“Is it ok to eat rice, potatoes and sauces all day?” I eat this sometimes 4 times a day with the odd banana some days”
While rice and potatoes and bananas are all good foods the problem with this diet is that it is seriously nutritionally deficient. There is no variety and antioxidants are practically non existent which are our main immune defence and important for energy too. It is important for everyone, not just vegans, to consume alot or even some greens every day – kale, spinach, cucumber, wheatgrass etc – as they are packed full of chlorophyll and antioxidants. If one finds it hard to consume them in whole form just add them to a smoothie with some fruit and this will be an easy to consume meal packed full of valuable nutrients.
As well as consuming greens daily it is important to consume a wide variety of colours in our food regarding fruits and vegetables as everyone one has a benefit. Also variety with grains is important so wheat, oats, rice, pasta, potatoes, buckwheat, couscous, quinoa etc Also lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans and such legumes should form a big part of our vegan lifestlye.
So the most important lesson from this question is to ensure you have variety in your nutrition plan and to try lots of different foods. The vegan diet is fantastic for variety despite what the mainstream portray. Make sure to try foods you never tasted before and try all kinds of combinations as you can´t go wrong and your body will love you for it. As well as your tummy and tastebuds!!