Your Powerful Plate:Nutrition Basics for Plant-Based Eating

Suzanne Sorensen RD, LD, CDE

suzy@move2veg.com

Plant-Based Eating

Meals are composed primarily of plant foods: vegetable, fruit, grains, & legumes.

Plant-Based Variations…

Vegan Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) Pescatarian Flexitarian or Semi-Vegetarian

Why Plant-Based?

Top 5 reasons: Animal rights Animal welfare Protect health Protect human rights Protect environment

- PETA

Farm Sanctuary, NY

Farm Sanctuary, NY

Compassion

321: Number of animals killed for food every second in the U.S.

10 Billion: Number of animals killed for food each year in the U.S.

- more than the entire human population of the Earth

AnimalVoice.com

Compassion

CAA

Compassion

300: Eggs produced by an egg-laying hen each year, 5x more than normal

8,890,000,000: Chickens killed every year.

“ I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.”

- Isaac Bashevis Singer

Compassion

189,320,000,000: Pounds of milk produced by 9 million dairy cows. 10x more than normal.

Compassion

Goveg.com

We Choose 3 Times Each Day

Protein Sources: Concentrated

Legumes Soy Wheat Gluten (mock duck) Meat Analogs Whole Grains* Nuts* Seeds** Less concentrated

Convenient Protein Ideas

Amy’s.com, Nilespice.com,Wholesoyco.com,veganessentias.com

Meat Analogs

Images per companies

Dairy Alternatives

Dairy Alternatives

Egg Alternatives

How much protein do I need?

Adults aim for 0.4 gram per pound

Example:

If weight is 140# x 0.4 = 56 grams/day

Who’s at risk for low intake?

Very low calorie intake Only getting one source of protein Not getting balanced nutrition Eat out daily at places without vegan

options

Vitamin B12

“The short story is, vegans need to supplement their diets with B12 or risk deficiency”

What does B12 do?

Protects our cardiovascular system Allows body to use food for energy Builds DNA Builds blood cells Protects nervous system

B12 Sources

Fortified soy, rice, nut milk Some meat analogs Some bars Vitamin Water Red Star Nutritional Yeast Supplements

Fortified Foods

Tastethedream.com, Morningstar Farms.com, clifbar.com

25% of daily needs30% of daily needs

15% of daily needs

Fortified Foods

Yvesveggie.com

Need Active Form of B12

Active can be used by

the body: Cyanocobalamin Adenosylcobalamin Methylcobalamin hydroxocobalamin

Inactive has no vitaminactivity and is not a reliablesource: Sea vegetables Tempeh Miso Brewers & nutritional

yeast Spirulina

How much B12? Requirement is 2.4 mcg/day This prevents deficiency, BUT does

not account for protecting heart health

Vegans choose: 1.5-2.5 mcg 2x/day from fortified food or

supplement 10-100 mcg once a day from a supplement 1000 mcg 2 days a week

Who is at risk for being low?

Over age 50 Vegans who don’t

use supplements or fortified foods

Raw foodists Macrobiotic vegans

What are the symptoms? Mild: Increased

homocysteine level

(cardiovascular risk) Very common in both

vegans and vegetarians

Serious: fatigue, irritability,

confusion, depression Tingling or numbness of

hands and feet damage including

blindness, deafness, dementia, loss of coordination

Vitamin D

Actually a hormone but, in northern climates, it must be supplied by the diet so it qualifies as a vitamin

Vitamin D2 is vegan (ergocalciferol) Vitamin D3 is not* vegan

(cholecalciferol) *new vegan D3 supplement Vitashine

What does D do? Helps build healthy bones Keeps mood, energy, & motivation up Helps regulate weight and blood sugar May decrease risk of:

Type 1 diabetes

Cancer (breast, prostate, colon)

Heart Disease

Vitamin D Sources Fortified foods

Supplement

25% of daily needs 20% of daily needs

Vitamin D Sources

Sunshine – 15-20 minutes/day ≥ 3x/week on

face, arms without sunscreen– mid-day sun time– darker skin needs 3-6x more

exposure

Tanning bed*– (UVB rays)– * skin cancer risk

How much D?

• RDI= 600 IU/day minimum• Recent research suggests ~1000 IU/day• Food & Nutrition Board says 2400 IU/day

is upper limit• Goal is to keep body’s level over 40 ng/mL

Who is at risk for low Vit D?

Those with little sun exposure Populations in northern latitudes Not consuming Vit. D fortified foods in diet Those with dark skin Elderly Breastfed babies (supplement from day of birth)

Calcium

Builds healthy bones Essential for blood clotting Critical for muscle contraction Normal nerve transmission Regulates metabolism Decrease cancer risk? Lower blood pressure?

Calcium Sources

Low oxalate foods:

broccoli, bok choy, kale, collards,

turnip greens, Chinese cabbage,

okra (Reliable sources)

______________________________

Less bioavailable in:

tofu, soy products, fortified juice, almonds, legumes

Fortified Foods Soy, rice, & nut milks,

cereals, yogurts, juice

__________________________

High oxalate foods: spinach, beet greens, swiss chard

(Not reliable sources)

Best Sources:

Who is at risk for low calcium?

Those who do not consume foods with available calcium

Vegans tend to get less than the RDI

Iron

Helps form red blood cells and muscle cells Enhances immunity Carries oxygen to the cells Makes enzymes

Sources of iron

Beans &Legumes: richest source

Soy foods/meat analogs Seeds and nuts Iron-fortified foods

(cereal)

How much iron?

Vegan men need 15 mg+/day Vegan women need 32 mg+/day

– Recommended intake for vegetarians is 1.8 times that of omnivores

Vegans/vegetarians have lower stores, but normal blood levels…low iron = low energy

No increased incidence of anemia

Optimize Iron

How much iron is absorbed? Vegans have the highest intake!

– Plant foods contain non-heme iron, not absorbed as well

Eat iron with a source of vitamin C – Vitamin C increases absorption 4-6 times

Roast nuts, soak or sprout beans, ferment, leaven grains to make iron more available

Healthy Fats

What does fat do?– Provides & stores energy for the

body– Helps us feel full– Insulates and protects the body– Transports vitamins– Provides textures and flavor in food– Heart protective*Vital for brain & eye development*

Sources of Healthy Fat

Vegan and vegetarian diets lack direct sources of Omega 3 (EPA & DHA)

Micro algae is the only direct source Full fat soy, flax, hemp, walnuts, canola oil, &

leafy greens can be converted

Micro-algae has been show to positively affect blood levels of DHA and EPA

How Much Fat? 200-300 mg/day of DHA

1 capsule= 200 mg

Who Needs a Vitamin?

Not using fortified foods Skipping a meal Limited variety of foods Limited time for meal

planning Low calorie needs or low

calorie intake

Resources

Resources

Resources

Meatless Monday Go meatless 1x/week

~ reduce carbon & water footprint ~ preserve precious resources ~ reduce risk of chronic disease

www.meatlessmonday.com

Google images

Web Resources

HSUS.org foodandwaterwatch.org NRDC.org meatlessmonday.com PCRM.org vegetariannutrition.net

You Make A Difference!

100: Animal lives saved every year by choosing a vegetarian diet.

Be Healthy!

You are the living example of your values!

Google images

Resources

www.move2veg.com