Try to choose unblanched and unroasted varieties whenever possible, since nutrients can be lost during processing ( 12).įavor nut butters that are natural rather than heavily processed. You can eat them on their own or work them into interesting recipes such as sauces, desserts, and vegan cheeses. They also contain a good amount of antioxidants and other beneficial plant compounds ( 11). In addition, nuts and seeds are great sources of iron, fiber, magnesium, zinc, selenium, and vitamin E. This makes them a good alternative to protein-rich animal products. That’s in part because a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of nuts or seeds contains 5–12 grams of protein. Nuts and seeds are great additions to any vegan refrigerator or pantry. Soaking, fermenting, and proper cooking can increase nutrient absorption. Summaryīeans, lentils, and peas are nutrient-rich plant alternatives to animal-derived foods.
In contrast, eating legumes in combination with vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables can increase your absorption of iron ( 10). Calcium can hinder the absorption of these nutrients if you consume it at the same time ( 9). To increase your absorption of iron and zinc from legumes, you may also want to avoid consuming them at the same time as calcium-rich foods. It’s advantageous to soak, ferment, or cook legumes well, because these processes can decrease the amounts of antinutrients ( 7, 8). Similarly, vegetarian diets seem to reduce zinc absorption by about 35% compared with those containing meat ( 4, 5, 6).
However, legumes also contain a fair amount of antinutrients, which can reduce the absorption of minerals ( 3).įor instance, iron absorption from plants is lower than that from animal sources.
They’re also excellent sources of fiber, slowly digested carbs, iron, folate, calcium, potassium, zinc, antioxidants, and other health-promoting plant compounds ( 1, 2). Therefore, it’s important to replace these animal products with protein- and iron-rich plant-based alternatives such as legumes.īeans, lentils, and peas are great options that contain 10–20 grams of protein per cooked cup. Vegans avoid animal-based sources of protein and iron, such as meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
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