There is protein in every plant cell. It is actually quite hard to be protein-deficient in the developed world.
Eat a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses - everything non meaty!
Here is a list of where to get all your nutrients:
Protein
Function - vital for growth, development and repair of body tissues. Helps enzymes and hormones to function.
Rich sources - pulses (peas, beans, lentils), soya (e.g. tofu, soya milk, soya products), wholegrains (e.g. rice), cereals, seeds and seed paste (e.g. tahini), beansprouts.
Note: All plants contain protein. As such, it is virtually impossible to eat a plant-based diet and be deficient in protein.
Fats/Oils
Function - essential to good brain, eye and nerve health and are part of our cell membranes. They also repair tissue, manufacture some hormones and carry some vitamins. We need a little fat (essential fats, also called omega-3 and omega-6).
Rich sources - the best source of omega-3 is flaxseed/linseed oil; other good sources of essential fats are pumpkin seeds, walnuts, ground flaxseeds, hemp seeds/ hempseed oil, tofu and soya products, avocado, olive oil, other nuts and seeds such as almonds, Brazil nuts, sunflower and sesame seeds.
Note: Fats can either be saturated or unsaturated (which includes mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated).
A rough guide is that saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature and they include animal fats such as lard and butter.
Unsaturated fats are normally liquid at room temperature, such as sunflower or olive oil. There are few vegetable fats that contain saturated fat ? coconut oil and palm oil are the most common ones.
The best fat for cooking is virgin olive oil which although not an essential fat, is still beneficial to our health.
Saturated fats (mainly from animal products and processed foods) are not needed in the diet and we are better off without them.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance called a sterol. It is found in all animal foods but is completely absent from all plant foods. The body can make all the cholesterol it requires so we do not need to (and should not) include it in our diet.
Carbohydrates
Function - most important source of energy.
Most carbohydrates are provided by plant foods.
Rich sources - wholegrains (oats, bread, rice, pasta, rye); potatoes; beans; peas and lentils.
Note: There are three types of carbohydrates:
- ?fast releasing?
- ?slow releasing?
- dietary fibre
?Fast releasing? carbohydrates (simple sugars) are found in fruit, sweets, syrups and many processed foods. Much of it is refined sugar ? the kind you sprinkle on your cereal ? and is best avoided, as it provides energy but no fibre, vitamins or minerals.
?Slow releasing? or complex carbohydrates (starches) are found in wholegrains (eg brown bread, brown rice, pasta, oats, barley, rye etc), some root vegetables such as potatoes, and most fresh fruit. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that 55-75 per cent of our diet (as energy) should come from slow releasing carbohydrates, as they are vital to good health. Typical meat eaters don?t get enough complex carbohydrates while vegans tend to get plenty.
Dietary fibre is the indigestible part of vegetable foods (whole fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, cereals and beans). Despite its indigestible nature, fibre is essential for the digestive system to work properly. It acts like a broom in the intestines, sweeping away toxins, lowering ?bad? cholesterol and helping prevent diseases such as colon cancer.
Eating red meat frequently can increase your chances of colon cancer by 20-40 per cent. While a vegan diet high in plant foods contains plenty of fibre, meat contains none.
Carbohydrate-rich foods should be consumed in as unrefined form as possible; for example, brown rice, wholegrain pastas (eg wholegrain spaghetti instead of white) and brown breads, whole beans ? as they are more health enhancing, containing more fibre and vitamins.
Fibre
Function - keeps bowels healthy and regular, slows sugar and fat absorption and reduces cholesterol.
Rich sources - fruit and vegetables, wholegrains (pasta, rice, oats, bread), nuts, beans, peas, lentils.
Vitamin A
Function - antioxidant. Vision, bone and teeth development, growth and tissue repair.
Rich sources - carrots, sweet potatoes, red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, spinach, green leafy vegetables, watercress, mangoes, dried apricots.
B Group Vitamins
B1 Thiamnin - B2 Riboflavin - B3 Niacin - B5 Pantothenic Acid - B6 Pyridoxine - Biotin - Folic Acid
Function - absorption of energy, protein and fats, cell growth amd nerve function.
Rich Sources - Brazil nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, green leafy vegetables, brewers yeast, wholegrains, beansprouts, broad beans, bananas, avocados, mushrooms, wheatgerm, currants, soya mock meats, yeast extract, peanuts, peas.
Note: Folic acid is important in preventing defects in unborn babies. It is found widely in the vegan diet.
Vitamin B12
A daily source of this vital vitamin is required ? easily available from foods fortified with it.
Function - nerve formation and cell production.
Source - B12-fortified foods, such as breakfast cereals, margarines, nutritional yeast (e.g. Marmite), soya-based mock meat products and soya milk. Note: Vitamin B12 from fortified foods is better absorbed than the B12 from meat, poultry and fish.
Vitamin C
Function - antioxidant. Immunity, wound healing, formation of collagen in skin, tendons and bones.
Rich sources - oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, spinach, cabbage, green peppers, parsley, potatoes, peas, blackcurrants, strawberries, and many fresh fruit and green vegetables.
Note: antioxidants protect against disease. Your body can't store vitamin C so you need to eat it every day. Vitamin C helps the body absorb iron.
Vitamin D
Function - helps calcium absorption for bones and teeth.
Rich Sources - sunlight on skin. Fortified cereals and soya milk, animal-free margarine.
Note: Ample vitamin D is obtained during the summer months from the sun. In winter, take extra care to ensure your vitamin D intake. Vitamin D2 is animal-free.
Vitamin E
Function - antioxidant. Enables blood to clot.
Rich Sources - vegetable oils, wheatgerm, wholegrains, tomatoes, nuts, sunflowers and other seeds, avocados, asparagus, spinach, apples, carrots,. celery.
Note: Antioxidants protect against disease by destroying free radicals which cause damage to body cells.
Vitamin K
Function - releases energy from cells. Important for skin health.
Rich Sources - broccoli, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, asparagus, seaweeds, molasses, peas, green tea.
Calcium
Function - important for healthy bones and teeth and for the working of muscles. It is virtually absent from meat products.
Excessive amounts of animal protein (from meat, dairy, fish and eggs) in the diet can actually LEACH calcium from the bones, weakening the skeleton and leading to osteoporosis. Dairy milk also contains saturated fat. Therefore it is much healthier to obtain calcium from plant sources.
Rich sources - dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, watercress and cabbage; pulses (tofu, beans); dried fruits; tahini (sesame seed butter used to make houmous) and nuts and seeds (particularly almonds, Brazil nuts and sesame seeds); swede. Many soya milks and tofu are fortified with calcium.
Iron
Function - needed for healthy red blood cells to transport oxygen to all parts of the body.
Iron deficiency can be significant, especially in women of childbearing age (who lose iron each month in the menstrual flow).
Rich sources - baked beans, wholegrain bread, molasses/black treacle, leafy green vegetables - broccoli, spinach, cabbage; dried fruit (particularly apricots, prunes, dates and figs), cocoa (yippee!), pulses (all types of beans, peas, lentils) and pumpkin seeds.
Note: Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron by a factor of four ? another reason why fresh vegetables and fruits are so important in the diet, so consume iron-rich foods at the same time as foods and/or drinks high in Vitamin C.
Iodine
Function - metabolism and thyroid function.
Rich Sources - green leafy vegetables, asparagus, sea vegetables (e.g. kelp).
Magnesium
Function - skeletal formation, metabolism, production of DNA and muscle and nerve function.
Rich Sources - green leafy vegetables, nuts (e.g. cashew, almonds), avocados, wholegrains, bananas, apricots, apples, prunes.
Phosphorous Potassium
Function - bone and teeth development, energy release, nerve and muscle function.
Rich Sources - Brazil nuts, wholegrains, wheatgerm, chick peas, pumpkin seeds, potatoes, yeast extract, oats, strawberries, bananas, brewers yeast, tomatoes, carrots, asparagus, rice (and other cereals).
Zinc
Function - involved in metabolism, wound healing and immunity.
Rich Sources - lentils and other pulses, tofu, wholegrains (e.g. rice, bread, etc), green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds (especially pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds), brewers yeast.
Others - Selenium, Cobalt, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum
Function - dental, skeleton and skin health, hair and red blood cell growth and metabolism.
Rich sources - spinach, broccoli, peas, beans, lentils, brewers yeast, almonds, bananas, potatoes, wholegrains, legumes, beans, seaweeds.
Note: selenium is an antioxidant and helps stop diseases. Molybdenum fights nitrosamines, which are associated with cancer. A deficiency has been linked to impotence. Vegan diets are high in selenium and molybdenum.