• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

Chicago, IL 60659

(773) 338-8100

www.kamdarplaza.com

Penzeys Spices

(Sells spices and blends)

Mulitiple locations

800-741-7787

www.penzeys.com

ONLY ONLINE

www.ishopindian.com

www.indiaAuthentic.com

Vegan Diet for Optimal Health

A Nutritionist in the Kitchen

Health and nutrition is probably one of the top reasons you have chosen to cook vegan. I have found, in general, that vegans ask a lot of nutrition questions, tend to be nutrition savvy, and like to understand the benefit of the foods they eat. I am personally always concerned about nutritional adequacy and like to know the facts.

Fears and myths concerning nutritional adequacy often surround vegan diets. Can an all-plant-based diet supply your body with enough nutrients? When assessing the health implications of any diet, there are two key considerations. Is the diet safe and adequate, and does it support optimal health? The answer to both questions is absolutely; a balanced vegan diet is both safe and healthful. The vast majority of health-related studies assure us that well-planned vegan diets can supply adequate nutrition throughout our lives, even during vulnerable times such as pregnancy, lactation, infancy, and childhood.

It is important to recognize that, as with a nonvegetarian diet, including a variety of foods and proper planning of meals is necessary to get all the nutrients you need. These days, it is much easier to be a vegan, as many essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, and zinc are added to commonly consumed vegan foods.

When planning your vegan diet, give extra attention to the nutrients discussed below.

Protein: Muscle Power

Getting enough protein is a common concern among vegans and vegetarians. Chosen wisely, a plant-based diet with plenty of variety and sufficient calories can provide more than enough protein.

Why Proteins?

As a nutrient, proteins perform many functions, as they are part of every body cell. You need a constant supply of protein to repair, build, and maintain body tissue. The building blocks of protein are known as amino acids. There are two kinds of amino acids—essential and nonessential. Our body makes most of the amino acids naturally; these are known as nonessential amino acids. The ones we cannot produce ourselves are called essential amino acids; these must be obtained through our food choices.

To use protein efficiently for maintaining tissue, it is important that you eat enough calories from carbohydrates and fat. If you consume an inadequate number of calories, protein will be used for energy and thus not be available to do its intended job. And if you eat more protein than you need, the excess protein will be converted to calories—not stored as a reserve supply of protein.

Complete Proteins

It was previously believed that people needed to consciously combine specific plant-based foods at each meal to get complete protein—protein that has all the essential amino acids. Research indicates that if you eat a variety of plant foods—grains, beans, nuts, and vegetables—and enough calories over the course of a day your body will make its own complete protein. By eating a variety of plant proteins, you may get some essential amino acids at lunch and some at dinner, and your body does the matching up for you.

Typical Indian meals are usually served with a variety of food groups such as dal and chawal (beans and rice), or roti and subji (flatbread with vegetables), with salads and chutneys, naturally providing complementary protein at a specific meal.

How Much Protein Do You Need?

There has been so much emphasis on protein in recent years that people often feel they require a lot more protein than they actually do. According to the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA), adults need 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. A mixed balanced vegan diet with grains, beans, and vegetables will provide you with adequate protein. To determine your protein needs, see the table below.

WHERE’S THE PROTEIN?

Most of