Ensure sufficient calories. Vegan diets are often high in bulk and low in fat. While this is great for disease prevention, it may not promote optimal growth and development. This does not mean vegan diets are inappropriate for infants and toddlers. It simply means that when constructing a vegan diet for young children, growth and development must be priority number one, and the caloric density of the diet must be high.

• Provide three meals per day plus snacks between meals.
• Limit fluids with meals (can be filling).
• Add calories where possible (e.g., add sauces to vegetables, nut butters or avocados to smoothies, extra spreads on bread, etc.).

Aim for 40 to 50 percent of calories from fat.

This sounds high, but remember breast milk contains about 50 percent of calories from fat. Most of the fat should come from foods rich in monounsaturated fats, such as nut butters and avocados. Sufficient essential fatty acids should also be provided (an essential balance oil is a great choice – for example, Essential Balance Junior by Omega). It is NOT necessary to add animal foods to increase fat in the diet. Instead, add higher fat plant foods. Excellent choices include:

• Tofu – this is an ideal food for small children – packed with protein and fat (plus other nutrients), but low in fiber. Use it in shakes, scrambles, sandwiches, soups, stews, roasts, loaves, patties and desserts.
• Fortified, full fat soymilk – use fortified soymilk as a beverage and in food preparation. Aim for at least 20 oz. fortified soymilk per day.
• Nut and seed butters and creams – nuts and seeds may cause choking in toddlers under four years of age, so blending nuts and seeds into butters and creams works well for this age group. Use nut and seed butters in baking, on
  toast, in sauces and puddings.
• Avocados – these little gems are loaded with fat, calories and nutrients. Add them to salads, puddings, dips, spreads and toppings.

Limit total fiber intake.

Fiber fills the stomach and can reduce total caloric intake. Avoid concentrated fiber like wheat bran in the diet. Use some refined grains to produce weight gain (sufficient fiber will come from other plant foods). Whole grains should be included to increase intake of vitamins and minerals.

Provide at least 25 grams protein per day.

Insufficient protein can compromise growth. Soymilk (20 oz.) will provide about 15 grams of protein. One veggie deli slice has 4 to 5 grams, and 1/4 cup tofu has 8 to 10 grams. Even a slice of bread has 2 to 3 grams of protein. Thus, ensuring sufficient protein is not difficult if caloric intake is adequate.

Be aware of the needs for iron and zinc.

These nutrients are very important for growth and development. Iron is the most common nutritional deficiency in infants. Iron-fortified infant cereal, legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds and dried fruits are all good sources. A lack of zinc can mean poor growth and reduced immunity for children. Good sources include legumes, nuts and seeds. Include a multi-vitamin/mineral zinc supplement that provides 5 to 10 mg. of zinc.

Don’t forget the Vitamin B12!

There are no reliable plant sources of vitamin B12. Use a supplement or fortified foods (at least 1 mcg./day). A lack of vitamin B12 can result in muscle wasting, weakness and irreversible nerve and brain damage.

Include sufficient calcium and vitamin D.

Calcium and vitamin D are necessary for strong, growing bones. Both of these nutrients can be provided in fortified non-dairy milks and other fortified foods. Other good sources of calcium are dark greens (excluding spinach, beet greens and Swiss chard), tofu made with calcium, almonds, legumes and figs.

For a toddler aged one to three years: if you use 3 tablespoons of cashew butter for the whole recipe, a serving of this pudding provides approximately:

• 100 percent of the requirement for magnesium, folate, vitamin C and omega-3 fatty acids.
• More than 66 percent of the requirement for copper and potassium
• More than 50 percent the requirement for pyridoxine and zinc
• 42 percent of the protein requirements
• 25 percent of the needs for calories and selenium
• 20 percent of the needs for iron

Adapted From: Becoming Vegan (Davis and Melina, The Book Publishing Co. Summertown Tennessee, 2000).

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Vegetarians enjoy some impressive health advantages, including reduced risk of chronic diseases, particularly heart disease and type 2 diabetes, less overweight and obesity, and greater longevity. However, becoming vegetarian does not guarantee a healthful diet. It is entirely possible to completely blow it on a vegetarian diet. After all, chips and soda are generally 100 percent vegetarian, as are many other fatty, salt- and sugar-laden junk foods.

This column will review six of the most common stumbling blocks for vegetarians and how we can be sure to avoid them.

1. Switching from meat and potatoes to pasta and bagels.

The most common blunder made by new vegetarians is switching from meat and potatoes to pasta and bagels. While it is true that pasta and bagels are familiar, tasty foods, they are no nutritional bargain. Pasta, bagels and other white flour products are refined carbohydrates. Whenever refined carbohydrates become dietary staples, they contribute to overweight, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and gastro-intestinal disorders.

Carbohydrates, per say, are not the problem. In fact, the lowest rates of chronic disease in the world are in areas with high carbohydrate intakes. However, in these protective high carbohydrate diets, the carbohydrates come from whole plant foods, such as vegetables, legumes, grains, fruits, nuts and seeds. These foods come packaged with such protectors as fiber, phytochemicals, phytosterols, vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. To avoid this common stumbling block, simply replace meat and potatoes with beans and greens. Rely on whole plant foods for carbohydrates. Minimize use of refined flour products.

2. Replacing meat with dairy and eggs.

Often new vegetarians trade in meat, chicken and fish for dairy products (mainly cheese) and eggs. Typical entrees include pizza, lasagna, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, cheese omelets and quince.

The nutrition challenge that arises is getting a sufficient supply of iron. Iron comes in two different forms in food: heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from blood and is generally found only in meat, poultry and fish (about 40 percent of the iron in animal flesh is heme iron). This type of iron has high bioavailability. Non-heme iron is found in meat, as well as all other iron-containing foods. Dairy products are poor sources of iron and they inhibit iron absorption. The iron in eggs has poor bioavailability. Thus, when vegetarians replace meat (which contains significant amounts of bioavailable iron) with dairy and eggs, the consequence may be reduced iron status. To avoid this problem, vegetarians are well-advised to replace meat with good plant sources of iron, such as legumes.

Other good iron sources include nuts and seeds (especially pine nuts and pumpkin seeds), dried fruits, blackstrap molasses, some vegetables (greens, mushrooms and peas) and grains (especially quinoa, amaranth and iron-fortified grains).

Eat such vitamin C-rich foods as fruits and vegetables with iron rich foods to enhance iron absorption. Avoid sprinkling wheat bran on foods as it is concentrated in phytates, which significantly reduce iron absorption.

3. Consuming trans fatty acids.

Trans fatty acids are unsaturated fats that have been turned from liquid oils to solid fats, primarily by the process of hydrogenation. From a health perspective, trans fatty acids are a disaster. These fats become incorporated into cell membranes, changing their shape, flexibility and permeability. They effectively dumb cells down, impairing their function. About 90 percent of trans fats come from partially-hydrogenated fats in processed and fried foods. Our most concentrated sources are margarine, shortening, crackers, cookies, granola bars, baked goods, chips, snack foods and deep-fried foods.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that less than 1 percent of calories come from trans fatty acids. For a person consuming 2,000 kcal per day, that’s about 2 grams, or about half of what you would get in a single donut or medium order of fries. Trans fatty acid intake depends almost completely on the amount of processed and fried foods consumed, so vegetarians can easily consume as much as non-vegetarians. To avoid trans fatty acids, read labels and avoid anything with partially-hydrogenated vegetable oils or shortening.

4. Assuming that all nutrients will be provided by nature.

While this is true in theory, it is not true in practice. All nutrients are available in nature; however, due to our manner of living, several nutrients have become difficult to acquire in certain situations.

For vegetarians, vitamin B12 is a good example of a nutrient that is plentiful in nature, but not so plentiful in the foods we eat. Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that is produced mainly by bacteria. It is present in anything contaminated with B12-producing bacteria. While animal products are reliable sources of B12, plant foods are not. This is because we remove B12-producing bacteria in an effort to minimize pathogenic bacteria. Vegetarians have reduced B12 status relative to omnivores, and vegans have the lowest levels of all groups. Lack of vitamin B12 in the diet causes megaloblastic anemia, nerve damage, gastrointestinal disturbances and elevated homocysteine. The elevated homocysteine can potentially eliminate any cardioprotective effects of a vegetarian diet.

Reliable sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians include fortified foods (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, cereals, non-dairy beverages, meat analogs, etc.), supplements, and animal products (dairy and eggs) for lacto-ovo vegetarians less than 50 years of age. Animal products are not considered a reliable source of vitamin B12 for those over 50 years of age as the ability to cleave B12 from the protein it is bound to can be significantly impaired. To get sufficient vitamin B12 from foods or supplements, we need at least 3 mcg in fortified foods in two or more meals, 10 mcg of supplemental B12 daily or 1,000 to 2,000 mcg of B12 weekly. Seaweed, fermented foods and organic vegetables are not reliable sources of vitamin B12.

5. Getting insufficient omega-3 fatty acids.

While vegetarian diets are generally lower in total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than are nonvegetarian diets, they generally offer no advantages over nonvegetarian eating patterns where omega-3 fatty acids are concerned. This is partly because vegetarians do not eat fish, the most concentrated omega-3 source in the omnivorous diet.

Total omega-3 requirements may be higher for vegetarians than for nonvegetarians, as vegetarians must convert plant omega-3 fatty acids to the more physiologically active long-chain omega-3 fatty acids found in fish. Thus vegetarians are well-advised to include at least 1.25 percent of calories as omega-3 fatty acids, or approximately 3 to 5 grams per day.
The best sources of omega-3 fatty acids in the plant kingdom include flaxseed and flaxseed oil, hempseed and hempseed oil, chia seed and chia seed oil, canola oil, walnuts, dark greens and wheat germ. One tablespoon of ground flaxseed provides about 2.6 grams of omega-3 fatty acids and or 1 teaspoon of flaxseed oil provides about 2.7 grams. Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get some long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from omega-3 rich eggs, and both vegetarians and vegans can get long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from cultured microalgae (available in veggie caps). Pregnant and lactating women may be well-advised to consider a direct source of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids.

6. Overeating!

Many people assume that becoming vegetarian will protect them from overweight and obesity. While it is true that vegetarians and especially vegans tend to be leaner than their omnivorous counterparts, a vegetarian diet does not guarantee a lean body.

A healthful diet and lifestyle results in a healthy body weight and many people who shift to a vegetarian diet do improve their diet and lifestyle choices, but not always. For some people the switch to vegetarian means a double order of fries instead of a burger and fries. Overeating and under-activity leads to overweight and obesity, and vegetarians, like most Americans, have plenty of opportunity to overeat.

Of course, the concern is that overweight and obesity could effectively cancel out many of the health benefits that commonly result from a vegetarian diet. Being overweight increases risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, gallbladder disease, gout and sleep apnea. Obesity has been found to add about 20 years to a person’s age in terms of health risk.

Portion control is of the utmost importance. While it is easier to overeat when deep-fried foods, salty snacks, white flour products and soda are at the core of the diet, it is also possible to overeat such healthful foods as fruit smoothies and homemade whole grain bread. To avoid overeating, limit processed foods and added fats. Limit calorie-laden beverages. Focus on high-fiber, whole plant foods. Be mindful of what you consume. Eat slowly. Include at least 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day.

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The post Nutrition Matters: Six Stumbling Blocks and How to Avoid Them appeared first on North American Vegetarian Society.

Vitamin D is unique relative to all other vitamins. It is a hormone that has receptors in cells throughout the body. We are just beginning to understand the critical roles this special nutrient plays in health and disease. It impacts your cells, your bones, your muscle, other hormones, and it affects your nervous system and your immune system. Vitamin D can be made in the human body by exposure to warm sunshine or other sources of UV light (UV lamps). Unfortunately, for many people, their exposure to sunlight has dwindled to such an extent that their vitamin D production has been seriously compromised. For the general population who have limited sun exposure, fortified foods and fish are the primary sources of vitamin D. In North America, cow’s milk and margarine have served as the primary vehicles for vitamin D fortification.

So what is a vegan to do? Do we need to take a vitamin D supplement, and if so, is vitamin D2 good enough? Do we need to eat vitamin D fortified foods?

The first step in determining your vitamin D needs is to ask yourself if you get sufficient sunshine. If you live around 33 to 35 degrees north latitude (Los Angeles to Atlanta,) your vitamin D production may be inadequate from late November through early February. If you live around 40 degrees north latitude (New York City to Boulder), the “vitamin D winter” (period when you can’t make enough vitamin D from sunshine) extends from early November until early March. Going further north to 53 degrees (Edmonton, Canada), it is likely that you are “D-fecient” from October to mid- or late March. While it is true that you store vitamin D with adequate sun exposure in the summer months, there is little guarantee that it will carry you through an entire winter. Of course there are concerns about getting too much sun – wrinkles, age spots and even skin cancer. Sun exposure is a bit of a balancing act.

Most light-skinned people can make enough vitamin D with 5 to 15 minutes of warm sunshine to the face and arms or an equivalent surface area of skin each day. For people with darker skin, the time required increases to a half hour or more. As people age, vitamin D production wanes, and by 70 years, our ability to produce vitamin D is only about 30 percent of what it was as a young adult.

There is no doubt that people with limited exposure to warm summer sun need to include a good source of vitamin D in their diets. For vegans, this could come from two places: dietary supplements and fortified foods.

There are two types of vitamin D commonly found in fortified foods and supplements: vitamin D2 and vitamin D3. Vitamin D2 is the form of the vitamin that is derived from plants, while vitamin D3 is generally derived from animals. Unfortunately, vitamin D2 has less activity than vitamin D3. This means that vegans who seek out vitamin D2 in order to avoid animal products may need to consume greater amounts to get the same benefit as what is provided by vitamin D3. It is estimated that vitamin D2 has only about 60 to 75 percent of the activity of D3. It is possible to find synthetic vitamin D3 in some supplements, however (unless specified), you would have to ask the manufacturer to ensure that it is not animal-derived.

The recommended intake or Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) for vitamin D is 5 mcg (200 IU) for children and adults up to age 50 years, 10 mcg (400 IU) for adults aged 50 to 70 and 15 mcg (600 IU) for adults over 70 years. Many experts now think that these recommendations are insufficient, especially if you rely on vitamin D2.

It makes good sense for vegans to aim for approximately 15 to 25 mcg (600 to 1,000 IU) per day during the months that they do not get sufficient sun exposure. People over 50 years of age may wish to aim for the higher end of this range.

The vegan foods most commonly fortified with vitamin D2 are non-dairy milks (typically contain 2 to 3 mcg (80 to 120 IU per cup), however most people do not consume sufficient amounts of these milks to meet their recommended intakes. The more reliable alternative is to take a vitamin supplement. Some multivitamins contain sufficient vitamin D, so this is a reasonable option. Otherwise a single nutrient vitamin D supplement can be used (vegan vitamin D2 is available in 400 IU caps – two per day would be sufficient for most people). Vitamin D can be toxic when taken in very large doses, so more is not better. The upper limit (UL) for vitamin D, as set by the National Academy of Sciences, is 50 mcg (2,000 IU), although many experts feel that up to 100 mcg (4,000 IU) is safe for adults.

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