The question we get asked most when we meet family and friends is whether we are getting the right minerals and vitamins needed for our body. Honestly, we don’t really have a big chart or plan stating what we should eat daily So we decided it was time we research all the essential key component to lead a healthy and balanced vegan diet as we are committed to do this for life. We are going to print this out in our kitchen before we do our grocery shopping from now on.
From this useful site, we found our answers and was thrilled to know there are many options we can get daily without much fuss. We also know vegetarian friends who take supplements to compensate on the lack of nutrients. Reason being they might be allergic to a certain kind of plant, nut or fruit or they do not cook and eat out too often to included fortified vitamin B12 into their diet for example.
Vegan Nutrition
The key to a nutritionally sound vegan diet is variety. A healthy and varied vegan diet includes fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
Protein (We have no problem getting this daily)
It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein as long as calorie intake is adequate. Strict protein planning or combining is not necessary. The key is to eat a varied diet.
Almost all foods except for alcohol, sugar, and fats provide some protein. Vegan sources include: lentils, chickpeas, tofu, peas, peanut butter, soy milk, almonds, spinach, rice, whole wheat bread, potatoes, broccoli, kale…
For example, if part of a day’s menu included the following foods, you would meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for an adult male:
- 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup soy milk
- 2 slices whole wheat bread, 1 bagel
- 2 Tablespoons peanut butter
- 1 cup vegetarian baked beans
- 5 ounces tofu, 2 Tablespoons of almonds
- 1 cup broccoli, and 1 cup brown rice.
Fat (We have no problems getting this daily too)
Vegan diets are free of cholesterol and are generally low in saturated fat. Thus eating a vegan diet makes it easy to conform to recommendations given to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. High-fat foods, which should be used sparingly, include oils, margarine, nuts, nut butters, seed butters, avocado, and coconut.
Vitamin D (Extra effort to source soy milk with fortified Vitamin D or just more sunlight which is not a big problem)
Vitamin D is not found in the vegan diet but can be made by humans following exposure to sunlight. At least ten to fifteen minutes of summer sun on hands and face two to three times a week is recommended for adults so that vitamin D production can occur. Food sources of vitamin D include vitamin D-fortified soy milk and rice milk. (For more information about vitamin D, see FAQs About Vitamin D)
Calcium (Another item we have no problem getting daily)
Calcium, needed for strong bones, is found in dark green vegetables, tofu made with calcium sulfate, calcium-fortified soy milk and orange juice, and many other foods commonly eaten by vegans. Although lower animal protein intake may reduce calcium losses, there is currently not enough evidence to suggest that vegans have lower calcium needs. Vegans should eat foods that are high in calcium and/or use a calcium supplement.
Following are some good sources of calcium:
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Soy or rice milk,
commercial, calcium-
fortified, plain 8 oz 200-300 mg
Collard greens, cooked 1 cup 357 mg
Blackstrap molasses 2 TB 400 mg
Tofu, processed with
calcium sulfate 4 oz 200-330 mg
Calcium-fortified
orange juice 8 oz 300 mg
Tofu, processed with
nigari 4 oz 80-230 mg
Kale, cooked 1 cup 179 mg
Tahini 2 TB 128 mg
Almonds 1/4 cup 89 mg
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Other good sources of calcium include: okra, turnip greens, soybeans, tempeh, almond butter, broccoli, bok choy, commercial soy yogurt…
The recommended intake for calcium for adults 19 through 50 years is 1000 milligrams/day.
Note: It appears that oxalic acid, which is found in spinach, rhubarb, chard, and beet greens, binds with calcium and reduces calcium absorption. Calcium is well absorbed from other dark green vegetables.
Zinc (We have no problems getting this daily)
Vegan diets can provide zinc at levels close to or even higher than the RDA. Zinc is found in grains, legumes, and nuts.
Iron (We have no problems getting this daily)
Dried beans and dark green leafy vegetables are especially good sources of iron, better on a per calorie basis than meat. Iron absorption is increased markedly by eating foods containing vitamin C along with foods containing iron.
Here are the iron contents of selected foods:
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FOOD IRON (MG)
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1 cup cooked soybeans 8.8
2 Tbsp blackstrap molasses 7.0
1 cup cooked lentils 6.6
1 cup cooked kidney beans 5.2
1 cup cooked chickpeas 4.7
1 cup cooked lima beans 4.5
1 cup cooked Swiss chard 4.0
1/8 medium watermelon 1.0
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Omega-3 Fatty Acids (More excuses to do baking by using flaxseed)
In order to maximize production of DHA and EPA (omega-3 fatty acids), vegans should include good sources of alpha-linolenic acid in their diets such as flaxseed, flaxseed oil, canola oil, tofu, soybeans, and walnuts.
Vitamin B12 (An item we need more effort to get and we found that nutritional yeast contains vitamin B12!)
The requirement for vitamin B12 is very low. Non-animal sources include Red Star nutritional yeast T6635 also known as Vegetarian Support Formula (around 2 teaspoons supplies the adult RDA). It is especially important for pregnant and lactating women, infants, and children to have reliable sources of vitamin B12 in their diets. Numerous foods are fortified with B12, but sometimes companies change what they do. So always read labels carefully or write the companies.
Tempeh, miso, and seaweed are often labeled as having large amounts of vitamin B12. However, these products are not reliable sources of the vitamin because the amount of vitamin B12 present depends on the type of processing the food undergoes. Other sources of vitamin B12 are fortified soy milk (check the label as this is rarely available in the U.S.), vitamin B12-fortified meat analogues, and vitamin B12 supplements. There are supplements which do not contain animal products. Vegetarians who are not vegan can also obtain vitamin B12 from dairy products and eggs. (On our end, if we do not consume any nutritional yeast, we might take an egg or two every 3 months to compensate on this lack of vitamin in our body.)
In conclusion, it is really easy sticking to a vegan diet and still be healthy, energetic and happy at the same time. All we need is some extra care in selecting the kind of food we want to take and making that conscious effort to JUST DO IT!
Mr & Mrs Vegan 
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The recommended daily allowance(RDA) for B12 may be a small amount like 4mcg, but one needs to ensure that the body would get at least that amount after the process of absorption limited by the Intrinsic Factor in the intestines, so one should consume B12 that are much more than the RDA amount of 4mcg. Not many people even vegans know about this.
(The following is cute-and-pasted from an article I once wrote about B12)
http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12/
“Dietary supplements
In dietary supplements, vitamin B12 is usually present as cyanocobalamin [5], a form that the body readily converts to the active forms methylcobalamin and 5-deoxyadenosylcobalamin. Dietary supplements can also contain methylcobalamin and other forms of vitamin B12.
Existing evidence does not suggest any differences among forms with respect to absorption or bioavailability. However the body’s ability to absorb vitamin B12 from dietary supplements is largely limited by the capacity of intrinsic factor. For example, only about 10 mcg of a 500 mcg oral supplement is actually absorbed in healthy people [8].”
There are 2 types of vitamin B12 being sold, cyanocobalamin and methylcobalamin. Cyanocobalamin needs to be converted to methylcobalamin in the body in order for it to be utilized, so it is better to take B12 in the form of methylcobalamin to better ensure the body gets what it needs. I read that the liver only converts 1% of ingested cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin.
Research has said that the small intestine absorbs B12 in varying percentages due to the limitations of the Intrinsic Factor. If B12 is taken in small amounts such as 5-50mcgs, then the absorption amount is limited to about 1.5 mcgs, falling below the RDA, so it has to be taken at least twice during the day to fulfill the RDA, while giving the Intrinsic Factor a few hours’ time to recover. But if B12 is taken in a high dosage such as 1000mcgs each time, the vitamin will be absorb in 10-15 mcgs, fulfilling the RDA in one dosage. http://www.veganhealth.org/b12/formula
The brand of B12 supplement I use comes along with B-complex(other B vitamins) in methylcobalamin form(50mcg) and is in a bottle that is shaded like sunglasses and costs $20. The pharmacies at Vivocity and Anchorage Point(Opposite Alexandra Ikea) and also other places have them. I heard the other form of B12 that is cyanocobalamin is related to cyanide that is a kind of poison.
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