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FOODS THAT MUST ENTER YOUR VEGAN REFRIGERA TOR THIS.CO
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In recent years, Veganism has garnered a lot more attention than expected. In the past few years, numerous celebrities have announced them adopting the vegan culture. Consequently, they’ve even begun to endorse several vegan products. The vegan lifestyle is thriving, and likewise, vegan products have started to appear at stores in huge numbers and variety. Watching veganism spread like a fire might make you curious in knowing what exactly are the food items that a vegan diet comprises of. Here’s a blog on precisely this question. We’ll be sharing the top ten vegan foods to consume. But before we list out the top vegan foods, let us go through veganism in the briefest way possible. Veganism is a lifestyle that aims at avoiding all animal-based products and endeavours to limit the exploitation of animals as much as possible. The people turning vegan may choose to adopt it for a variety of reasons which may be regarding health, ethics, or environment. So, yeah, vegans avoid consuming animal foods for ethical, environmental and health reasons. And since their diet exclusively depends on plants, they might face a deficiency of nutrients in their body. Therefore, for vegans, it’s essential to stay healthy and consume fortified food items to maintain a nutrient-rich diet. Let’s list out ten foods or food groups that must be included in every vegan's diet:
Legumes Vegans are on a mission to end all forms of animal cruelty and exploitation and as a result, tend to avoid all the traditional sources of iron and protein such as eggs, fish, meat, and poultry. Hence, it becomes to replace these nutrient-rich food items with an equivalent alternative, such as legumes. Peas, lentils, and beans are a few great alternatives that can serve you with 10 to 20 grams of protein per cooked cup. They are rich in fibre, and are excellent sources of folate, antioxidants, iron, zinc, and slowly digested carbs.
Nuts and Seeds If you’re vegan, not just seeds and nuts, even their byproducts are a great addition to your vegan pantry or refrigerator. Health experts suggest that one oz (28 grams) serving of seeds or nuts consists of 5 to 12 grams of protein. Hence, they act as a perfect replacement for protein-rich animal products.
Flax, Hemp, Chia Seeds You must remember the name of these three most essential seeds. They come with unique nutrient profiles that must be highlighted separately. These three seeds contain a large amount of protein when compared to other types of seeds. Here’s a glimpse of what they may offer: One ounce, i.e. 28 grams of hemp seeds, can provide nine gms of digestible protein, which is 50% more protein than most other seeds. Moreover, hemp seeds are considered to have an optimal omega3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.
Flaxseeds and Chia come with a high concentration of alphalinolenic acid (ALA). Hence they can act as an excellent substitute for eggs in recipes.
Tofu Tofu and Tempeh are considered to be plant based chicken and hence are mostly regarded as substitutes for processed meat. Both of these food items contain 16 to 19 grams of protein in a portion of 3.5 oz (nearly 100 grams). They are rich in calcium and are a good source of iron. Tofu is a fantastic alternative to eggs in recipes such as quiches, frittata, and omelettes. As they’re created from the pressing of soybean curds, they can be scrambled, grilled, and sauteed-becoming a perfect replacement for meats. Tempeh, on the other hand, is produced from fermented soybeans. It presents us with a distinctive flavour and hence is popularly used as a replacement for fish and other dishes. Note: Seitan is also a common meat alternative. It’s a good source of selenium and contains small amounts of calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
Plant Milk and Yoghurts Vegans avoid all animal-based products and hence consume smaller amounts of Calcium daily than other meat-eaters or even vegetarians. Low level of calcium in the body might harm their bone health. Therefore you must ensure to include calciumfortified plant milk and plant yoghurts in their daily diet. Milk and Yoghurts can be made from hemp or soy. These are fortified with calcium as well as vitamin D.
Seaweed Seaweed is one of the rare plant food, which is rich in docosahexaenoic acid DHA and other fatty acids. Algae such as chlorella and spirulina are an excellent source of complete protein. Moreover, only a tablespoon (15 ml) of these can provide 8 grams of protein to us. Additionally, seaweed also consists of manganese, riboflavin, iodine, potassium, and a decent amount of antioxidants. Seaweed is undoubtedly a perfect example of plant based protein.
Conclusion This vegan food undoubtedly limits the intake of certain nutrients and increase the requirements for other significant ones. But, a well-planned plant-based diet as discussed above in this blog might help you with sufficient amounts of foods. Nevertheless, many vegans might find it difficult to consume such food items in adequate quantities. However, it’s always better to get nutrients and proteins from raw vegan food than consuming supplements.
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