Appetite for Reduction_ 125 Fast and Filling Low-Fat Vegan Recipes - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [4]
But good nutrition is also about much more than just, well, nutrients. Back in the day, the experts in the field were chiefly concerned with preventing deficiencies: consuming enough vitamin C so people didn’t die of scurvy; getting enough iron to prevent anemia. This is still important, but eventually, some smart folks realized that when you eat a whole food, you’re getting even more health benefits beyond the recommended daily allowance of this or that mineral. What researchers have found is that almost all of the foods with these extra benefits come from plants.
For example, only plantfoods contain thousands of phytochemicals—such as lycopene in tomatoes, isoflavones in soybeans, flavonoids in tea, and allicin in garlic—which are linked to disease prevention. Plant foods also contain antioxidants, which can help combat cell damage (associated with age-related diseases, cellular diseases such as cancer, and chronic diseases such as heart disease). Good sources are berries, apples, and other fruits; vegetables; chocolate; coffee; and wine. There is no daily recommendation for antioxidants and the best way to get them is directly through whole foods.
Now let’s take a look at basic nutrient requirements. These are the ones that are most often asked about in vegan nutrition and we want to be sure you know what you are getting.
“But where do you get your _____from?” Anyone reducing meat and dairy consumption has heard this question. A plant-based diet not only has the bases covered, you are also getting more of this good stuff with less fat and cholesterol than you would on an animal product-based diet. Here’s a quick rundown.
Protein. Protein is a combination of amino acids, nine of which are essential to human life. Luckily, plants have all of the amino acids you need!
High-protein foods include beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains such as wheat, quinoa, and millet. In general, aim for 10 to 15 percent of your calories to come from protein. In grams it looks like this: 37 to 56 grams per day on a 1,500-calorie diet; 50 to 75 grams per day on a 2,000-calorie diet. Many of the whole-grain and bean recipes in this book have 10 to 15 percent or more calories from protein per serving.
Proteins (such as those from grains and beans) don’t even need to be combined during a meal for you to consume the right amount of amino acids, as it was once believed. You just need to eat enough protein from different foods each day and you’ll get your amino acids without problem. It’s also important to remember that even vegetables have protein; for example, kale is 45 percent protein and zucchini is 28 percent protein. You don’t need to look any further than the nutrition info provided in these recipes to see where you’ll get your protein!
Iron. You need iron every day for your red blood cells to carry oxygen and nutrients to your cells. The well-known deficiency, anemia, has side effects that include fatigue and malaise. No one is happy when he or she is not getting enough iron. Fortunately, iron is found in abundance in plants. Good sources include lentils, soybeans, chickpeas, black beans, collard greens, oatmeal, whole grains, and enriched grains. Plant-based diets tend to be very high in iron and some research1 shows that vegans have better iron levels than vegetarians do. Dairy contains zero iron but most plant foods contain at least some.
Just because there is iron in a food doesn’t mean that it’s bioavailable, meaning your body is able to absorb it. Plant foods contain nonheme iron and, when eaten in combination with vitamin C—rich foods, its absorption can increase sixfold. Think iron-rich beans and rice with vitamin C—rich salsa. Or hummus (whose iron is from chickpeas) and lemon juice (for vitamin C). The tannins in coffee and tea can interfere with iron absorption, so separate your high-iron meals or iron supplement from these beverages by a