If meat, milk, poultry, fish, eggs, and cheese were removed from my diet, what would they be substituted with?

Question

In other words, if I were to be a Vegan, how would I get enough protein, calcium, and other needed vitamins and minerals to sustain life and be healthy? Even a lot of cereals contain small amounts of animal fat. Any vegan cereal brands? BTW, I will not eat a lot of nuts, because I'd end up being as fat as the pig that would be spared. LOL

Side note: I suppose that my biggest emotional aversion is to eating birds, since I personally love birds.

Answer 1

There are many totally whole food stores that offer vegen foods no meat by products Legumes green leafy veges spinach peanuts almonds  grains bulger wheat gluten free products look into what foods give you the needed vita

Answer 2

Vegans should take a B12 supplement or eat foods that are fortified with B12, like certain cereals or soymilk. All the other vitamins and nutrients can be obtained by eating a regular variety of fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains.

List of vegan cereals:

http://www.peta.org/accidentallyVegan/Ve...

The vegan food groups (for meal planning):

http://pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/food_...

High-protein vegan foods:

Almonds, black beans, cashews, chickpeas, fake meat, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, peanut butter, pinto beans, soybeans, soymilk, sunflower seeds, textured vegetable protein (TVP), tofu.

High-iron vegan foods:

Black beans, bran flakes, cashews, Cream of Wheat, garbanzo beans (chickpeas), GrapeNuts, kidney beans, lentils, navy beans, oatmeal, pumpkin seeds, raisins, soybeans, soymilk, spinach, sunflower seeds, tofu, and tomato juice.

High-calcium vegan foods:

Almonds, black beans, broccoli, collard greens, great northern beans, kale, kidney beans, mustard greens, navy beans, orange juice, pinto beans, sesame seeds, soybeans, soymilk, textured vegetable protein (TVP), and tofu.

Hope this helps!

Answer 3

Hey.

Heres some good sources of protein, calcium etc.

And by the way, nuts do not make you fat. The fat in them is good fat, and our bodys need good fat. I eat lots of nuts, and im quite skinny, so you cant say nuts make you fat.

Protein

Obtaining adequate protein on a vegan diet is not a problem. Nuts & seeds, pulses, wholegrain and grain products and soya products all supply protein.

Examples of amounts of foods providing 10g of protein

Type of food Quantity providing 10g protein (g)

Soya flour 24

Peanuts 39

Pumpkin seeds 41

Almonds 47

Brazil Nuts 50

Sunflower seeds 51

Sesame seeds 55

Hazel Nuts 71

Wholemeal bread 95

Whole lentils dried & boiled 114

Chickpeas dried & boiled 119

Kidney beans dried & boiled 119

Wholemeal spaghetti boiled 213

Brown rice boiled 385

Essential Fatty Acids

There are two essential fatty acids which must be supplied by the diet. These are linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid.  Good sources of essential fatty acids are vegetable oils. It is important to have the correct balance between linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid. It has been suggested that vegans should use soyabean or rapeseed oils rather than sunflower or corn oils as these help give a better dietary balance.

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)

Certain studies have found vegans to have a low intake of the vitamin, riboflavin. Riboflavin is important in converting protein, fats and carbohydrates into energy, and the synthesis and repair of body tissues. Good sources of riboflavin include whole grains, mushrooms, almonds, leafy green vegetables and yeast extracts.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is important in the formation of red blood cells and the maintenence of a healthy nervous system. When deficiency does occur it is more likely to be due to a failure to absorb B12 from the intestine than a dietary deficiency.

Vegans can obtain B12 from a wide range of foods which have been fortified with the vitamin. These include certain yeast extracts, veggieburger mixes, breakfast cereals, vegetable margarines and soya milks. You should check the packaging to see which individual products are fortified with B12.

Vitamin D

Vegans can obtain vitamin D from vegetable margarines, some soya milks and certain other foods which are fortified with the vitamin.

Vitamin D is also synthesised by the skin when exposed to sunlight.

Calcium

The major source of calcium in British diets is generally milk and dairy products. Vegans can obtain adequate calcium from plant foods. Good sources include tofu, leafy green vegetables, watercress, dried fruit, seeds and nuts. Also, white bread is fortified with calcium, as are some soya milks. Hard water can also provide significant amounts of calcium.

Examples of amounts of foods providing 100mg calcium

Type of Food  

Black molasses 20g

Dried figs 40g

Almonds 42g

Soya flour 44g

Parsley 50g

Kale 67g

Brazils Nuts 59g

Wholemeal bread 185g

Iodine

Milk is the primary source of iodine in the British diet and studies have indicated some vegans may have a low iodine intake. Seaweeds are a good source of iodine, and vegetables and grains can contain iodine depending on the amounts in the soil.

Good luck.