Nutrition and the Vegan Diet

Protein

Almost all foods contain at least a small amount of protein. Whole grains, beans, legumes, soy, nuts, and seeds are all great sources of protein. A simple peanut butter and banana sandwich on 2 slices of whole grain bread contains 18-22g of protein. By eating a variety of plant based foods, a vegan diet can meet and exceed recommended protein intakes. For someone following a predominantly plant based diet, it is recommended to have an intake of 0.9 grams per kilogram of body weight. It should be noted that very active people may require more protein to support their level of activity.

RDI: 0.9 grams of protein per kg of weight

Plant-based protein sources:

• ½ cup chickpeas: 7 g
• ½ cup lentils: 9 g
• ½ cup firm tofu: 10 g
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked: 8g
• ¼ cup almonds: 7.4 g
• 1 whole grain bagel: 12 g
• 2 slices sprouted grain bread: 14 g
• 1 whole wheat English muffin: 8 g
• 1 cup soy milk: 8-12g
• 1 medium orange: 1.2 g
• 1 cup broccoli: 2.6 g
• 1 scoop vegan protein powder: 10-25 g

Iron

Many plant foods are naturally high in iron, and there are a lot packaged foods such as cereals, meat substitutes, and commercial breads that are fortified with additional iron. There are many factors that can affect your body's ability to absorb the iron, so it can be difficult to know how much of your daily intake is actually utilized by your body. Some ways that you can help to increase iron absorption are:

• Cook in stainless steel or cast-iron cookware
• Consume iron containing foods with vitamin C containing foods
• Eat sprouted grains and seeds
• Soak beans before use
• Choose roasted nuts over raw nuts
• Eating fermented foods

The recommended daily intake of iron is 14.4-32.4 mg.

RDI: 14.4-32.4 mg iron

Foods naturally containing iron:

• 1 medium baked potato: 1.7 mg
• ½ cup chickpeas: 2.4 mg
• ½ cup cooked lentils: 3.3 mg
• ¼ cup almonds: 1.4 mg
• 2 tablespoon flax seed: 1.9 mg
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds: 5.2 mg

Foods fortified with iron:

• veggie burger patty: 3.6 mg
• plain instant oatmeal: 4.5 mg
• fortified breakfast cereal: 4.5 mg
• fortified soy milk: 0.8 mg

Calcium

Including enough calcium in a vegan diet can be achieved either by eating a balanced diet full of nutrient dense foods, by incorporating calcium fortified foods, or by taking a supplement. Many commercial foods such as soy milks, tofu, juices, cereals and bread products are enriched with calcium, just be sure to read the nutrition labels. The recommended daily intake of calcium is 1000mg for men and women aged 19-50. It's important to note that an adequate intake of vitamin D is essential for proper calcium absorption.

RDI: 1000mg calcium (men & women aged 19-50)

Foods naturally containing calcium:

• ½ cup kale: 90 mg
• ½ cup chickpeas: 40 mg
• ¼ cup almonds: 79-115 mg
• 5 figs: 88-137 mg
• 1 medium orange: 52 mg
• 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses: 176 mg

(for comparison - 1 cup 2% dairy milk: 135mg calcium)

Calcium fortified foods:

• ½ cup calcium set firm tofu: 860 mg
• 1 cup fortified orange juice: 230 mg
• 1 whole grain bagel: 200 mg
• 1 whole wheat English muffin: 200 mg
• 1 cup fortified soy milk: 300 mg

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is created by bacteria and fungi. Many vegan sources of vitamin B12 are destroyed by sterilization practices and cleanliness standards in food production. Because of this, vegans must rely on fortified foods or supplements to get the required amounts of B12. Our bodies are very efficient at reusing B12; of the B12 used by our bodies, about 65-75% of B12 is reabsorbed into our bodies. People can live for years without any dietary source of B12, however all vitamins are vital to your health and it's extremely important to make sure to include a reliable source them in your diet. Most people require approximately 2.4 mcg of vitamin B12 per day.

RDI: 2.4 mcg Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 fortified foods:

• 2 tablespoon fortified large flake nutritional yeast: 8 mcg
• 1 cup fortified soy milk: 3 mcg
• 1 veggie burger: 1.4 mcg
• 1 veggie dog: 1.5 mcg
• ½ cup corn flakes: 1.5 mcg

Vitamin D

Few foods naturally contain vitamin D. During the darker winter months, getting adequate vitamin D can be an issue for all vegans living in the Northern hemisphere. For sufficient vitamin D absorption, just 10-45 minutes of unprotected sun exposure to the face and arms can provide enough pre-vitamin D to be converted to vitamin D.  It may also be necessary to eat vitamin D2 fortified foods or to take a vitamin D supplement. Look for the plant-derived vitamin D2 in fortified foods and supplements, avoid vitamin D3 as it is animal derived. The recommended daily intake for vitamin D is 800 IU.

RDI: 800 IU Vitamin D2

Vitamin D2 fortified foods:

• 1 cup fortified soy milk: 2oo IU
• 1 cup fortified cereal: 220 IU
• 2 teaspoon vegan margarine: 240 IU
• 1 serving instant oatmeal: 186 IU