Hi there! Seeing as today is only the 2nd day of January, I should probably start with some cliches, such as "new year = new start" or âthis year is going to be your year!â. While I donât doubt that it will be, I think the beginning of a new year is a time as good as any to start something new and make a change in your life.
If youâve decided to join the 30 Days of Veganism, welcome and good for you! To help you start off well, Iâve put together a list of vegan kitchen staples that my recipes are based on. It will be easier to prepare all those delicious meals if you have all the necessary ingredients at hand!
Fruit:
Buy it fresh if you can, although frozen fruit also works great, especially in smoothies. Berries are a great source of antioxidants, cherries and kiwis contain lots of vitamin C, as well as mangos which also have vitamin A. I also use lots of bananas as a base for my smoothies each day; they have potassium and some protein, and they are a natural sweetener!
Veggies:
I prefer to buy mine fresh but, again, frozen vegetables also work well; simply depends on what is easily available/cheaper in your country. When it comes to making stir-fry or salad bowls, just choose the veggies you like the most. What I use the most often are tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn, beetroots, and different types of potatoes. Sweet potatoes especially have a lot of vitamin A! Different recipes that Iâll be posting are not strict in terms of ingredients so feel free to substitute with whatever vegetables you have lying around.
Beans:
These are a very important part of my meals. In savory dishes beans are my main source of protein (if not using tofu). There are many different kinds so choose whichever you enjoy the most. I usually buy my beans in cans so they are ready to eat right away instead of having to soak them overnight.
Grains:
I base most of my meals on grains such as oats for breakfast and quinoa, couscous, buckwheat, different types of rice for lunch and dinner. I also use rice noodles for a lot of dishes as they are very quick to make. Most grains are also a great source of protein in addition to beans.
Greens:
I try to include a large portion of dark leafy greens in at least one of my meals every day. They keep you hydrated, provide a nice amount of protein and are a good source of iron (spinach) and vitamin A and calcium (kale).
Healthy fats:
In a plant-based diet, these come mainly from nuts and nut butters, avocado, and hummus. They are super important for proper hormone function, especially in women. Hummus and nut butters (especially peanut butter) also contain protein.
Plant milk:
I love how many tasty varieties there are! My favourites include rice, oat and coconut milk. Many plant milks are fortified with calcium, vitamin D and B12 which is critical to remember about when on a plant-based diet (more below). Additionally, soy milk has a lot of protein. I use plant milk every day in smoothies or oatmeal, and also when baking.
Other protein sources and âsuperfoods':
Hopefully by now you can see that itâs not at all difficult to get an adequate protein intake from a plant-based diet, which is what many people fear the most. But there are more protein sources, for example ones that can be used as smoothie bowl/oatmeal toppings: chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds. In addition to being high in protein, they all also contain essential omega-3 fatty acids and minerals (more below).
As for savory dishes toppings, nutritional yeast - also known as vegan cheese - is a great source of protein. Itâs often fortified with vitamin B12, too! Another topping I use are sesame seeds which also contain a lot of protein.
In addition to those natural protein sources, I use plant-based protein powders every day in my smoothies. My favorites are unflavored hemp, pea, and rice protein. Donât worry about them tasting bad - when combined with fruit and plant milk, you can barely notice the taste.
Even though not necessary, âsuperfoods' are great to include in any diet. Because the vegan diet incorporates so many nutritious foods, you shouldnât be worried about not getting in enough of most vitamins or nutrients - but it definitely doesnât hurt to add some more sometime along the way. Some of the most popular and my favorite vegan âsuperfoods' are spirulina and maca powders. They are not the cheapest; however, you donât need to use a lot of them so they last you a very long time. Spirulina in particular has tons of protein and maca contains a lot of absorbable calcium and magnesium. It also gives you an energy boost and naturally balances your hormones!
Supplements:
Despite the abundance of nutrients in the vegan diet, there are some vitamins and minerals you either cannot get from vegan foods or you should pay close attention to their intake. The one vitamin you should definitely be supplementing is B12. Itâs not only vegans who cannot get adequate B12 amounts from food but also vegetarians. Despite plant milks and some other products with added B12, most of us probably donât consume enough of those products to get enough of the vitamin. Therefore, the easiest solution is to take B12 supplements in form of pills.
Other important things to consider are minerals such as iron, magnesium, and calcium. Iâve already mentioned vegan foods rich in all of those, namely chia, hemp and flax seeds. Arenât they great? So much love for them!
Other foods which are high in iron include spinach and kale. While you may eat those things frequently, iron is not so easily absorbed from those food sources. Ways to increase iron absorption include adding foods containing vitamin C to a meal. Fortunately, kale - as an example - contains high amounts of both so itâs a perfect way to boost your iron absorption!
Magnesium can be found in dark leafy greens and different types of seeds and nuts, such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, brazil nuts, almonds and cashews. As mentioned above, maca powder also contains easily absorbable magnesium.
As for calcium, collard greens, tofu and other forms of soy contain large amounts. However, blackstrap molasses have the highest amount of calcium but many people dislike its taste. Other sources include kale, tahini, almond butter, and maca powder.
Whoa, so thatâs it! Iâd like to say âin shortâ but it definitely was not short. I tried to give you as much information as possible without writing launching into a super long rant. Of course, definitely not everything was mentioned about different food groups, vitamins and nutrients. Hopefully you can use the above to get started though! Good luck, enjoy and come back soon for some new recipes!
