Vegans abstain from consuming animal products for various reasons, including the environment, ethics, and health.
While a plant-based diet may offer certain
health advantages, it may also increase the risk of nutritional shortages in
some people.
This is particularly true when vegan diets
aren't well planned.
Vegans who wish to stay healthy should eat a
nutrient-dense diet that includes both whole and fortified foods.
1.
Legumes
Lentils, peas and beans peas are exceptional
protein sources, with 10–20 grammes per cooked cup.
They're also high in fibre, slow-digesting
carbohydrates, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, zinc, antioxidants, and other
plant components that promote health.
However, legumes include a significant quantity
of antinutrients, which might decrease mineral absorption.
Plants, for example, absorb iron at a lesser
rate than animal sources. Similarly, compared to meat-based diets, vegetarian
diets appear to lower zinc absorption by around 35%.
2.
Nuts & Seeds
Nuts and seeds are excellent complements to
any vegan cupboard or refrigerator. This is due to the 5–12 grammes of protein
in a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of nuts or seeds.
As a result, they're a suitable substitute
for protein-rich animal products.
Nuts and seeds also include high iron,
fibre, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. They're also rich in
antioxidants and other plant components that are excellent for you.
3.
Flax seeds, Hemp & Chia seeds
These three varieties of seeds have distinct
nutritional profiles that merit individual attention from the preceding group.
To begin with, all three are higher in
protein than most other seeds.
Hemp seeds provide 9 grammes of complete,
readily digested protein per ounce (28 grammes), up to 50% more protein than
other seeds.
According to research, hemp seed lipids have
also been beneficial in reducing the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and
menopause.
They may also help to decrease inflammation
and improve the appearance of some skin problems.
4.
Meat Substitutes
Tofu and tempeh, both produced from
soybeans, are minimally processed meat alternatives.
Per 3.5-oz (100-gram) serving, both provide
9–20 grammes of protein. They're high in iron and calcium as well.
Tofu is a popular meat substitute made by
squeezing soybean curds. It can be scrambled, sautéed, or grilled. It's a good
substitute for eggs in meals like omelettes, frittatas, and quiches.
Tempeh is a fermented soybean product. It's
a popular fish substitute because of its unique flavour, but it may also be
used in several other recipes.
5.
Seaweed
DHA, an essential fatty acid with several
health advantages, is found only in a few plant foods, including seaweed.
Complete protein may also be found in algae
such as spirulina and chlorella.
These provide around 8 grammes of protein in
two teaspoons (30 ml).
Furthermore, seaweed is high in magnesium,
riboflavin, manganese, potassium, and antioxidants.
A deactivated strain of Saccharomyces
cerevisiae yeast is used to make nutritional yeast.
Sixteen grammes of protein and 6 grammes of
fibre are included in one ounce (28 grammes). Furthermore, nutritional yeast is
frequently supplemented with B vitamins, such as vitamin B12.
As a result, enriched nutritional yeast can
provide vegans with a convenient approach to satisfy their daily vitamin B12
requirements.
Nutritional yeast that hasn't been fortified
isn't a good source of vitamin B12.
7.
Fruits and Vegetables
Some vegans rely extensively on imitation
meats and other vegan manufactured goods to substitute their beloved animal
meals. However, these foods are frequently not the healthiest choices.
Fortunately, there are many methods to
incorporate vitamin and mineral-rich fruits and vegetables into your diet.
For example, in baking recipes, mashed
bananas can be used in place of eggs.
Banana "ice cream" is a popular
dairy-free alternative to ice cream. Blend a frozen banana until it's
completely smooth. Then you may top it with whichever toppings you like.
8.
Choline rich food
Vitamin choline is necessary for the liver,
brain, and nervous system to function correctly.
It is produced by our bodies, although only
in tiny amounts. As a result, it's considered an essential vitamin that must be
obtained from your food.
Choline is present in microscopic levels in many
foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and grains.
Tofu, cauliflower, and quinoa are the plant
foods with the most.
9.
Cereal, Pulses and Wholegrains.
Complex carbohydrates, fibre, iron, and B
vitamins, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium, are all found in whole
grains, cereals, and pseudocereals.
Some kinds, however, are more nutritious
than others, particularly in terms of protein.
For example, spelt and teff, both ancient
grains, have 10.7 and 9.7 grammes of protein per cooked cup, respectively.
Amaranth and quinoa, both pseudocereals,
come in second with 9.3 and 8.1 grammes of protein per cooked cup,
respectively.
10.
Sprouted Plants
While most plant meals are high in
nutrients, they also contain antinutrients in variable quantities.
Certain antinutrients might make it more
difficult for your body to absorb minerals from these meals.
Sprouting and fermenting are two easy and
tried-and-true ways to reduce the number of antinutrients in food.
These methods improve the number of
beneficial elements absorbed from plant meals while also improving the quality
of the protein they contain.
Conclusion
Vegans abstain from all animal-derived
foods, including meat and items with animal-derived components.
This can reduce their intake of some
nutrients while increasing their need for others.
Vegans may stay healthy and prevent
nutritional shortages by following a well-planned plant-based diet that
contains enough items described in this article.
Nonetheless, some vegans may struggle to
consume enough of these items. Supplements may be an option to explore in
certain situations.
Reference:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-vegans-eat#TOC_TITLE_HDR_13
0 Comments