Vegan Diet: How to Get the Nutrients You Need

Over the years, there has been a gradual shift from an animal-based diet to a vegan diet plan among Indians. As per a report, close to 47 per cent of the respondents had switched to a vegetarian or vegan diet due to their concerns regarding animal welfare in food production (1).

While there are vegan diet benefits  (2), there have been concerns regarding how to get all nutrients as a vegetarian, required for the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle (3). However, these concerns can be resolved with proper planning of the diet.

Here’s how you can get your daily dose of nutrients by preparing and following a vegan diet for beginners:

What is a vegan diet?

Vegans avoid the consumption of animal products including meat, eggs, and dairy products. Moreover, products that have an animal source such as gelatin and honey are also left out of a vegan nutrition.

Following a vegan diet plan

The human body requires nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Some of which our body can make whereas some we can receive by consuming foods. Here are the nutrients your body needs and how you can get them from plant based meals:

Protein

Protein is one of the most important nutrients required for the strengthening and growth of your body. Right from aiding in the building of the muscles to keeping your skin and hair healthy, protein does a lot of work for your body (4).

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and your body needs 20 of them. Among these, your body can produce eleven while it gets the remaining nine amino acids (essential amino acids) from the foods you consume. Foods that have all nine of them are known as complete proteins. 

In order to get sufficient protein, it is necessary you consume a range of foods in your high protein vegan diet. Foods such as legumes i.e. beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts are good sources of protein. Alongside, soy-based foods such as tempeh are also extremely high in protein.

If you are looking for Tempeh that not only helps you with your daily protein requirements but also is a delight for your taste buds, you can get your hands on Hello Tempayy. A 100g serving of Hello Tempayy has 19g of protein, i.e. 35 percent of your Recommended Dietary Allowance (As per RDA of 60g set by FSSAI).

Iron

Responsible for the production of red blood cells as well as carrying oxygen throughout our body, iron is of the essential nutrients (5). While some animal-based products may be iron-rich, there are various plant-based foods that have iron in abundance.

Moreover, the non-heme iron present in plant based foods is devoid of the health risks that come with the consumption of heme iron in animal products (6). Foods such as chickpeas, kidney beans, white beans, soybeans, lentils, spinach, and fortified cereal may be good sources of iron to include in your vegan diet plan.

Also read about the reasons to eat more plant based protein.

At Hello Tempayy, our Tempeh is fortified with iron to make up for the daily dose of iron in your diet. A 100g Tempeh serving consists of up to 30% RDA for iron (As per RDA of 17mg set by FSSAI).

Vitamin D

An absolutely essential nutrient, Vitamin D is responsible for keeping your bones healthy and helping your body absorb calcium.The production of vitamin D in the body is carried out with exposure to sunlight. And therefore, it is recommended to get sunlight for 10 minutes 3-4 times a week.

You can also get vitamin D from fortified foods, but it's important to check with your doctor or a dietitian first.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps with the production of red blood cells and DNA (7). While this nutrient is generally found in animal-based products and dairy products, you can look for foods fortified with vitamin B12 to include in your vegan diet.

Moreover, a study revealed that foods fortified with vitamin B12 have better concentration as compared to intake from animal-based food sources (8).

Foods such as nutritional yeast, fortified soy/almond/hemp milk, Tempeh, and fortified cereals can all serve as a good vegan based food with vitamin B12. However, at Hello Tempayy, we go a step ahead to make Tempeh a nutritional addition to your vegan diet plan.

Our Tempeh is fortified with vitamin B12 and makes up for 49 percent of the RDA (As per RDA of 1 μg/day set by FSSAI)

Hello Tempayy’s tempting nutritional value

At Hello Tempayy, we aim to introduce you to this superfood and all its goodness. And it is not just a high protein vegan food! It is filled with other nutrients as well:

A 100g serving of Hello Tempayy consists of:

• Calories:  178 kcal ( 9% RDA)*
• Protein: 19 g (35% RDA)
• Total Fat: 6.8 g (10% RDA)
• Saturated Fat: 1.4g (6% RDA)
• Unsaturated Fat: 5.4 g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Total Carbohydrates: 10.1g (8% RDA)
• Dietary Fiber: 8.5g (28% RDA)
• Net Carbohydrates: 1.6g 
• Sugars: 0g
• Iron: 30% RDA ( Hello Tempayy is fortified with iron)
• Vitamin B-12- 49% RDA ( Hello Tempayy is fortified with Vitamin B-12)
• Calcium: DV13% RDA
• Potassium: 8% RDA

*According to the ICMR-NIN report, 2020. Percent daily values (%DV) are based on a 2000-calorie diet. Your daily values may differ depending on your calorie needs.

Still hesitant to try Tempeh?

Read some tempeh munching recipes for your hunger panger.

If you are looking for a vegan food that offers a range of nutrients and is also a delicious snack, try Hello Tempayy. There are proven tempeh health benefits and it can be consumed by anyone, even tempeh for diabetes is one of the best foods. Rich in dietary fiber, this superfood is easy on your gut.

Learn about the 5 ways tempeh is beneficial for diabetes.

If you are wondering how to include Tempeh in your daily diet, we have a range of tempeh recipes to get you started! All you have to do is visit our store and choose Tempeh for yourself; we offer free shipping on all orders!

Also read about 5 high protein vegan foods that can help in weight loss.