Nutrition Basics: Good Sources of Protein and Iron For Vegetarians
December 18, 2008 by Michelle Smith
Filed under Recipes
I noticed some interest in an older post that Jul had written about good sources of protein for vegetarians and vegans. I thought maybe it would be helpful to touch on the subject again, as there are many new vegetarians out there looking for answers.
I remember when I first talked about going veg and my family questioned my choice - they were afraid that my kids would not get adequate nutrition. I did some research and explained to them that we’d be fine as long as we consumed a varied diet, full of good choices of whole grains,tofu, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, and in the case of my lacto-ovum eating family – eggs and dairy products.
So many people worry about not getting enough protein, when really in America, we frequently eat way more than what is required. An adult woman needs 45 grams a day, an adult man needs 55 grams. That’s it.
I worried more about getting enough iron, but I learned from a nutritional expert at WIC, that as long as we ate iron-enriched breakfast cereal, we were off to a very good start. Iron is also found in vegetables. Remember to include something with a high vitamin C content when eating a green like spinach, to help your body better absorb the iron.
Iron-rich food choices:
Bran flakes*
Oatmeal *
Cream of Wheat*
Wheat Germ
Swiss Chard
Turnip Greens
Prune Juice
Spinach
Chickpeas*
Tofu*
Soybeans
Lentils
Navy Beans
*these foods have 5.5 or more mg per
Image credit: All Posters.com
Great list of foods
Thank you, Elaine.