Veg Nutrition Tips

Protein

Alex — 2007-05-16T20:44:02Z

Many vegans and vegetarians are plagued with the question “How do you get your protein?” In order to better answer this question—and get that adequate intake of good proteins—there are a few things every vegan and vegetarian should know about plant-based protein.

The first thing to do is figure out how much protein you need. Simply put:

Adults: Recommended Protein Intake (grams) = 0.8 x your weight in kg

This is the minimum recommended protein intake per day for sedentary adults. If you are growing, regularly physically active, pregnant, or lactating, you will need more. Otherwise, this value should give you a rough estimate of the amount of protein you need in a day. Unless you continuously consume a diet that is deficient in protein, there should be no need to count your daily protein intake; rather, just use estimation.

Another consideration for vegans and vegetarians is the completeness of their proteins. All proteins are made up of many amino acid subunits that are needed in specific proportions in order to build body tissue. Though our bodies can synthesize many amino acids out of the ones we digest, there are several that we need to obtain from our diet. Many plant sources of protein have at least one limiting amino acid meaning they have lower proportions of this amino acid than what we need in order to complete the protein. A food that complements another has high amounts of the amino acid that the other food is deficient in. You do not need to worry about matching proteins within a meal, because your body can store unused amino acids from throughout the day and use them for protein synthesis later on in the day.

Lacto-ovo Vegetarians

Vegetarians who regularly consume milk and eggs should not have any issue in getting adequate protein. Milk, eggs, and cheese are all good sources of “complete” protein. Some good reference values to keep in mind:

1 cup of milk = 8 grams protein
1 ounce hard cheese = 7 grams protein
1 cup yogurt = 8 grams protein
1 egg = 6 grams protein

Keep in mind that cheese is very high in fat and cholesterol, and your diet should ideally not include more than 30% of its daily calories from fat. Also, egg consumption should be limited because of the high amount of cholesterol.

Needless to say, lacto-ovo vegetarians may also get protein from the plant-based sources listed in the next section.

Vegans

Vegans who eat a varied diet that is rich in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables are going to have just as easy of a time getting enough protein as a lacto-ovo vegetarian. Soymilk can also be a good source of protein, though it is definitely not a necessity. Though the protein from vegetables and wheat can be slightly less absorbable than animal sources, it can be overcome simply. A few good reference values for vegans include:

½ green peas = 4 grams protein
½ cup broccoli = 2 grams protein
½ cup cooked beans = 7-9 grams protein
1 slice bread = 5 grams protein
1 cup rice = 4 grams protein
½ cup tofu = 10 grams protein
1 cup soymilk = 7 grams protein

If you find that you are having a hard time getting enough protein, many supplement bars are made vegan and usually have at least 15 grams of protein per bar, not to mention the wide variety of high-protein mock meats.

Sources:

Williams, M. Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sport, 7th Ed. 2005. McGraw Hill; Madison, WI.
The Nutribase Complete Book of Food Counts. 2001. Avery; New York.

Calcium

alex — 2007-04-26T15:27:59Z

Achieving adequate levels of calcium can be challenging for omnivores and even more so for vegans. Vegetarians often get adequate calcium from milk and other dairy products, but vegans have more limited sources of calcium available. Despite these limitations, vegans do have many options if they consume a varied diet and pay attention to their daily calcium intake.

Though supplements can be a good addition to the diet, they should not be depended upon as the sole source or a major source of daily calcium. There are several tactics that vegans can employ to ensure adequate intake and maximize absorption.

Keep your eyes open for dark leafy greens (especially cooked collards) and whole-grain foods: They're high in calcium, so a varied diet that includes them will help you reach your required daily intake. Other foods with significant calcium levels include tahini, blackstrap molasses, maple syrup, and some mineral waters.
Calcium-set tofu and calcium-enriched soy/rice/almond milk are excellent sources of protein and calcium. These are easy additions to the diet in just about every meal.
Excessive amounts of sodium interfere with absorption of calcium. Ensure that you keep your consumption below 2,300 mg of sodium, or 4.6 grams of salt.
Unfortunately, diets high in fiber also interfere with calcium absorption, so try to make your calcium-rich meals your lower fiber meals.
Vitamin D is necessary for calcium-intake regulation so make sure that you are spending enough time outside so that your skin can synthesize adequate amounts of this vitamin. If you live in the northern latitudes you may need a supplement of this vitamin in the winter time and times of less sunlight.
High levels of caffeine in the diet limit the amount of calcium absorption. The maximum amount of caffeine that should be consumed in a day is 300 mg, or roughly three cups of fully caffeinated coffee¹

Persons under the age of 18 or those who are still growing past this age should consume 1,300 mg of calcium daily. If you are between the ages of 19 and 50, you should consume 1,000 mg of calcium daily. If you are 50 or older, you should be consuming 1,200 mg of calcium daily².

Calcium is used to build strong bones throughout childhood and adolescence. Peak bone mass is reached in the mid-20s. After this age, bone mass slowly declines throughout life. To maintain excellent bone health until late into life, ensure that you get enough calcium during the deposition years (before peak mass is attained), because after this point, your body will slowly take calcium from your bones and no more bone mass can be accumulated. To minimize the losses after this age, take in enough calcium on a daily basis so your body will only use a very small amount from your bones.

Sources

Hoggan, R., Wiss, D. ''Factors that Inhibit Calcium Absorption''. Available at: http://www.paleodiet.com/losspts.txt
Williams, M., ''Nutrition for Health, Fitness, and Sport''. McGraw Hill; Boston 2005.

B12 for Vegans

alex — 2007-04-11T19:50:02Z

Susan has been a vegan for the past six years. She eats a balanced diet, has maintained a stable weight for most of this time, and has never taken any supplements. Lately, she's begun to feel tired all the time and is losing weight. Susan has also not had a menstrual period for the past two months.

She finally resolved to go to her doctor and get her blood tested in case she had an iron deficiency. When the tests came back, she discovered she had developed pernicious anemia, caused by a B12 deficiency. She received an injection of B12 and started eating foods fortified with vitamin B12, such as soymilk. She has not had any more problems with this vitamin but still goes in annually to get her blood tested for any nutritional deficiency markers.

Problem Nutrient: Vitamin B12
RDA: 2.4 mcg/day for those 14 years and older, 2.6 mcg/day in pregnancy, 2.8 mcg/day in lactation.
Cause for the Problem: The only natural source of B12 is bacteria; in our very clean food supply today, these bacteria can only be found in milk, eggs, and meat.
Deficiency: B12 deficiency takes several years to fully develop, so many vegans do not even know that they have a problem until the deficiency is advanced. It starts out with biochemical changes and eventually leads a condition known as macrocytic anemia, in which the blood cells are very large and unable to carry oxygen properly. If the deficiency is not corrected at this point, it can progress to severe and permanent nerve damage.
Good Sources of B12: 2 cups of fortified soy milk, 2 tbsp Red Star Nutritional Yeast, 1 daily supplement such as Twinlab Vegetarian Formula B12 Dots.

For more information, check out What Every Vegan Should Know about Vitamin B12 by Jack Norris

Source

Davis, B. Melina, V. Becoming Vegan. 2000. Book Publishing Company; Summertown, TN.