2 minute read
Shopping the Vegan Way
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
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Find the balance between convenience and quality. Make sure there are enough proteins (with all the amino acids), iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and plenty of fruit and vegetables for sufficient phytonutrients and adequate soluble fibre.
It’s tempting to rely on quick, convenient ready-made meals like veggie burgers, soya patties, or vegan fries and if it’s a vegan product, you might expect it to be healthy. But that’s not always the case. Read the labels carefully. Look out for additives like added sugars, hydrogenated fats or trans fatty acids. Avoid products with too many fillers (especially wheat-based flours), commercially prepared sauces or artificial flavourings, colourants or irradiated spices. Most of these are commonly found in readymade vegan products. When choosing soya products, opt for fermented products like Miso or Tempeh.
WHAT ABOUT PROTEIN
There are plenty of options to choose from: include a protein powder with hemp seeds for an excellent amino acid ratio. The Pea and Hemp proteins from LifeMatrix, Synerchi, Drasanvi Chlorella powder or hemp seeds from Superfoods are perfect choices. Other good proteins come from tree nuts (peanuts are a little too inflammatory); seeds like sunflower, sesame, pumpkin. Chia seeds especially are fabulous for increasing your soluble fibre intake, they contain Omega 3 fats and are anti-inflammatory. Sesame seeds are a great source of calcium. To get the best from your nuts and to improve digestive qualities, activate them. This involves soaking them overnight (add a tsp of salt to a glass of water per cup of nuts) then dehydrating them for about 12 hours. This makes them much easier on the digestive system.
IRON
Iron is an essential nutrient as it’s a key component of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. The reason people mention iron as a challenge in vegan diets is that when plant foods with iron are eaten on their own, the iron binds to the phytates and oxalates preventing absorption. Adding Vitamin C increases iron absorption considerably. Vegetables, like broccoli and bok choy, which are high in iron, are also high in vitamin C so in this case, iron is better absorbed. Commonly eaten combinations, like beans and tomato sauce or tofu and broccoli, also result in improved iron absorption. Interestingly, surveys show that vegans are not any less iron deficient than their meat-eating counterparts although vegans tend to have lower iron stores.
VITAMIN B12
B12 also comes up for discussion in a vegan diet as it is found solely in animal products. Eating nutritional yeast flakes fortified with B12 is a great solution. They double up as a great alternative to parmesan cheese and make soups and salads taste delicious. Having a really good gut microbiome is important too, as certain bacteria found along the intestinal wall are able to secrete vitamin B12.
AS FOR VITAMIN D
Sunlight is the key, and for vegans (where seafood is not an option) a great source of vitamin D is from mushrooms; all varieties are good although they only synthesize Vitamin D2 and not the D3, which the body uses for good bone density.
by Judith Johnson
