general infonews |
Vegan nutritionThis is a practical guide to vegan nutrition. I'm not a doctor or a nutritionist, but I have been vegan for 10 years and I'm still thriving. This is just a compilation of the information I've gathered over the past several years. I'm hoping this can help folks in the midwest and south, especially places where nutritious, fresh, organic food is sometimes hard to come by. Foundations of healthy vegan eatingStaples: It's good to think about what you do want your diet to consist of before cutting things out. Extremely restrictive diets are dangerous and I'm a big advocate of eating healthy because you love your body and not because you hate it. That said, it's commonly regarded that the more fresh foods you eat, the less likely you are to get cancer and heart disease. Try shopping at your neighborhood farmers market (many neighborhoods in Cincinnati have these, and make sure to stop by Findlay market if you haven't already!), and looking for the dark leafy greens (good for iron and calcium) and whole grain bread. Try adding raw nuts to your diet... They keep you full and are packed with healthy stuff. I find when I'm at my most athletic (lots of bike commuting, swimming, running, capoeira), my body starts needing more iron and have to make a point of eating greens every day and putting blackstrap molasses in my food. Other good sources of iron are kale, collard greens, broccoli, spinach, and swiss chard. Try cooking them up like yer southern gramma did, but replace bacon fat with toasted sesame oil. Soymilk is easy to come by, but make sure to try all different kinds of milks to see if you like them. If you find the right store, you can discover a dizzying array of milks made from rice, almonds, oat, and blends of these. You can use these in recipes as a replacement for milk. Rethinking your dinner plate: If you're willing to rethink mealtime staples, vegan eating can be much easier, cheaper, and healthier. Replacing the traditional meat centerpiece of your meal with processed soy products isn't always the best idea. Soy is a great food in moderation for most people, but many people have allergies and it has the potential to mess with your hormones (although I've read a lot of conflicting information about this). Vegan cheeses are expensive and super-processed. Try to think about good foods that are already vegan, like bean soups and vegetables and whole grains. Cut em out: I'm not saying that I don't personally eat tons of dairy-free ice cream, because I do. But I'm a big advocate of cutting sugar from your diet every once in a while to keep yourself in check. Sugar is a crazy substance and certainly has its place (Graeter's sorbet anyone?), but is incredibly addictive. Fried food is another thing to avoid if you can, although a regular falafel sandwich can do wonders for the psyche. Watch out for trans fats and high fructose corn syrup, too. Generally, the more processed a food is, the less nutritionally useful. Everyday vegan eatingBreakfast: Try oatmeal, cereal with nondairy milk, or granola with soy yogurt. Clifton Natural Foods sells vegan goetta, which is surprisingly pretty yummy. Pancakes and tofu scrambler are perfect when you have friends stay over. Biscuits and gravy is another sweet option if you've got the time. Lunch: If you're packing lunch, try the good old PB and J sandwich. Hummus is another easy choice... Make a sandwich with hummus, tomato, and spinach or pack some with carrot and celery sticks. Make a huge vat of vegan chili and pack it into lunch sized containers, freeze it, and zap it at lunch (if you're into that microwave stuff). Dinner: The options are endless... My favorite cookbooks are How it All Vegan by Barnard and Kramer and Vegan with a Vengance by Moskowitz. I have some southern cookbooks with recipes for things like hush puppies, cornbread, and fried tempeh. The Hot Damn/ Hell Yeah and Dirty South cookbook has lots of good Southern cooking. Look around and see what piques your interest. The internet has tons of information. New foods: There are some nutritious foods we don't always think about out there. Some of my favorite unconventional foods are quinoa, hiziki, teff, and miso. Don't be afraid to try new stuff. You might find something you never thought you'd love and get hooked. |