Today a lot of people are turning vegetarian and vegan in ever-increasing numbers. They understand that the advantages are there, but making the switch scares them. They panic about vegan nutrition.
When I used to be a little boy back in the 1950's and 60's, we were taught by our parents, teachers (and the odd after-school special) that milk and eggs were nearly the ideal food; fish was "brain food" and meat was completely necessary to build muscle.
By the 70's and 80's red meat and eggs started losing ground due to cholesterol and fat concerns so chicken and fish all of a sudden became our chosen sources of protein. Our intake of cheese grew quickly as fast food establishments started to put it on nearly everything.
And therefore we were conditioned. We were taught by rote learning. You need meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk for protein. Sure, some plants have a little protein - but it is the poor kind. It's plant protein. Do you want to have plant muscles? Would you like to have arms like a daffodil? Do you need carrot legs or potato abs? Your brain already looks like a cauliflower - do you need it to be a cauliflower?
No I don't. I am going to eat my meat.
So that is the reason why we are panicked! All of a sudden, we are finding out that meat, eggs, cheese, pork, milk, chicken - all those animal products are bad for us. Sure, we knew about animal fat - and cholesterol. But now, we are finding that even the coveted animal protein is very much more damaging to us than plant-based protein! And not only are they bad for us, the public is just now beginning to wake to the facts about factory farming and the atrocities being committed just so we can eat animals. We want to give up meat - we truly do - but we need our protein!
What's a mother to do? !
Don't panic!
Try pushing over a gorilla - or an elephant. Might there be a little muscle in these wild kingdom vegans? Try to outrun a horse - or a Thompson's gazelle. Might there be a little muscle in these fleet-footed plant-eaters?
Don't panic about vegan nutrition. Protein is not a problem! It seems like there is protein in almost everything! (OK, no protein in water). Take broccoli for instance (a food that you would suspect would have just about no protein) : 1/2 cup contains three-grams of carbs, zero-grams of fat and one-gram of protein. That means almost a quarter of the calories come from protein - in broccoli. One cup of spinach has one gm. of carbs, very little fat and one gram of protein - so (ya, that's right) almost half of the calories in spinach come from protein.
In comparison, let's take a look at beef. Three-oz. of top loin, prime steak doesn't contain any carbs and 22-grams of protein. So , ya - a lot of protein. And it also contains 20 grams of fat (and more than 8 grams of that is saturated). So steak is a bit more than 50% protein - but it also gives us all that fat that we have to deal with.
Sure, there are far more details that I don't have the time or space to go into now. There's the entire discussion about protein quality for example. But those details don't change the basic truth.
The point is - it is possible to get all the protein you require from a whole foods plant-based diet - with very little effort. Gorillas do it. Elephants do it. Horses do it. And a continuously-increasing number of human beings are doing it (including triathletes, pro football players, pro hockey players and ultra-marathoners).
Do not panic about vegan nutrition. Vitamins, minerals and other macronutrients are the very least of your issues. What did mom tell you growing up -Eat your vegetables! They have vitamins in them! Veggies and fruit are the most nutritionally-dense foods that we have. They are practically bursting with vitamins. And they have something more - phytonutrients.
Nearly every day in the news we are told about antioxidants. Antioxidants are only one sort of phytonutrient. Phytochemicals (or phytonutrients) are substances which the plant produces to protect itself against environmental and chemical dangers. When we eat those phytochemicals, those substances protect us against numerous illnesses including cancer. They also help to protect us against some harmful effects of aging.
Phytochemicals produce the characteristic colours in plants. So it is best to eat a variety of colors to insure that we are getting a variety of healthy phytochemicals. Many vegans advise us to "eat from the rainbow".
So don't panic about vegan nutrition! If you're thinking about becoming vegan, it's probably the 1st time you've even thought about specifically what you are putting in your mouth. About the only further thing we have to worry about as a plant-eater is vitamin B12. Plants have no vitamin B12. So take a vitamin supplement and drink soy milk or some other B12-fortified products.
And everyone should pay attention to their levels of vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc and iodine. These potential inadequacies are not a vegetarian and vegan issue. These micronutrients can be an issue for herbivores and carnivores alike - not just vegans. As carnivores, we probably never worried about these nutrients. As a side benefit, becoming vegan has made most of us more mindful of our nutritive needs and aware of what we are putting in our mouths.
When I used to be a little boy back in the 1950's and 60's, we were taught by our parents, teachers (and the odd after-school special) that milk and eggs were nearly the ideal food; fish was "brain food" and meat was completely necessary to build muscle.
By the 70's and 80's red meat and eggs started losing ground due to cholesterol and fat concerns so chicken and fish all of a sudden became our chosen sources of protein. Our intake of cheese grew quickly as fast food establishments started to put it on nearly everything.
And therefore we were conditioned. We were taught by rote learning. You need meat, poultry, fish, eggs and milk for protein. Sure, some plants have a little protein - but it is the poor kind. It's plant protein. Do you want to have plant muscles? Would you like to have arms like a daffodil? Do you need carrot legs or potato abs? Your brain already looks like a cauliflower - do you need it to be a cauliflower?
No I don't. I am going to eat my meat.
So that is the reason why we are panicked! All of a sudden, we are finding out that meat, eggs, cheese, pork, milk, chicken - all those animal products are bad for us. Sure, we knew about animal fat - and cholesterol. But now, we are finding that even the coveted animal protein is very much more damaging to us than plant-based protein! And not only are they bad for us, the public is just now beginning to wake to the facts about factory farming and the atrocities being committed just so we can eat animals. We want to give up meat - we truly do - but we need our protein!
What's a mother to do? !
Don't panic!
Try pushing over a gorilla - or an elephant. Might there be a little muscle in these wild kingdom vegans? Try to outrun a horse - or a Thompson's gazelle. Might there be a little muscle in these fleet-footed plant-eaters?
Don't panic about vegan nutrition. Protein is not a problem! It seems like there is protein in almost everything! (OK, no protein in water). Take broccoli for instance (a food that you would suspect would have just about no protein) : 1/2 cup contains three-grams of carbs, zero-grams of fat and one-gram of protein. That means almost a quarter of the calories come from protein - in broccoli. One cup of spinach has one gm. of carbs, very little fat and one gram of protein - so (ya, that's right) almost half of the calories in spinach come from protein.
In comparison, let's take a look at beef. Three-oz. of top loin, prime steak doesn't contain any carbs and 22-grams of protein. So , ya - a lot of protein. And it also contains 20 grams of fat (and more than 8 grams of that is saturated). So steak is a bit more than 50% protein - but it also gives us all that fat that we have to deal with.
Sure, there are far more details that I don't have the time or space to go into now. There's the entire discussion about protein quality for example. But those details don't change the basic truth.
The point is - it is possible to get all the protein you require from a whole foods plant-based diet - with very little effort. Gorillas do it. Elephants do it. Horses do it. And a continuously-increasing number of human beings are doing it (including triathletes, pro football players, pro hockey players and ultra-marathoners).
Do not panic about vegan nutrition. Vitamins, minerals and other macronutrients are the very least of your issues. What did mom tell you growing up -Eat your vegetables! They have vitamins in them! Veggies and fruit are the most nutritionally-dense foods that we have. They are practically bursting with vitamins. And they have something more - phytonutrients.
Nearly every day in the news we are told about antioxidants. Antioxidants are only one sort of phytonutrient. Phytochemicals (or phytonutrients) are substances which the plant produces to protect itself against environmental and chemical dangers. When we eat those phytochemicals, those substances protect us against numerous illnesses including cancer. They also help to protect us against some harmful effects of aging.
Phytochemicals produce the characteristic colours in plants. So it is best to eat a variety of colors to insure that we are getting a variety of healthy phytochemicals. Many vegans advise us to "eat from the rainbow".
So don't panic about vegan nutrition! If you're thinking about becoming vegan, it's probably the 1st time you've even thought about specifically what you are putting in your mouth. About the only further thing we have to worry about as a plant-eater is vitamin B12. Plants have no vitamin B12. So take a vitamin supplement and drink soy milk or some other B12-fortified products.
And everyone should pay attention to their levels of vitamin D, calcium, iron, zinc and iodine. These potential inadequacies are not a vegetarian and vegan issue. These micronutrients can be an issue for herbivores and carnivores alike - not just vegans. As carnivores, we probably never worried about these nutrients. As a side benefit, becoming vegan has made most of us more mindful of our nutritive needs and aware of what we are putting in our mouths.
About the Author:
Each day , more and more of us are becoming more and more interested in vegetarian and vegan life-styles. As fears about our health, concerns about the moral and ethical treatment of our fellow creatures and concerns about our world press upon our consciences; many of us are turning towards a vegan diet as a strategy of personally addressing many of those issues. Click the LINKS in this piece to read additional important info on vegan nutrition and the vegetarian lifestyle in general.