Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [31]
Rice, brown, ½ cup cooked 0.6
Wheat germ, 2 tablespoons 2.7
Vegetables (½ cup cooked)
Asparagus 0.5
Avocado, ½ 0.6
Broccoli 0.4
Corn 0.5
Mushrooms 0.7
Peas 0.5
Spinach 0.7
Legumes (½ cup cooked)
Adzuki beans 2.0
Black-eyed peas 1.1
Chickpeas 1.2
Kidney beans 0.9
Lentils 1.3
Lima beans 0.9
Navy beans 0.9
Pinto beans 0.8
Split peas 1.0
Soyfoods
Soybeans, ½ cup cooked 1.0
Tempeh, ½ cup cooked 1.0
Tofu, firm, ½ cup 1.1
Veggie “meats,” fortified, 1 ounce 1.4–1.8*
Nuts and seeds (2 tablespoons)
Almond butter 1.0
Brazil nuts 0.7
Cashews 0.9
Peanuts 1.1
Peanut butter 0.9
Pumpkin/squash seeds 1.1
Sunflower seeds 0.9
Tahini 1.4
Other foods
Chocolate, dark, 1 ounce 1.0
Energy bar, 1 bar 3.0–5.2*
*Amount varies by brand.
Maximizing Iron and Zinc in Vegan Diets
• Use the tables on pages 65 and 68 to make sure you’re choosing plenty of foods rich in iron and zinc. Good sources of iron are beans, leafy green vegetables, sea vegetables, and dried fruit. Good sources of zinc are beans, nuts, peanuts, peanut butter, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, bran flakes, wheat germ, and tempeh.
• Include a good source of vitamin C at every meal. Among the best sources are citrus fruits, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, bell peppers, strawberries, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower.
• Consume coffee and tea between meals rather than with meals.
• Take calcium supplements between meals rather than with meals.
• Toast nuts before adding them to recipes.
• If you enjoy sprouting beans and grains, this is another way to boost mineral absorption.
• Choose leavened breads and sourdough bread more often than flat breads and crackers. Refined grains like white bread have much lower amounts of phytate, and while they may be fortified with iron, they have far less zinc than whole-grain products. Even though absorption is lower from whole grains, the total amount of zinc absorbed is usually greater from whole grains.
IODINE
Most people don’t give a second’s thought to iodine, a mineral that is needed for healthy thyroid function. But throughout the world, iodine deficiency is a serious public health problem. Deficiency in pregnancy is especially serious since it can impact brain development in the fetus.
Eating either too much or too little iodine can cause the thyroid gland to become enlarged, which is called a goiter. When iodine intake is too low, it causes hypothyroidism, resulting in slowed metabolism, elevated cholesterol, and weight gain. Too much iodine can cause either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.
In the United States, most people get enough iodine by using iodized salt or eating fish or dairy products. Milk and other dairy foods aren’t necessarily good sources of iodine, but iodized solutions are used to clean the cows’ teats and dairy equipment, and the iodine ends up in the milk itself. In some parts of the world, sea vegetables (seaweeds) provide iodine.
The iodine content of most plant foods is variable, though, because it depends on the iodine content of the soil. Foods grown closer to the ocean tend to be higher in iodine. (In fact, even ocean mist can provide iodine, although it’s not a reliable or measurable source.) In some parts of Europe, where salt is not iodized at high enough levels (or at all) and the iodine content of plants is poor, vegans who don’t use supplements could have abnormal thyroid function.8
Naturally occurring compounds known as goitrogens, which are found in soybeans, flax seeds, and raw cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and cabbage) counteract the activity of iodine. A diet high in goitrogens can cause hypothyroidism if the diet is too low in iodine. But as long as your diet is adequate in iodine, there is no reason to avoid soyfoods or other sources of goitrogens. See Chapter 15 for more discussion on the safety of soyfoods.
Meeting Iodine Needs
The recommended iodine intake for adults is 150 micrograms per day. Vegans can get adequate iodine if they do any one of the following:
• If you add salt to your