Vegan - Nutrition
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elliott02
Posts: 4 Member
I've recently become vegan and decided to use this app again, not so much for calorie counting but to track my nutrient intake. I think my mum will get off my back once I can prove my intake is optimal. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions on particular foods that will help or just some yummy ideas?
Thank you so much! Xx
Thank you so much! Xx
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Replies
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What goals are you having trouble meeting?
And if you are an adult, what does it truly matter if your mother approves of your decision to go vegan or not? I know most of us want to please our parents, but adults get to make their own decisions on what they eat. It's one of the pleasures of adulthood.0 -
Where do you think you are deficient? In tracking my micronutrients, I find I have to take B12, D3, calcium, iron, and potassium supplements. I was taking these anyway, but now I have the math to back it up. As you track, you will see where you need help. Cronometer.com breaks down the micronutrients in far more detail than MFP if you really want a good snapshot. Not a bad idea to get some bloodwork down to see where you're really at, too.0
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My diary is public, btw, if you want some insight. My diet the past two weeks has been pretty balanced for nutrients (except yesterday. Don't look at yesterday. It was a lazy couch day.
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Balancing food options is key! All adults should be taking b12 supplements regardless of being Veg or not. That's the only one I supplement! When I first went Vegan I made myself a little list to remember how many possible food options I can have in one day and that helped me better to plan my meals to be nutrient rich and with variety. Fruits, vegetables, starches, greens and fresh herbs, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, soy products, and superfoods! Kind of how my list played out. Then I'd look up recipes or create my own based on the categories and determine how to eat according. 0
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happyveganrachel wrote: »Balancing food options is key! All adults should be taking b12 supplements regardless of being Veg or not. That's the only one I supplement! When I first went Vegan I made myself a little list to remember how many possible food options I can have in one day and that helped me better to plan my meals to be nutrient rich and with variety. Fruits, vegetables, starches, greens and fresh herbs, nuts and seeds, beans and lentils, soy products, and superfoods! Kind of how my list played out. Then I'd look up recipes or create my own based on the categories and determine how to eat according.
When I went vegan, I printed a copy of the vegan food pyramid and put it on my fridge so I could mentally check off how I was doing each day. It helped me learn how to balance my meals without meat, eggs, or dairy. Having a list can be very helpful.0 -
I think you're using a lot of bad (inaccurate) database entries, because I'm finding it pretty difficult to imagine a vegan diet with 41g protein and 25 g fiber, yet have practically no vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron -- yet have massive amounts of calcium. Maybe if you were getting most of your calories from soy milk and grains? If this isn't a result of using database entries that lack micronutrient information, you need to eat more actual vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
You also need more protein, and a lot more calories. If that's a full day's eating, it's only about 870 calories (149 protein and carb grams, at 4 calories a gram, and 28 grams of fat, at 9 calories a gram).0 -
I'm a vegetarian - my diary is public as well- So you can add me as a friend if you like and look at my choices.
I make sure I meet my macro goals. I also take Omegas via capsules and another multi-vitamin - to make sure all daily needs are met without worrying about them meeting via food.
I don't eat meat/seafood/eggs - just diary products.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »I think you're using a lot of bad (inaccurate) database entries, because I'm finding it pretty difficult to imagine a vegan diet with 41g protein and 25 g fiber, yet have practically no vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron -- yet have massive amounts of calcium. Maybe if you were getting most of your calories from soy milk and grains? If this isn't a result of using database entries that lack micronutrient information, you need to eat more actual vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
You also need more protein, and a lot more calories. If that's a full day's eating, it's only about 870 calories (149 protein and carb grams, at 4 calories a gram, and 28 grams of fat, at 9 calories a gram).
Thanks for your comment. I really don't know how to use this app yet so I'm likely doing it wrong. When I posted those pics I'd only had breakfast and lunch: peanut butter and banana on toast, fruit smoothie including pineapple, passionfruit, kiwi and orange, black lentil dhal with coconut milk, flat bread and two coffees
I've since had a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, spring onions, carrots and hummus. (I had a big lunch so just smallish dinner)
Silly question... But what exactly are micronutrients? I think I need to do some reading!0 -
if you're a vegan i highly recommend you start tracking with the site https://cronometer.com/ instead of myfitnesspal.
i personally use both, but i prefer cron o meter for a more in-depth look at my macro and micro nutrients. As a vegan it's important that you look at your vitamins, minerals, essential fats, omegas, amino acid profile, etc. to make sure you're not shooting yourself in the food nutrient wise. I am a lifelong vegetarian (i only eat eggs, the rest all plant based) and it wasn't until i started tracking with that site instead that i saw why i was having nutritional deficiencies.
I am always low in calcium, sodium/pottasium weren't ever equal, low in amino acid lysine and leucine, low in all b vitamins, low in vitamin d, and low in iron. By tracking with that site instead i've been able to fix these without having to take 10 million supplements a day.
I hope this helps! i still use MFP for tracking calories in general and the social aspect of the app, but i highly recommend the other as it's so much more detailed. It's pretty easy to eat a nutritionally inadequate diet as a vegan!0 -
rainbowbow wrote: »if you're a vegan i highly recommend you start tracking with the site https://cronometer.com/ instead of myfitnesspal.
i personally use both, but i prefer cron o meter for a more in-depth look at my macro and micro nutrients. As a vegan it's important that you look at your vitamins, minerals, essential fats, omegas, amino acid profile, etc. to make sure you're not shooting yourself in the food nutrient wise. I am a lifelong vegetarian (i only eat eggs, the rest all plant based) and it wasn't until i started tracking with that site instead that i saw why i was having nutritional deficiencies.
I am always low in calcium, sodium/pottasium weren't ever equal, low in amino acid lysine and leucine, low in all b vitamins, low in vitamin d, and low in iron. By tracking with that site instead i've been able to fix these without having to take 10 million supplements a day.
I hope this helps! i still use MFP for tracking calories in general and the social aspect of the app, but i highly recommend the other as it's so much more detailed. It's pretty easy to eat a nutritionally inadequate diet as a vegan!
I 10000000000000000% agree with this. Cron -o-meter is MUCH more accurate for mirco and macros than MFP. The data base is very simple for whole foods and you can specifically monitor certain items that you are concerned about or see consistent low numbers on.0 -
Check out the Vegetarian Resource Group page: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/0
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rainbowbow wrote: »if you're a vegan i highly recommend you start tracking with the site https://cronometer.com/ instead of myfitnesspal.
I love the detailed breakdown of Cronometer. The database seems much more sparse than MFP, however. How do you get around that? Have you simply entered all of your most common foods yourself?
I did notice the Cronometer seemed to somehow be hooked up to some large gov't type databases, but I wasn't sure how that worked. Is that my missing link?
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lynn_glenmont wrote: »I think you're using a lot of bad (inaccurate) database entries, because I'm finding it pretty difficult to imagine a vegan diet with 41g protein and 25 g fiber, yet have practically no vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron -- yet have massive amounts of calcium. Maybe if you were getting most of your calories from soy milk and grains? If this isn't a result of using database entries that lack micronutrient information, you need to eat more actual vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
You also need more protein, and a lot more calories. If that's a full day's eating, it's only about 870 calories (149 protein and carb grams, at 4 calories a gram, and 28 grams of fat, at 9 calories a gram).
Thanks for your comment. I really don't know how to use this app yet so I'm likely doing it wrong. When I posted those pics I'd only had breakfast and lunch: peanut butter and banana on toast, fruit smoothie including pineapple, passionfruit, kiwi and orange, black lentil dhal with coconut milk, flat bread and two coffees
I've since had a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, spring onions, carrots and hummus. (I had a big lunch so just smallish dinner)
Silly question... But what exactly are micronutrients? I think I need to do some reading!
Not a silly question. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. They are called micronutrients because they are things your body needs in very small amounts measured in milligrams or even micrograms, as compared to "macros" (macronutrients, that you need/consume in larger amounts--tens or even hundreds of grams, such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates).
I think you should check to the database entries that you are using -- a smoothie with pineapple, passionfruit, kiwi, and orange that only gives you 15% of your RDA for vitamin C seems unlikely. I don't use the app (I log on the website), so maybe somebody else will come along to tell you how to pull up their nutrient information for the entries you are using, but you should be able to see whether other users have confirmed them, whether they even make sense -- hint, an entry for an orange that says it has 0 vitamin C is wrong -- and you can always compare them to the USDA database (https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search).
Still doesn't sound like much to eat for a day, with only a salad added to what was reflected in the screen shot. Of course, it depends on whether you only had 2 Tbsp of hummus or a full cup of it.0 -
lynn_glenmont wrote: »lynn_glenmont wrote: »I think you're using a lot of bad (inaccurate) database entries, because I'm finding it pretty difficult to imagine a vegan diet with 41g protein and 25 g fiber, yet have practically no vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron -- yet have massive amounts of calcium. Maybe if you were getting most of your calories from soy milk and grains? If this isn't a result of using database entries that lack micronutrient information, you need to eat more actual vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
You also need more protein, and a lot more calories. If that's a full day's eating, it's only about 870 calories (149 protein and carb grams, at 4 calories a gram, and 28 grams of fat, at 9 calories a gram).
Thanks for your comment. I really don't know how to use this app yet so I'm likely doing it wrong. When I posted those pics I'd only had breakfast and lunch: peanut butter and banana on toast, fruit smoothie including pineapple, passionfruit, kiwi and orange, black lentil dhal with coconut milk, flat bread and two coffees
I've since had a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, olives, peppers, spring onions, carrots and hummus. (I had a big lunch so just smallish dinner)
Silly question... But what exactly are micronutrients? I think I need to do some reading!
Not a silly question. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals. They are called micronutrients because they are things your body needs in very small amounts measured in milligrams or even micrograms, as compared to "macros" (macronutrients, that you need/consume in larger amounts--tens or even hundreds of grams, such as fats, proteins, and carbohydrates).
I think you should check to the database entries that you are using -- a smoothie with pineapple, passionfruit, kiwi, and orange that only gives you 15% of your RDA for vitamin C seems unlikely. I don't use the app (I log on the website), so maybe somebody else will come along to tell you how to pull up their nutrient information for the entries you are using, but you should be able to see whether other users have confirmed them, whether they even make sense -- hint, an entry for an orange that says it has 0 vitamin C is wrong -- and you can always compare them to the USDA database (https://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search).
Still doesn't sound like much to eat for a day, with only a salad added to what was reflected in the screen shot. Of course, it depends on whether you only had 2 Tbsp of hummus or a full cup of it.
I guarantee that smoothie entry is wrong. It shows 0 grams of sugar and that's just impossible for a fruit smoothie. There is also a lentil dish with 0 carbohydrates (also impossible)0 -
Ah yeah I see what you mean. I've take it as gospel the items are correct. How naive!0
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rainbowbow wrote: »if you're a vegan i highly recommend you start tracking with the site https://cronometer.com/ instead of myfitnesspal.
I love the detailed breakdown of Cronometer. The database seems much more sparse than MFP, however. How do you get around that? Have you simply entered all of your most common foods yourself?
I did notice the Cronometer seemed to somehow be hooked up to some large gov't type databases, but I wasn't sure how that worked. Is that my missing link?
yep! Anything i eat that isn't already in there i've entered myself. it doesn't take too long, and atleast i know it's accurate. 0 -
Macronutrients are simply carbs/fat/protein.lynn_glenmont wrote: »I think you're using a lot of bad (inaccurate) database entries, because I'm finding it pretty difficult to imagine a vegan diet with 41g protein and 25 g fiber, yet have practically no vitamin A, vitamin C, or iron -- yet have massive amounts of calcium. Maybe if you were getting most of your calories from soy milk and grains? If this isn't a result of using database entries that lack micronutrient information, you need to eat more actual vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
You also need more protein, and a lot more calories. If that's a full day's eating, it's only about 870 calories (149 protein and carb grams, at 4 calories a gram, and 28 grams of fat, at 9 calories a gram).
Silly question... But what exactly are micronutrients? I think I need to do some reading!
Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals, which are best tracked with sites like Cronometer.com as someone suggested. It tracks about 22 vitamins and minerals, plus 11 amino acids in your protein.
MFP is useless in this regard because it only tracks macros and about 5 micros and doesn't do a good job of telling you if your diet is nutritious enough.0
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