Advice for those who want to go vegan

What should you consider if you're thinking about going vegan, whether for environmental, health or other reasons? Doctor and health advisor Pia Norup offers advice on what to keep in mind if you want to switch to a vegan diet.

First and foremost, a vegan lifestyle means not eating animal foods. This includes all animal species, including quadrupeds, chicken and fish, and all foods derived from them, i.e. all dairy products and eggs.

From a health point of view, there is a lot to gain from this lifestyle, as it will often involve drastically cutting down on unhealthy foods and increasing the amount of nutritious food.

The most important thing, however, is to be very conscious that your diet doesn't become too uniform and deficient. As a vegan, you need to be even more creative and varied in your cooking to ensure that all your body's needs for proteins, vitamins and minerals are met.

Proteins

Proteins are one of the macronutrients in the diet. They are essential for the optimal functioning of many physiological processes in the body, right down to the cellular level. Proteins are also the building blocks for muscle building.

Our need for protein varies somewhat with activity level, but is approximately 0.8-1.0 g per kg of body weight. If you are very physically active, the requirement can be higher (up to 1.5 g per kg body weight), and if you are not physically active, it is lower.

Essential amino acids

There are 20 different amino acids that together can form proteins. Out of the 20, 9 are called 'essential amino acids', as the body cannot produce them on its own, but must get them from the diet.

Some foods contain all 9 essential amino acids, and if you eat them, you've got it all in one food. Animal proteins, i.e. meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, are typically complete proteins - containing all 9 essential proteins - where you don't have to worry about getting more than that.

If, on the other hand, you eat very little or no meat and animal foods, it is important to combine your diet so that you still get all 9 essential amino acids within the same 24 hours. It's all about combining foods that complement each other so that you get all 9 essential amino acids within 24 hours.

11 foods or food combinations that are considered complete sources of protein

1. Humus, falafels and pita

Grain products contain many of the essential amino acids, but lack the amino acid lysine.

Beans, lentils and chickpeas are another food group that has plenty of lysine but lacks methionine, which is found in grains (read the facts about grains at the bottom of the article). Therefore, the combination of grains and beans/lentils together is a complete source of protein.

Humus is a great food that can be bought or made from scratch. Classically made with chickpeas, it can also be made with red beans or other types of beans in the same family.

The same basic ingredient - chickpeas - can be formed into delicious, round falafels with a good mix of spices. Falafels and pita bread are therefore a great combination where all essential amino acids are included in the meal.

2. Spirulina

Spirulina is a microalgae and is a great healthy source of protein with about twice as much protein per 100g as meat. However, it is not a complete protein source as spirulina lacks cysteine and methionine. Therefore, the perfect combination with spirulina is cereals, oats, nuts and seeds, which are rich in these two essential amino acids.

Spirulina is available as a powder that can be added to smoothies, vegetable juices, matcha/spirulina bowls (breakfast bowls of frozen vegetables and fruits) or in baked goods, protein/date balls and other raw recipes. The incredibly strong and beautiful green color is created by chlorophyll, the plant-based oxygen-carrying molecules.

3. rice and beans

This combination is widely used and popular in many countries, and from a nutritional point of view, it makes sense. Most rice varieties lack lysine, which most beans contain. Beans, on the other hand, lack methionine, which you get from rice.

Lentils and chickpeas have the same amino acid profile as beans, so they can easily be substituted and eaten with rice varieties. Any dish with rice and a hot stew with beans and lentils is therefore a great vegan meal with complete proteins combined.

4. Buckwheat

Originally from East Asia, buckwheat grain is a different family from other typical grains. Buckwheat grain is gluten-free, contains 12-13% protein and has a very high so-called biological value. Buckwheat is therefore a good source of vegetable protein. Be sure to wash the grains thoroughly, as the shell parts may contain a highly allergenic substance.

In addition to whole buckwheat grains, buckwheat flour can be used in baking and buckwheat noodles have also been made into noodles, known as soba noodles.

5. chia seeds

Chia seeds are very intense little seeds that swell when in contact with water. The small poppy-like seeds have become incredibly popular in recent years and can be used in baked goods, smoothies, porridge or muesli. They contain high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and proteins, as well as many antioxidants and minerals. Chia seed proteins are complete proteins and can therefore be included as a frequent food in your diet.

6. Soybeans

Soybeans and all products made from them, i.e. tofu, tempeh, edamame beans and natto, are naturally complete proteins and contain all the essential amino acids. The texture of soy products reveals the protein content; the harder the tofu, the more protein it contains.

Feel free to use edamame beans as a good source of protein in salads and as a snack - while being careful not to make soy yogurt the main ingredient in your vegan diet, as it becomes too sweet and uniform.

7. QUORN

Quorn is a meat substitute developed in England in the 1980s. It consists of so-called mycoprotein, which is created by a fermentation process of a nutrient-rich species of fungus.

Some Quorn products are held together by eggs, but there is also a 100% vegan version held together by potato protein.

8. Hemp seeds

Hemp seeds are complete proteins and a rich source of magnesium, zinc, iron and calcium. Like chia seeds, hemp seeds can be used in baking, smoothies or toasted as a sprinkle on salad. Hemp seeds contain about 30g of protein per 100g, which is about the same as meat. The seeds are delicious and have a mild flavor and nice texture, which makes them suitable for many different uses. There is also hemp protein powder, which is also a good and highly concentrated source of these complete plant-based proteins.

9. peanut butter and rye bread

Here again we have the combination of grains (whole grains in rye bread) and a nut, which, like beans, lacks a single essential amino acid. By eating peanut butter on whole grain rye bread, you have all 9 essential fatty acids.

10. Ezekiel bread

Ezekiel bread is a so-called biblical bread, as it is mentioned in the Old Testament. The bread is baked from beans and lentils, wheat and barley, millet and spelt, of which lentils, beans and grains are sprouted. So you get both lysine and methionine in this bread, as it contains grains, lentils and beans. The bread also contains many beneficial enzymes.

11. quinoa

Quinoa is a grain from South America that has become very popular as an alternative to rice, for example. Quinoa is gluten-free and high in protein and contains complete proteins; all 9 essential amino acids. In addition, quinoa is rich in calcium, iron and phosphorus.

Facts about whole grains and processed grains

There is a difference between whole grains and processed grains. In processing, the germ and shell parts are removed, leaving only the seed coat. The seed white contains no proteins, fats, vitamins or minerals and is therefore nutritionally "empty" calories in concentrated carbohydrate.

Whole grains, on the other hand, contain both the seed white (which is what wheat flour is made from), the germ (which contains most vitamins, minerals, proteins and fats) and the husk (which contains the vast majority of fiber). Whole grain flour is flour that is made from 100% whole grains and has a fiber content of at least 6g per 100g.

Eating whole grains, more specifically the germ and shell parts, is associated with a lower incidence of disease - especially cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Published on December 6, 2022