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| Vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or
poultry. Vegans, in addition to being vegetarian, do not use other animal
products and by-products such as eggs, dairy products, honey, leather, fur,
silk, wool, cosmetics, and soaps derived from animal products. |
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| People choose to be vegan for health,
environmental, and/or ethical reasons. For example, some vegans feel that one
promotes the meat industry by consuming eggs and dairy products. That is,
once dairy cows or egg-laying chickens are too old to be productive, they are
often sold as meat; and since male calves do not produce milk, they usually
are raised for veal or other products. Some people avoid these items because
of conditions associated with their production. |
| Many vegans choose this lifestyle to
promote a more humane and caring world. They know they are not perfect, but
believe they have a responsibility to try to do their best, while not being
judgmental of others. |
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| 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. |
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| 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: |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| 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) |
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| 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. |
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Following are some good sources of calcium:
| 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 |
128mg |
| 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. |
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| Vegan diets can provide zinc at levels
close to or even higher than the RDA. Zinc is found in grains, legumes, and
nuts. |
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| 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. |
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| Soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses,
kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, Swiss chard, tempeh, black beans,
prune juice, beet greens, tahini, peas, bulghur, bok choy, raisins,
watermelon, millet, kale.... |
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| Here are the iron contents of selected
foods: |
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| FOOD |
IRON (MG) |
| 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
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1.0 |
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| 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. |
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| 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. |
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| Oatmeal, stir-fried vegetables, cereal,
toast, orange juice, peanut butter on whole wheat bread, frozen fruit
desserts, lentil soup, salad bar items like chickpeas and three bean salad,
dates, apples, macaroni, fruit smoothies, popcorn, spaghetti, vegetarian
baked beans, guacamole, chili... |
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| Tofu lasagna, homemade pancakes without
eggs, hummus, eggless cookies, soy ice cream, tempeh, corn chowder, soy
yogurt, rice pudding, fava beans, banana muffins, spinach pies, oat nut
burgers, falafel, corn fritters, French toast made with soy milk, soy hot
dogs, vegetable burgers, pumpkin casserole, scrambled tofu, seitan. |
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| Pizza without cheese, Chinese moo shu
vegetables, Indian curries and dal, eggplant dishes without the cheese, bean
tacos without the lard and cheese (available from Taco Bell and other Mexican
restaurants), Middle Eastern hummus and tabouli, Ethiopian injera (flat
bread) and lentil stew, Thai vegetable curries... |
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| As a binder, substitute for each egg: |
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| 1/4 cup (2 ounces) soft tofu blended with
the liquid ingredients of the recipe, or |
| 1 small banana, mashed, or |
| 1/4 cup applesauce, or |
| 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
starch, or Ener-G Egg Replacer or another commercial mix found in health food
stores. |
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| The following substitutions can be made
for dairy products: |
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| Soy milk, rice milk, potato milk, nut
milk, or water (in some recipes) may be used. |
| Buttermilk can be replaced with soured
soy or rice milk. For each Cup of buttermilk, use 1 cup soymilk plus 1
tablespoon of vinegar. |
| Soy cheese available in health food
stores. (Be aware that many soy cheeses contain casein, which is a dairy
product.) |
| Crumbled tofu can be substituted for
cottage cheese or ricotta cheese in lasagna and similar dishes. |
Several brands of nondairy cream cheese
are available in some supermarkets and kosher stores
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