Proper nutrients

minnow33

I am switching to vegan from vegetarian. And am having trouble meeting my cholesterol. Sodium. Iron and calcium levels. Any tips? Thanks

J_Squared_77

are you exceeding the recommended daily amounts or falling short?

minnow33

I read up on cholesterol and it only comes from meat products but looks like our body makes its own . As far as iron, calcium and sodium I am falling short

chobbes2015

For iron, I eat Beyond Meat chickenless strips and Beast burgers, green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts and two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses. Because the iron is non-heme, I make sure that most of my meals include a vitamin C source so that the iron is better absorbed.

chobbes2015

There are also many cereals and other food products that are fortified with iron and vitamins. Another vitamin to make sure you are getting enough of is B12.

MakePeasNotWar

Sodium is a maximum limit. The minimum is around 500mg per day.

You are right about the cholesterol. It's not necessary in the diet; it's produced in the body.

Patttience

Calcium and iron are the ones i find hardest to match. To increase my calcium i am now drinking two cups most days of fortified lite soy or rice milk. I found over here in Australia that sanitarium so good has the best ingredients and nutrient count and with a good price. There is 300mg in each cup but make sure you read the label of whatever you buy. They are far from being all the same.

I still don't think i'm reaching my quota and it looks like 300mg of calcium carbonate a day might be considered harmless where as 500 or more seems to increase your chances of heart disease because of calcium deposits in the arteries which happens when its not absorbed. Make sure you take the calcium with food and you have plenty of vit D in yoru system or buy one pill with it in if your count is low. You also need other minerals in your diet to maximise absorption and vegies are the best source for those.

B12 is simple. Just take a pill. But i did notice that so good also has B12 in it.

I make a fruit smoothie from my soy milk. I"m enjoying it. When i started out i didn't want to drink these milks but the risks of taking a lot of calcium supplement sound too scary.

About my iron, i don't know, I have liquid supplement and i'm taking a bit of that but i may need to take more.

I think legumes are high in iron so it is good to eat those three times a day. But when calories are limited, it cna be tricky to juggle it all. Since i started drink the milks, i am eating less legumes, partly because i'm a bit too busy or preoccupied to cook something up.

I don't think i'm having trouble with anythign else. Anyway after about three months, i'm going to have blood tests for these things so I can see where I am and if i need to change anything.

isulo_kura

MFP is a poor way to track Micro nutrients such as Iron and calcium. In many countries they are not a legal requirement on food labelling and as the database is mainly user generated they are frequently not added. Go for a varied diet and if you have any issues speak to your DR. In reality the only thing you should need to supplement is B12 as long as you eat a varied mainly wholefood Vegan diet. I really wouldn't believe what MFP says your consumption on these is

minnow33

chobbes2015 wrote: »

For iron, I eat Beyond Meat chickenless strips and Beast burgers, green leafy vegetables, seeds and nuts and two tablespoons of blackstrap molasses. Because the iron is non-heme, I make sure that most of my meals include a vitamin C source so that the iron is better absorbed.

Thanks!
I've been eating kale and swiss chard... what would one put molasses on? I've not had it yet.
Been trying to eat some seeds and nuts as well. Love my almonds and chia seeds and walnuts...
Thank you so much!

minnow33

isulo_kura wrote: »

MFP is a poor way to track Micro nutrients such as Iron and calcium. In many countries they are not a legal requirement on food labelling and as the database is mainly user generated they are frequently not added. Go for a varied diet and if you have any issues speak to your DR. In reality the only thing you should need to supplement is B12 as long as you eat a varied mainly wholefood Vegan diet. I really wouldn't believe what MFP says your consumption on these is

Thanks! I was wondering. And found some fruit and veggies only had the calories not the nutrients. Just want to make sure in the long haul I'm not depriving my body of any said nutrients.
Been having nutritional yeast on my foods for b vitamins.
But I'm not terribly worried. Just want to stay on the healthier track
Thanks for the info!

minnow33

Patttience wrote: »

Calcium and iron are the ones i find hardest to match. To increase my calcium i am now drinking two cups most days of fortified lite soy or rice milk. I found over here in Australia that sanitarium so good has the best ingredients and nutrient count and with a good price. There is 300mg in each cup but make sure you read the label of whatever you buy. They are far from being all the same.

I still don't think i'm reaching my quota and it looks like 300mg of calcium carbonate a day might be considered harmless where as 500 or more seems to increase your chances of heart disease because of calcium deposits in the arteries which happens when its not absorbed. Make sure you take the calcium with food and you have plenty of vit D in yoru system or buy one pill with it in if your count is low. You also need other minerals in your diet to maximise absorption and vegies are the best source for those.
Thanks! I may have a blood test to see how I'm doing in a few months.

I've had some almond milk but yeah....with limiting calories to try and loose weight I've found myself not drinking it
But maybe I should incorporate some. I'll read the labels. Thanks

B12 is simple. Just take a pill. But i did notice that so good also has B12 in it.

I make a fruit smoothie from my soy milk. I"m enjoying it. When i started out i didn't want to drink these milks but the risks of taking a lot of calcium supplement sound too scary.

About my iron, i don't know, I have liquid supplement and i'm taking a bit of that but i may need to take more.

I think legumes are high in iron so it is good to eat those three times a day. But when calories are limited, it cna be tricky to juggle it all. Since i started drink the milks, i am eating less legumes, partly because i'm a bit too busy or preoccupied to cook something up.

I don't think i'm having trouble with anythign else. Anyway after about three months, i'm going to have blood tests for these things so I can see where I am and if i need to change anything.

minnow33

MakePeasNotWar wrote: »

Sodium is a maximum limit. The minimum is around 500mg per day.

You are right about the cholesterol. It's not necessary in the diet; it's produced in the body.

Thanks!

minnow33

chobbes2015 wrote: »

There are also many cereals and other food products that are fortified with iron and vitamins. Another vitamin to make sure you are getting enough of is B12.

Thanks! I was thinking cereal too. I'll check some out when I go grocery shopping

Patttience

minnow, you should get yourself tested for levels of all the key nutrients after a few months to make sure you are on track. that is things like iron, calcium, vit d, b12 and whatever else they can do that you might be missing.