Plant-based diets can be beneficial for your health. Vegan and vegetarian eating is becoming a way of life for many. No matter your age or reason to stop eating animal products, it is important to make sure that you’re getting enough protein, iron, and B vitamins and sustaining a nutrient dense diet.
Take note of these 6 nutritional factors to make the most out of your vegetarian or vegan diet:
1. Iron
Absorption of iron from plant sources is less than from animal products. Tea and coffee also inhibit the absorption of plant iron. The recommended iron intake for vegans is about twice that of non-vegans. Consuming iron-rich foods like dried fruit, beans, seeds, vegetables and whole grains with a source of Vitamin C (like peppers or citrus) will enhance iron absorption. Get regular blood checks. Iron intake is particularly important for teenage girls to keep on top of.
2. Essential Fats (Omega 3 & 6)
Ideally we should have a balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 of a close to 1:1 ratio. However, the average Western diet has a ratio of over 20:1! A high Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio is linked with many inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, depression, heart disease and cancer. For a vegan to achieve the ideal ratio the solution is to first cut back Omega-6 food sources by reducing the intake of processed foods and refined vegetable oils. Boost your intake of Omega-3 rich plant based sources by including flaxseeds, hemp, chia seeds and walnuts into your diet. Vegan omega 3 supplements are now widely available and I would recommend including one.
3. B12: you must supplement!
Vitamin B12 is only available from animal sources. If you are vegan or vegetarian you will need to source B12 elsewhere. B12 keeps the body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA. A lack of B12 can result in low energy, feeling weak, constipation, appetite loss, weight loss and depression.
A supplement is advised. Take 1000mcg or 1000ug, or 1mg daily (depending on the brand) in liquid, spray, tablet or sub-lingual forms.
4. Vitamin D
Even though we can get plenty of sun here in Mallorca, many people are deficient in Vitamin D, especially youngsters that are indoors too much! Vitamin D is vital for bone health, mood and immune function. Get tested! If your levels are low, supplementation will be necessary.
5. Fat – don’t be fat phobic!!
Many people turn to a vegetarian, plant-based diet to loose weight. Be sensible and include healthy fat to support skin, hair, nervous system, cell signalling, energy, metabolism and immune system. Include plenty of avocados, virgin coconut and olive oil, raw nuts and seeds.
6. Protein
When you say you’re vegan, the first question asked is “where do you get your protein?!” Protein is found throughout the body in muscle, bone, skin and hair. It makes up the enzymes that power many of the body’s chemical reactions as well as the haemoglobin that carries oxygen in your blood.
Most adults need at least 55 grams of protein a day.
Three of any of the servings below should be consumed daily, and especially after a workout!
| Amount Required (20g Serving) | Quality of Protein | |
| Nuts and Seeds | ||
| Almonds | 110g | Reasonable |
| Cashews | 112g | Reasonable |
| Peanuts | 90g | Reasonable |
| Pumpkin Seeds | 70g | Reasonable |
| Sunflower Seeds | 188g | Reasonable |
| Hemp Seeds | 30g | Excellent |
| Grains and Pulses | ||
| Baked Beans | 430g | Reasonable |
| Brown Rice | 400g | Excellent |
| Chickpeas | 109g | Reasonable |
| Kidney Beans | 230g | Reasonable |
| Lentils | 92g | Reasonable |
| Quinoa | 100g dry weight | Excellent |
| Organic Soy Beans | 60g | Reasonable |
| Tofu | 275g | Excellent |
| Eggs/Dairy | ||
| Cheddar Cheese | 84g | Excellent |
| Cottage Cheese | 120g/1 small pot | Excellent |
| Eggs | 3 medium | Excellent |
| Whole Milk | 600ml | Excellent |
| Natural yoghurt | 3 small pots | Excellent |
We have great stockists of food and supplements here in Mallorca as well as a wide selection of restaurants serving delicious balanced vegan foods. Check out Nourish’s EAT and SHOP section to browse some of these wonderful places in Mallorca.
 |
About the authorSuzanne is a Nutritional Therapist trained in London at College of Naturopathic medicine. She has 25 years experience as a chef and recently trained in raw foods, at a gourmet level with Matthew Kenney. Suzanne’s business is Vital Nutrition which she founded in 2008. She offers private consultancies focusing on diet and lifestyle improvements supporting patients on their journey to optimum health. Her regular cookery workshops are delicious, fun and educational and her cooking skills are available to private clients, on retreats and for chef training. |
Eggs and Dairy are not classed as excellent sources of protein. And being Vegan isn’t a diet. That would be plant based.
Hi Suzanne,
Thanks for a great article to remind everyone that a plant based diet is the way forward. Can you use nutritional yeast yo get your b12? One of the reasons that we are still deficient in Vitamin D; even here, is because of the all suncream and sunblocks usage. They aren’t allowing our bodies to collect it sunlight and use it. Sitting under an umbrella on the beach will allow your body to collect some sun but not enough to damage. The kids are the big one, how do we protect them, because we know they won’t stay put. Coconut oil and other natural oils can provide up to 15 SPF. There have been a few studies linking the chemicals in suncreams to many different cancers.
Hi Guys!
Chef Jeff here!
Great article and very important!
The only part that is a little confusing is The Protein.
When you say you’re vegan, the first question asked is “where do you get your protein?!”
And below that then this is listed at the very bottom.
Eggs/Dairy
Cheddar Cheese 84g Excellent
Cottage Cheese 120g/1 small pot Excellent
Eggs 3 medium Excellent
Whole Milk 600ml Excellent
Natural yoghurt 3 small pots Excellent
That aint vegan its vegetarian.
Suzanne is great and I have worked with her before!
Hope it helps.
Chef Jeff
Thank you for the article, although I strongly disagree in the statement that dairy and eggs are an excellent source of protein. I think the science should be taken into consideration here. Many studies already point to dairy as being directly related with numerous diseases. Harvard removed dairy from their list of healthy foods in 2014. Because of its acidifying nature, dairy contributes to osteoporosis, as we can see in the countries whose consumption of dairy is highest, and osteoporosis is the highest in the world: UK, Scandinavian countries, and the US. If dairy is supposed to give you strong bones, why this correlation? The opposite is the case in countries where little or no dairy is consumed. Besides, dairy is a cocktail of hormones, antibiotics, pus, excess estrogens, and other very harmful substances for the human body, and it was created for baby cows, not for humans, not to mention the extreme cruelty of its production. Not only it doesn’t make sense to drink milk after weaning, no species does, but even less from another species. As for eggs, they might have protein, but they are the highest source of cholesterol there is, amongst other unwanted stuff. Seeing the studies, I would not call those two an “excellent” source of protein at all, because all the baggage that comes with them, and again, with extreme cruelty. A varied plant based diet has great sources of protein, but they do not have the cholesterol and saturated fat that causes heart disease, and it has all the nutrients our body needs, except for B-12, which everyone should supplement with, as 80% of omnivores, vegetarians and vegans are deficient in. The longest living populations in the world do not consume dairy, eggs, or meat. I would respectfully advice to have a look at the science. Example: https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/eggs/