Vegan Food Guide
HEALTH
INFORMATION SERIES
Written by Vesanto Melina,
Registered Dietician
This is a food guide for adult vegans.
Select a variety from the following food groups each day.
BREADS AND CEREALS:
4 servings daily (or more); whole grain
products are recommended.
Samples of one serving:
Bread, 1 slice
Bagel, 1/2
Bannock, 2 oz (60 g)
Cereal, ready-to-eat, 3/4 cup (175 ml)
Cereal, cooked, 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Chapatti or roti, 1
Crackers, 4 to 6
Hamburger or hot dog bun, 1/2
Muffin, 1 small or 1/2 large
Pancake or waffle, 1
Pita bread, 1/2
Popcorn, 1 1/2 cups (375 ml)
Rice, 1/2 cup cooked (125 ml)
Roll, 1 small
Rye cracker, 2
Spaghetti, macaroni or other pasta, 1/2 cup cooked (125 ml)
Tortilla, 1
VEGETABLES AND FRUITS:
5 servings daily (or more). Include 1-2
servings of dark green vegetables daily and at least one other
vegetable.
Samples of 1 serving:
Vegetable or fruit, fresh, frozen or
canned, 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Vegetable or fruit juice, 1/2 cup (125 ml) - must be fresh with some
fibre
Medium sized vegetable or fruit eg. carrot, tomato, apple, banana,
orange or peach, 1
Small fruit eg. apricot or plum, 2
IRON AND PROTEIN FOODS:
3 or 4 OR 4 servings daily. Eat these
plant sources of iron at the same meal with a vitamin C source (a
vegetable or fruit) to increase iron absorption.
Samples of 1 serving:
Cooked legumes (beans, pulses) 1 cup
(250 ml)
Firm tofu 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Nuts or seeds 1/2 cup (125 ml)
Nut or seed butter 1/3 cup (80 ml)
Soya milk 2 cups (500 ml)
CALCIUM FOODS:
6 servings daily. Each serving provides
approximately 100 mg of calcium. Please note that the serving sizes for
some foods are small when counted as calcium servings.
Some foods can be counted as Fruit and
Vegetable servings as wellas Calcium Foods servings (for example
dark green leafy vegetables and broccoli).
Some foods can be counted as Iron and
Protein Foods as well as Calcium Foods (for example moderately
firm and firm tofu which is made with calcium, legumes, nuts and seeds
especially almonds and sesame seeds)).
Soy milk does not serve as a calcium
source unless fortified.
Samples of 1 serving:
Firm tofu made with calcium, 1/4 cup
(60 ml)
Legumes, cooked, 1 cup (250 ml)
Unhulled sesame seeds or butter, 1 Tbsp (15 ml)
Sesame tahini, 2 Tbsp (30 ml)
Almonds, 1 1/2 oz (45 g)
Seaweeds, (hijiki, kelp, wakame) dried, (5-7 g)
Dark green vegetables (beet greens, bok choy, broccoli, collards, kale,
mustard greens, okra, turnip greens), 1/2 cup (125 ml) cooked
ALSO INCLUDE:
FOR VITAMIN B12: 1 tsp (2
g) nutritional yeast (Red Star brand) or supplement.
FOR VITAMIN D: Vitamin D
fortified margarine, 6 tsp, or supplement or sunlight.
FOR ADDITIONAL ENERGY: Energy
rich foods may be added such as nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters, and
oils. Intake of breads, cereals, legumes, fruits and vegetables may also
be increased. Wheat grass is an excellent energy tonic added to your
juice or smoothie.
SAMPLE MENU #1
Breakfast:
Orange juice, 1/2 cup
Oatmeal, 1/2 cup
Raisins, 2 Tbsp
Soy milk, 1 cup
Toast (1) with tahini, 2 Tbsp
Grain beverage
Lunch:
Humus, 1 cup
Pita bread, 1
Green salad (lettuce, kale, cut fine, alfalfa sprouts, 1 1/4 cup
Salad dressing, 1 Tbsp
Nutritional yeast, 1 tsp
Herb tea
Banana
Snacks:
Bran muffin, 1, with margarine, 1 Tbsp
Almonds, 45 g
SAMPLE MENU #2
Breakfast:
Apple juice, 1/2 cup
Granola, 1/2 cup
Nut milk (made with 1/4 cup nuts, ground)
Grain beverage
Lunch:
Lentil or pea soup, 1 cup (made with
wakame or hijiki seaweed, optional)
Crackers, 2 to 4, with miso and tahini
Carrot and cabbage coleslaw, 1 cup
Nutritional yeast, 1 tsp
Fig bars, 2
Herb tea
Supper:
Burritos or tacos:
Corn tortillas, 2
Pinto bean chili, 1 cup
Tomato, 1/4 medium
Romaine lettuce, 1/4 cup
Salsa, optional
Apricots, 2
Herb tea
Snacks:
Bread, 2 slices with 2 tsp flax oil and
4 Tbsp almond butter. (This could be part of breakfast).
Blender drink of orange juice, banana
and tofu.
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