Mango and Coconuts: VEGANISM MADE EASY #1: Minerals

So I recently realised how unhealthy my diet has gotten. I was eating a whole bunch of crap on a daily basis (see post on why I did that here) plus I didn’t work out as much as I used to. I did yoga and ballett barre about 2 times a week but (1) the kind of yoga I did was more of a relaxing class than a workout you acually got a sweat from and (2) what remained was a 1 hour barre class per week (which totally kicks my ass every time but it’s still nothing compared to what I used to do).

Like I mentioned before, I kinda got into the hang of a very poor diet. I had heaps of processed foods like toast and bagels and artificial vegan cream cheese or pizza cheese and (really good) vegan pita bread filled with garlicky sauce and deep fried soy meat, etc. I could go on for hours but I do not want to show you the bad things I ate and how I really did not care about nutrients and minerals and all that kind of really important stuff for both vegans and omnivores.

Once I became aware of this whole circle I had let myself fallen into, I decided that it was about time to change that again.

Because I have to admit, I was kind of uneducated about what kind of minerals my body acually needs and what foods I could them get them from, I started tracking my meals on Cronometer, which is a really good website that’ll allow you to break up your foods into macronutrients, vitamins, minerals and more. It is a tool used by a lot of vegan bloggers and youtubers in order to demonstrate that a vegan diet is in no terms lacking nutrients (if you do it right). I also wanted to take a look at the macronutrient level of my diet to make sure if I started working out properly again, I would get enough protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates.

What came out was that my diet though WAS lacking in a few minerals (nothing dramatic but it might have lead to a chronic lack of minerals in the future if I didn’t become aware of that fact).

I started reading a lot about foods that are high in zinc, iron, calcium, etc. to meet my daily recomendations and in order to stay healthy.

This is where this new series called „VEGANISM MADE EASY – What you need and where to get it from“ originated from. It is about educating vegans, especially people that are new to veganism, and showing them the foods they should incorporate into their diets so that they can thirve on this lifestyle and be happy ever after.

My first post (this one) will be about the nutrients that I find the hardest to get: Minerals. Below, I’d like to share a visual graphic, that I created to be printed out (I like to keep them in a little folder in my desk or hanging on the fridge) for you guys.

I will continue this series with proteins, fats, carbs & vitamins, making sure I cover every aspect and give you a list that is easy to access and to read.

If you’re unsure about your needs and targets of nutrients, I would highly recommed using Cronometer to check what you’re consuming and making tiny changes along the way.

I also wanted to share that right now, I’m sympathising with a hclf vegan lifestyle (or at least go oil free) but I’m not 100% sure how I will make this fit into my budget (what college student can afford eating 8 mangoes a day!?) and how I will hit those nutrient targets (especially for protein). I’ll keep you updated on every change I make along the way!

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE GRAPHIC

MINERALS you might lack on a vegan diet and how to fix it

Why are they important?

Minerals are specific kinds of nutrients that the body needs in order to function properly. Mineral deficiencies can lead to a variety of health problems, such as weak bones, fatigue, or a decreased immune system.

Calcium

Blackstrap molasses, 2 Tbsp, 400mg
Collard greens, cooked, 1 cup 357mg
Calcium-fortified plant based milk, plain 8 ounces 200-300mg
Soy yogurt, plain, 6 ounces, 300mg
Turnip greens, cooked, 1 cup, 249mg
Tempeh, 1 cup, 184mg
Kale, cooked, 1 cup, 179mg
Soybeans, cooked, 1 cup, 175mg
Bok choy, cooked, 1 cup, 158mg
Mustard greens, cooked, 1 cup, 152mg
Okra, cooked, 1 cup, 135mg
Tahini, 2 Tbsp, 128mg
Almond butter, 2 Tbsp, 111mg
Almonds, whole, 1/4 cup, 94mg
Broccoli, cooked, 1 cup, 62mg

Iron

in mg

Soybeans,cooked 1 cup 8.8
Blackstrap molasses 2 Tbsp 7.2
Lentils, cooked 1 cup 6.6
Spinach, cooked 1 cup 6.4
Tofu 4 ounces 6.4
Bagel, enriched 1 medium 6.4
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup 4.7
Tempeh 1 cup 4.5
Lima beans, cooked 1 cup 4.5
Black-eyed peas, cooked 1 cup 4.3
Swiss chard, cooked 1 cup 4.0
Kidney beans, cooked 1 cup 3.9
Black beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Pinto beans, cooked 1 cup 3.6
Turnip greens, cooked 1 cup 3.2

Potassium

im mg

Beet greens, 1/2 cup, 654
Swiss chard, 1/2 cup, 480
Lima beans, 1/2 cup, 478
Sweet potato, 1/2 cup, 475
Soybeans, 1/2 cup, 443
Banana, 1 medium, 422
Spinach, 1/2 cup, 419
Tomato sauce, 1/2 cup, 405
Pinto beans, 1/2 cup, 373
Lentils, 1/2 cup, 365
Kidney beans, 1/2 cup, 358
Split peas, 1/2 cup, 355
Edamame, 1/2 cup, 338
Acorn squash, 1/2 cup, 322
Potatoes, 1/2 cup, 296

Selenium

in mg

Brazil nuts, 1/2 oz., 268
Shiitake Mushrooms, 1/2 cup, 18
Lima/Pinto Beans, 1 cup, 10
Chia Seeds, 1 oz., 15
Brown Rice, 1 cup, 19
Sunflower Seeds, 1/4 cup, 19
Flax Seeds, 2 tbsp, 4
Sesame Seeds, /4 cup, 12
Broccoli, 1 cup, 2.5
Cabbage, 1 cup, 3.5
Spinach, 3

Zinc

in mg

Tofu firm, raw 1/2 cup 2.0
Tempeh raw 1/2 cup 1.0
Garbanzo beans boiled 1/2 cup 1.3
Pinto beans boiled 1/2 cup 0.8
Kidney beans boiled 1/2 cup 1.0
Lentils boiled 1/2 cup 1.3
Almonds whole 1/4 cup 1.1
Walnuts chopped 1/4 cup 0.9
Pistachios 1/4 cup 0.7