Added: 04/29/2007 |
The Fabulous Food in Vegan DietsAs health professionals caution against eating too many fatty foods, they also make careful note of the increased interest in vegan diets. Some health professionals have sought to encourage the public interest in the vegan lifestyle. For that reason, they have developed the Vegetarian Food Pyramid. A look at that Pyramid reveals the important features of the vegan diet.
Vegan diets contain only plant foods. Those who stick to a vegan diet often use B-12 supplements. That is because B-12 vitamins are only found in animal products. Does that mean that the use of supplements must be part of all vegan diets?
Actually, it is possible to get B-12 vitamins without use of supplements, even while following one of the suggested vegan diets. The trick is to eat the right combination of complementary proteins. Anyone who eats only plant foods, such as the foods on vegan diets, must understand the importance of complementary proteins.
Plants have what are called “incomplete proteins.” Plant proteins do not have every single one of the amino acids needed by a human. Yet not every plant has the same combination of amino acids. By eating the right combination of plant foods, one can ingest a sufficient amount of all the needed amino acids.
Of course not all of the people eating vegan diets want to direct their efforts at the daily selection of plant foods with complementary amino acids. Those who prefer not to focus on the use of complementary proteins thus chose to use B-12 supplements. That B-12 supplement can come from a packaged product, or it can come from Blackstrap molasses, vegetable oil and Brewer’s yeast.
Not everyone adhering to the vegan diets has chosen to use Brewer’s yeast. Of those that have made that choice, not everyone obtains their Brewer’s yeast by mixing it in a drink. Some vegans have found a deliciously different way to obtain their B-12 vitamins. They have found a way to use Brewer’s yeast in vegan bread.
The makers of vegan bread rely on the added taste provided by selected natural ingredients. Sometimes they sweeten the bread with honey. At other times they thrill the taste buds of vegans by adding well-chosen flavorings, such as cinnamon and nutmeg. A slice of that delicious and moist bread tastes great, even without a spread covering one face of that slice.
Vegan bread helps to underscore the health benefits of a vegan diet. Vegans have a lower than average cholesterol level, and they are seldom overweight. Their bodies remain free of animal fats, but they do not lack the ability to synthesize vital body proteins.
Individuals on a vegan diet have learned the importance of good meal planning. Their meal planning follows the guidelines in the Vegetarian Food Pyramid. By following those guidelines, the people on the vegan diets find they can more easily plan meals that include all of the needed complementary proteins.
Some who have grown up with the vegan diet have used its complementary proteins to build extra strong muscles. One high school football player in southern California has done just that. That football player surprised his coach, when he disclosed his adherence to a vegan diet.
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