Vegan for Life - Jack Norris [37]
USING THE VEGAN FOOD GUIDE
The vegan food guide is aimed at helping adults meet minimum requirements for nutrients. (We’ll provide guidelines for children in Chapter 10.) If you consume just what the guide specifies, it will provide you with approximately 1,600 calories. Since most adults need a higher calorie intake, you can meet your energy needs by boosting intakes from all of the food groups.
Again, make sure that you are including at least six to eight servings per day of calcium-rich foods. These are listed in the right-hand column of the food guide. For example, ½ cup of calcium-set tofu counts as a serving from the protein-rich foods group and also as one of your servings of a calcium-rich food. Or, if you include a cup of cooked kale with dinner, it counts as a serving of vegetables and also a serving of a calcium-rich food.
In a couple of cases, serving sizes need to be adjusted in order for a food to count as a calcium-rich choice. While a whole cup of soymilk is one serving from the protein-rich foods group, because it is so high in calcium, it counts as two servings of a calcium-rich food. And two navel oranges equal a single calcium-rich serving even though they cover two of your recommended fruit servings.
The food guide on page 88 includes some additional tips for making choices within each group.
It’s easy to use the food guide to pull together vegan menus that are healthy and delicious. The three menus on pages 95 to 98 will give you several ideas for planning meals to meet different calorie levels.
In addition, the following supplements or fortified foods will ensure that you get adequate vitamin B12, iodine, vitamin D, and omega-3 fats.
VEGAN FOOD GUIDE
Vegan Food Groups Include at least 6 to 8 servings per day of these calcium-rich foods
Whole grains and starchy vegetables 5 or more servings per day 1 ounce calcium-fortified cereal
A serving is ½ cup cooked cereal, pasta, rice, or other grain, 1 ounce ready-to-eat cereal, 1 slice bread, one 6-inch corn tortilla, ½ cup white or sweet potato or corn.
Refined grains like regular pasta fit into this group as well. It’s a good idea to choose mostly whole grains.
Legumes and soyfoods: 3 to 4 or more servings per day ½ cup tempeh, calcium-set tofu, or soybeans; ¼ cup soynuts; ¾ cup fortified yogurt; or 1 cup fortified soymilk (in this case, 1 serving of soymilk, which is 1 cup, equals „ 2 servings of a calcium-rich food).
A serving is ½ cup cooked beans, tofu, tempeh, 1 ounce mock meat, 1 cup fortified soymilk, ¾ cup (6 ounces) fortified soy yogurt, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, ¼ cup peanuts, or ¼ cup soynuts.
See “For Those Who Don’t Like Legumes” on page 90 for ideas on bean-free meal planning.
Nuts and seeds 1 to 2 servings daily ¼ cup almonds or 2 tablespoons almond butter, tahini
A serving is ¼ cup whole nuts, 2 tablespoons seeds, or 2 tablespoons nut or seed butter
Vegetables 5 servings or more ½ cup cooked or 1 cup raw bok choy, broccoli, collard greens, Chinese cabbage, kale, mustard greens, okra, ½ cup calcium-fortified tomato juice
A serving is ½ cup cooked vegetable, 1 cup raw vegetable, ½ cup vegetable juice
Aim for a variety of leafy greens and bright yellow and orange vegetables.
Fruits 2 or more servings per day ½ cup calcium-fortified fruit juice, ¼ cup dried figs, 2 navel oranges
A serving is 1 medium fresh fruit, ½ cup cooked or cut-up fruit, ½ cup fruit juice, ¼ cup dried fruit
Include good sources of vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, cantaloupe, kiwifruit, papaya, and mangos with meals to increase absorption of iron.
Fats 2 servings per day
A serving is 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or soft margarine
Vitamin B12:
• Two servings per day of fortified foods providing 1.5 to 2.5 micrograms of vitamin B12 per serving OR
• 25 to 100 micrograms