Going meatless? Make sure your nutrition is on point by incorporating the following foods.
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There is a world of reasons to go meatless, from heart health to animal welfare. But nutritionally, there's one tricky trade-off. You drastically shrink your body's supply of 6 vital nutrients: protein and iron, which can be the toughest to get in adequate quantities, plus calcium, zinc, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
To help you fill in these gaps, we tapped the expertise of nutritionist Cynthia Sass, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association—and a vegan, so she totally gets it.
Here we've identified the "great 8" foods. All are loaded with one or more of these hard-to-get nutrients.
1. Tofu
Why it's great: Plain tofu has a lot going for it. It's a terrific source of protein, zinc, iron, and it even contains some cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids. "Tofu can be substituted for the same amount of meat, poultry or fish in almost any recipe," says Sass. Firm tofu works best because it holds its shape when you sauté it or grill it.
2. Lentils
Why they're great: Lentils, like beans, are part of the legume family, and like beans, they're an excellent source of protein and soluble fiber. But lentils have an edge over most beans: They contain about twice as much iron. They're also higher in most B vitamins and folate, which is especially important for women of childbearing age as folate reduces the risk for some birth defects.
3. Beans
Why they're great: A cup a day gives you about one-third of your iron and protein and roughly half your fiber. Even better, most of that is soluble fiber, which helps lower cholesterol. One cup also provides a good amount of potassium, zinc and many B vitamins, and some calcium too. Just one alert: Rinse canned beans well—they can be soaked in salt.
4. Nuts
Why they're great: Walnuts, peanuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, macadamias and Brazil nuts are rich in zinc, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids. Some, like almonds, even provide a decent amount of calcium (about 175 mg in a half cup). "Recent studies show that even though nuts are high in calories, eating them does not lead to weight gain," says Sass. Peanuts may even help weight loss. Experts suspect that the labor-intense job of digesting nuts burns off calories. There are also hints that nuts increase the amount of fat that passes through the digestive tract, which might explain the nut-linked weight loss.
5. Grains
Why they're great: Some enriched whole-grain cereals are fortified with hard-to-get vitamin B12—some even offer 100 percent of a day's requirement in one serving—as well as iron, calcium and many other nutrients. Keep in mind that if you don't eat eggs or dairy, you'll have to take a B12 supplement to make sure you're getting enough.
6. Leafy Greens
Why they're great: Unlike most vegetables, dark leafy greens such as spinach, broccoli, kale, Swiss chard, and collards contain healthful amounts of iron—especially spinach, which has about 6 grams or about one-third of a day's supply. They're also a great source of cancer-fighting antioxidants; are high in folic acid and vitamin A; and they even contain calcium, but in a form that's not easily absorbed. Cooking greens and/or sprinkling them with a little lemon juice or vinegar makes the calcium more available to your body, says Sass.
7. Seaweeds
Why they're great: Besides being a terrific source of iron and phytochemicals, many seaweeds—such as alaria, dulse, kelp, nori, spirulina, and agar—are good sources of minerals, including magnesium, calcium, iodine, iron and chromium, as well as vitamins A, C, E and many of the Bs.
8. Dried Fruits
Why they're great: They're good, super-convenient sources of iron—and if you combine them with some mixed nuts, you've got a packet of iron and protein you can take anywhere easily. In addition, dried fruits—think apricots, raisins, prunes, mangos, pineapple, figs, dates, cherries, and cranberries—provide a wide array of minerals and vitamins as well as some fiber. And even kids love to snack on them.
Information above provided by Laura Flynn Mccarthy via www.vegetariantimes.com
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