthy, well fueled and thriving for life while teaching you the ins-and-out of vegan nutrition.
Where can I get more info about a whole food plant-based diet?
The best place is in our starter guide!
Read all about what a whole food, plant-based diet entails here.
Where can I find whole food plant-based recipes?
Health My Lifestyle has hundreds of whole food plant-based, oil-free vegan recipes to support your plant-based journey!
You can find them in the plant-based recipe index here.
Where can I get support and questions answered about a plant-based diet?
The best place to find support is in our Plant Based Meal Prep group — it's free to join!
Is there a meal plan to help me stick to my goals?
The Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner is designed to simplify meal planning, tracking, and shopping! It includes done-for-you meal plans with beginner and meal-prep friendly recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner specifically designed to save you time and money. These plans are completely customizable to your goals and preferences!
It does all the work of tracking calories for you so you never have to manually calculate anything! Just build meal plans to fit your needs and food preferences and you're all set!
Next steps
- Learn more about the benefits of a whole food, plant-based diet
- Join our Facebook group for support and motivation
- Get ready-made meal plans—all the work is done for you!
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