Interview with Marisa Hofmeister: Vegan & Healthy into the New Year

More energy, better well-being, or simply trying something new: For many, the turn of the year begins with good intentions like healthy eating. Vegan nutrition is becoming especially popular. Whether as a four-week challenge or as the start of a new lifestyle— the campaign "Veganuary" encourages people worldwide to eat purely plant-based in January. The best way to succeed is known by Marisa Hofmeister,a certified holistic nutrition consultant and influencer. In the interview, Marisa reveals what a healthy vegan diet looks like and which mistakes to avoid when changing your diet.

Marisa, how long have you been vegan and what motivated you to switch?

I have been vegan for over five years. When I was still doing competitive sports, I started to take an interest in healthy eating. I wanted to perform better and recover faster. Back then, I already cut out dairy and gluten and noticed initial improvements. My interest in healthy nutrition grew so much that I completed a distance learning course to become a holistic health and nutrition consultant. I hadn’t planned to become vegan, but the more I learned about nutrition and health, the more logical it became for me to avoid animal products.

Besides your athletic performance, have you noticed other changes after switching to a vegan diet?

My breathing problems disappeared when I started cutting out dairy. Switching to a vegan diet also greatly improved my skin. I never had acne or severe blemishes, but my skin was very oily with large pores. After changing my diet, my large pores disappeared.

Your top 3 tips for successfully switching to a vegan diet?

My most important tip is to switch slowly and buy replacement products for items you really can’t give up. Equally important is to forgive yourself if you do eat something non-vegan once in a while instead of giving up completely because you think you’ve failed. If you don’t want to give up eggs but can avoid all other animal products, that’s already great and better than quitting entirely. It’s not bad to make "mistakes" because every step counts.

What are typical mistakes when switching to a vegan diet and how can they be avoided?

You shouldn’t just remove animal products from your diet but replace them with plant-based alternatives with similar nutritional values. For example, the protein you used to get from meat needs to be replaced to get all macronutrients. A good plant-based protein source is legumes. Another mistake, in my opinion, is going fully vegan overnight. Many people struggle with bloating when switching to a vegan diet, usually because plant foods contain much more fiber. This is generally very healthy, but the gut flora needs time to adjust. Therefore, I wouldn’t start with whole grain rice, legumes, and raw vegetables but integrate them gradually.

What does a healthy vegan diet look like to you?

Healthy means a whole-food vegan diet to me. That means as unprocessed as possible: fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

How can nutritional needs be met with a vegan diet and which nutrients should be watched?

One thing to definitely watch is B12. You don’t get this vitamin from a vegan diet. A B12 deficiency leads to irreversible damage. That’s why I always recommend a B12 supplement. Also, I would recommend supplementing Omega-3 with any diet. And everyone in Germany should take a vitamin D3 supplement in winter. I take D3 from October to May. Anyone who eats fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds daily and ensures sufficient calorie intake can very well prevent malnutrition. I recommend everyone get a blood test once a year to check for possible deficiencies. That way, you know exactly where you stand and what you need to supplement instead of taking supplements blindly.

Which foods should be avoided for health reasons?

You should be careful with oils. They have an extremely high calorie density. One oil that I think should be completely banned from the kitchen is sunflower oil. The omega-3 to omega-6 ratio is incredibly poor here. We should aim for much more omega-3 and less omega-6 in our diet. While omega-6 can promote inflammation, omega-3 has anti-inflammatory effects.

What would be a healthier alternative to sunflower oil?

Flaxseed oil, walnut oil, or a high-quality cold-pressed olive oil. However, you have to be careful when heating these oils because some are not heat-resistant. Trans fats can form, which act carcinogenic in the body. For frying, I would therefore rather use avocado oil.

Gluten is often labeled unhealthy. Is that justified?

Gluten itself is not bad if you don’t have celiac disease. But there is also gluten intolerance. Some people may react worse to certain gluten products. I would advise staying away from white flour. Instead, try high-quality gluten like spelt.

Which foods do you always have at home?

Oat flakes! You can quickly make a healthy porridge with them. I also always have fruit, frozen vegetables, or canned beans at home. They are a good base for many dishes.

Do you have tips for grocery shopping?

Always take hummus with you; it’s a great base to enhance dishes. Whether you use it as a dip or for sauces. Herbs like dill, basil, and parsley elevate every dish. They are also among the most nutrient-rich foods. My absolute secret tip is coconut aminos (soy-free seasoning sauce made from coconut palm blossom sap). It’s a healthy alternative to soy sauce because it’s gluten-free and contains much less salt. It makes every dressing tastier.

What do you think of replacement products like vegan schnitzel or plant-based cheese?

There are nowadays replacement products with great ingredients, but there are also products that are simply not good from a health perspective. For example, because they contain sunflower oil or flavor enhancers. I personally eat replacement products less often, but I think it’s good that they exist. If people go vegan for moral reasons, it’s great to have a meat substitute without an animal having to die for it. Just as you shouldn’t eat a meat schnitzel every day for health reasons, you shouldn’t eat a vegan schnitzel every day either.

Do you have a secret tip for crispy tofu as a healthy meat alternative?

I would always choose smoked tofu. I have a really good marinade: Cut the tofu into small pieces and put it in a bowl with coconut aminos, almond butter, herbs, salt, and pepper. Shake well and let it sit for 15 minutes. Then bake it in the oven; it becomes really crispy.

So-called superfoods are now found in almost every supermarket. Are they really necessary for a healthy vegan diet?

Most of the hyped superfoods are not regional. But there are local alternatives: Instead of chia seeds, you can use flaxseeds as an omega-3 source. Instead of açaí berries, rosehip blossoms, which also have a lot of vitamin C. Superfoods like barley and wheatgrass or turmeric are truly nutrient-rich foods that you can integrate into your diet. But for me, they are not the basis of a healthy vegan diet.

What do you eat when you crave something unhealthy?

Dates dipped in nut butter with a few cacao nibs on top. It tastes like a really good but healthy bar. But I also think it’s very important to enjoy something "unhealthy" sometimes without feeling guilty.