HOW VEGANS GET PROTEIN, IRON AND CALCIUM

In this post I will be showing you how vegans actually do get protein, iron and calcium by naming 10 foods that are rich in each nutrient. I chose protein, iron and calcium in particular since they seem to be the ones that people think are hard to get enough of through a vegan diet. Throughout my time as a vegan, a countless amount of people have approached me and said something about how being vegan is unhealthy due to a “lack of nutrients” you get eating a vegan diet. I just want to somewhat prove them wrong. I think it’s so ridiculous how people think veganism is unhealthy, I want everyone to know that it’s quite the opposite. So I hope with this post you will learn that vegans do get these 3 nutrients without having to necessarily take pills or supplements.

 

PROTEIN

Protein is in absolutely every food. Even junk food contains protein. Obviously there are more protein-dense foods than others, but from what I’ve heard as long as you are eating enough calories, you aren’t going to be protein-deficient. Vegan foods that are rich in protein include:

• Soy products
• Beans and legumes
• Seeds
• Nuts
• Dairy-free milk
• Leafy greens
• Quinoa
• Mushrooms
• Oats
• Broccoli

IRON

Iron is a really easy nutrient to get enough of as a vegan. It’s found in so many foods that you wouldn’t expect to be. Vegan iron sources include:

• Beans and legumes
• Quinoa
• Spinach
• Dried fruits
• Pumpkin seeds
• Kale
• Soy products
• Sesame seeds
• Broccoli
• Blackstrap molasses

 

CALCIUM

No you don’t need to drink animal’s breast milk to get calcium. Vegan calcium sources include:

• Soy products
• Non-dairy milks
• Broccoli
• Kale
• Almonds
• Oranges
• Blackstrap molasses
• Beans
• Chia seeds
• Bok choy
• Blackstrap molasses