Plant-Based Vegan Vegetarian

Plant-Based, Vegetarian, and Vegan Dietitian Nutritionist in the St. Louis Area, Missouri, and Illinois

Meet Your Nutrient Needs with Medical Nutrition Therapy for a Plant-Based, Vegetarian, or Vegan Diet

What does a vegan – vegetarian – plant-based dietitian do?

We provide online or in-person medical nutrition therapy. We can help to ensure that those following a plant based diet are still meeting the appropriate energy needs to function optimally. We provide dietary advice for those who want to transition to a vegetarian and/or vegan diet, and help ensure our patients that eliminating certain food groups (animal protein/dairy/eggs/fish/etc) won’t actually compromise their health.


As vegetarian dietitian nutritionists in the St. Louis area, we specialize in helping those who follow or want to adopt a vegetarian diet.


Here’s what a vegetarian dietitian can do for you:

  • Dietary Assessment: We meet you where you are, assessing your current diet and setting realistic goals to implement a vegetarian or vegan plan.

  • Personalized Meal Planning: We create customized meal plans that meet your nutritional needs and preferences, while implementing vegetarian principles.

  • Nutrient Optimization: We ensure that you get all essential nutrients, such as protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12, and omega-3 fatty acids, which can be challenging to obtain in a vegetarian diet.

  • Education: We provide you with key information about the different types of vegetarian diets (lacto-vegetarian, ovo-vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and vegan) and the benefits and potential challenges of each.

  • Recipe and Cooking Advice: We can offer practical advice on cooking and preparing balanced vegetarian meals, including providing recipes and tips for incorporating a variety of plant-based foods.

  • Health Management: Transitioning to a plant-based diet (vegetrian or vegan or other) can help manage specific health conditions that might be influenced by diet, such as PCOS, diabetes, heart disease, and gastrointestinal disorders, and inflammation. We provide medical nutrition therapy to help manage, and even reverse, medical conditions through a vegetarian diet.

  • Supplement Recommendations: We can provide you with key supplement support and advice when necessary to ensure adequate intake of nutrients that might be lacking in a vegetarian diet, such as vitamin B12, vitamin D, and iron.

  • Lifestyle Integration: We can help you with tips and recommendations on how to integrate your vegetarian diet into your lifestyle, considering factors such as budget, time constraints, and cultural preferences.

  • Sustainable Eating: We can help you promote sustainable and ethical eating practices, including the benefits of a vegetarian diet for the environment and animal welfare.

  • Support and Motivation: We will always be available to provide ongoing support, motivation, and monitoring to help you stick to your dietary goals and make adjustments as needed.

By working with a vegetarian dietitian in our practice, you can be confident that you will be given the tools to follow a balanced, nutritious diet that supports your health and well-being while aligning with your vegetarian values.

Do dietitians recommend veganism?

We are proud plant based supporters at Branz Nutrition Counseling. However, it’s all about ensuring you are checking the box for meeting nutritional needs with major food groups missing.

This can be possible in eating disorder recovery, too, with the help of a trained eating disorder dietitian to facilitate this recovery approach.

Can a nutritionist help me become a vegetarian?

A dietitian can definitely assist in helping make this transition and in fact, highly recommended to ensure you are meeting all macronutrient groups with the elimination of various food groups.

What foods do you eat on a plant-based diet?

The United States is a very meat-centric culture. Nevertheless, over the past several years, we’ve seen a rise in plant-based diet plans.
Many dishes that require animal protein can easily be swapped out for other alternatives to support a plant based diet. A dietitian can confirm you are meeting requirements to best absorb nutrients for optimal health and well being.

Here’s a list of key nutrients and the plant-based foods that can help you meet your nutritional needs:

Protein

  • Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, and peas

  • Soy Products: Tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk

  • Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds

  • Whole Grains: Quinoa, bulgur, farro, and whole wheat


Iron

  • Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, and collard greens

  • Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and beans

  • Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and cashews

  • Fortified Foods: Fortified cereals and breads

  • Dried Fruits: Raisins, apricots, and prunes


Calcium

  • Leafy Greens: Bok choy, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale

  • Fortified Plant Milks: Almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk

  • Fortified Orange Juice

  • Tofu (calcium-set)

  • Almonds and Tahini


Vitamin B12

  • Fortified Foods: Nutritional yeast, fortified plant milks, fortified cereals, and fortified meat substitutes

  • Supplements: Vitamin B12 supplements, as it is difficult to obtain sufficient B12 from plant foods alone


Omega-3 Fatty Acids

  • Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, and hemp seeds

  • Walnuts

  • Algal Oil: A plant-based supplement derived from algae


Vitamin D

  • Fortified Foods: Fortified plant milks, fortified orange juice, and fortified cereals

  • Mushrooms exposed to sunlight

  • Supplements: Vitamin D2 or D3 (vegan source)


Zinc

  • Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, and beans

  • Nuts and Seeds: Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and cashews

  • Whole Grains: Quinoa, oats, and whole wheat

  • Fortified Foods: Fortified cereals


Iodine

  • Sea Vegetables: Seaweed (nori, kelp, dulse)

  • Iodized Salt

  • Fiber and Antioxidants

  • Fruits and Vegetables: A wide variety of colors and types

  • Whole Grains: Brown rice, oats, quinoa, and barley


Tips for Nutrient Absorption

  • Combine Iron with Vitamin C: To enhance iron absorption, consume iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C (e.g., citrus fruits, tomatoes, bell peppers).

  • Pair Calcium-Rich Foods with Vitamin D: To improve calcium absorption, ensure adequate vitamin D intak


By working with a vegetarian nutritionists, you can ensure that you are including a diverse range of these plant-based foods in your diet. By doing so, you can meet your nutritional needs and maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

What can a dietitian nutritionist do to help with overeating?

The dietitians on our team are disordered eating nutrition specialists. We specialize in vegetarian or vegan overeating and binge eating disorder, and will work to help you heal your relationship with food and body.

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When it comes to overeating, the main goal is to determine the root of the problem and work alongside a patient’s team to ensure a collaborative approach. 

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An eating disorder dietitian on our team will work with you to ensure adequate calories are being consumed with a mix of nutritious and fun foods intertwined. We can also work to help you transition to intuitive eating, healing your relationship with food and body and challenging beliefs about food, weight, body image, and movement.

Get online nutrition therapy or meet us in one of our offices in the St. Louis area to improve your relationship with food and body.


Begin healing today. Recovery is possible.

Our Team of Dietitian Nutritionists in the Greater St. Louis Area

Branz Nutrition Counseling is a team of certified eating disorder dietitians who provide compassionate care to those struggling with their relationship to food. Our approach is weight-inclusive, LGBTQIA+, and social justice-oriented, which means that we believe that everyone deserves access to quality care. 

 

We can’t wait to meet you!

With locations in Illinois and Missouri, we offer both virtual and in-person counseling sessions. And, we are licensed to provide Telehealth nutrition therapy to  patients around the country.

​Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Illinois | Missouri | New York | Texas | Virginia

We see clients in person in the St. Louis area, Missouri, Illinois, and from around the country via Telehealth. Learn more here.

Scroll to see the whole team.

How It Works – An Easy Three-Step Process to Get You on the Road to Recovery

Make An Appointment

What service do you need? We offer a range of appointments of different durations to best fit your needs.

Meet with your Personal Dietitian

Be paired with the dietitian nutritionist on our team and get continued support with one of our online groups. One-on-one counseling, in-person, or virtual. WE TAKE INSURANCE!

Take Control of Your Life

Heal your relationship with food and your body. Choose the best foods for your unique needs. Get the tools you need to live a healthy life. Receive continued support.

Note: In order to secure a spot on a dietitian’s schedule, we need a valid payment method on file.

Our Testimonials

Thank you for choosing us as the Best Dietitian Practice in STL (2023)

  • There have been times where my daughter will eat 4 bowls of carrots and turn down a cookie, and there have been times where she will want all the fruit snacks and nothing else, but it doesn’t stress me out because I know now that it’s just what her body wants in the moment. The information provided in your course not only helps my kids, but also opened my eyes to some of my own internal struggles around sugar and meal times!"

  • My sister Gifted this program to me and I'm so glad she did! I've already gotten so much out of watching the modules and reading the PDFs."

  • Understanding and implementing the Division of Responsibility in Feeding really takes the pressure off meal times. I love sitting down to enjoy dinner with my family and I hope it’s a memory my kids enjoy when they’re older too."

  • Also, againg, thank you for being so kind to "A". She usually does not like seeing "doctor like people", but she actually enjoys coming to see you, so that says a lot.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I can't thank you enough for all you have done for us. I know we will continue to deal with food issues but at least I see hope. I honestly don't know how L(or myself) could have got through the past year without you. You literally are a lifesaver!! You are an amazing dietitian!!.

    by Mother of a Patient

  • Thank you for the caring devoted service and gentle compassion you have shown "S" over the years.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • I am truly grateful we found you to be he nutritionist. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    by Mother of a Patient, Saint Louis, MO

  • "For most of my life, I have correlated the size of my body to being loved and accepted. The smaller I am, the more lovable and acceptable I am. Giving up the dieting, the rules, and the noise has given me the freedom to trust, appreciate and accept love from others as well as myself".

    by

  • I truly appreciate the encouragement and hearfelt, genuine concern you have for me. Your counsel and empathy have meant a great deal and helped keep me going during difficult times.

    by C, Saint Louis, MO

  • Thanks for helping me think about food differently and providing guidance regarding how to select carbs. Also, thanks for helping me recognize that the evolution would take several months to come to a 'new normal'.

    by E, Saint Louis, MO

We Accept Insurance

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Branz Nutrition in the Media

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Nutrition Blog & Latest News

Our team of Dietitians offers online support as well as in-person appointments in MO and IL.