NutriSpeak - Vegan Food Guide

Vegan Food Guide

A Guide to Daily Food Choices

From Becoming Vegan by Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina, The Book Publishing Company, 2000

To order your own 8" x 11" poster, send check for $5 made out to "Vesanto Melina" to:

20543 96 avenue, #7,

Langley, BC, V1M 3W3

See front and back of the poster below.

poster front

poster back
Food Group Servings per day	What Counts As A Serving?	Important Comments
Grain Group (bread, cereal, whole grains & pasta) 6-11 servings	1 slice of bread 1 oz (28 g) ready-to-eat cereal ½ cup cooked grains, cereal or pasta 2 Tbsp wheat germ 1 oz (28 g) other grain products	Choose mainly whole grains. Good examples are brown rice, barley, quinoa, millet, oats, wheat & kamut berries, as well as whole grain breads and cereals.
Vegetable Group 3 or more servings	½ cup (120 mL) vegetables 1 cup (240 mL) salad ¾ cup (180 mL) vegetable juice	Eat a wide variety of colorful vegetables. Include raw vegetables each day. Green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of folate; many are rich in calcium too!
Fruit Group 2 or more servings	1 medium apple, banana, orange, or pear ½ cup (120 mL) fruit ¾ cup (180 mL) fruit juice ¼ cup dried fruit	Select an assortment of fruits, including those rich in vitamin C. Good choices are citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, guava, cantaloupe, papaya, and mangos.
Beans & Bean Alternates Group (beans, tofu, nuts & seeds) 2-3 servings	1 cup (240 mL) cooked legume (beans, lentils, dried peas) ½ cup (120 mL) firm tofu or tempeh 1 serving veggie “meats” (1 burger or wiener, 2-3 lunch slices) 3 Tbsp (45 mL) nut or seed butter ¼ c (60 mL) nuts & seeds 2 cups (480 mL) soymilk	For maximum benefit, eat a wide range of these protein-rich foods. Eating vegetables or fruits rich in vitamin C along with these foods to increases iron absorption. Nuts and seeds provide vitamin E & minerals.
Fortified- Soymilk & Alternates Group 6-8 servings	½ cup (120 mL) fortified soymilk ¼ cup (60 mL) firm calcium-set tofu ½ cup (120 mL) calcium-fortified orange juice ¼ cup (60 mL) almonds 3 Tbsp (45 mL) almond butter 1 cup (240 mL) cooked, or 2 cups (480 mL) raw, of high calcium greens, (kale, collards, Chinese greens, broccoli, okra) 1 cup (240 mL) high calcium beans, (i.e. soy, white, navy, Great Northern, black turtle beans) ¼ cup (60 mL) dry hijiki seaweed 1 Tbsp (15 mL) blackstrap molasses 5 figs	Get to know your calcium sources! Many of these foods double as servings from the Vegetable and Bean Groups. Include calcium-rich foods with every meal. Foods should provide at least 15% of the DV per serving to be included as a serving in this group. (If a serving provides 10% of the DV, use 1-½ servings.)
Other Essentials Group Omega-3 fatty acids 1-2 servings Vitamin B12 to meet recommended intakes Vitamin D to meet recommended intakes	Omega-3 fatty acids Serving =1 tsp flax oil, 4 tsp canola oil, or 3 Tbsp walnuts Vitamin B12 Fortified foods or supplements supplying: 2.4 mcg (adults) 2.6-2.8 mcg/day (pregnancy and lactation) 0.9-1.8 mcg/day (children) Vitamin D Fortified food or supplements supplying 5 mcg /day Vitamin D2 for adults aged up to 50; 10 mcg /day 51-70 yrs, or 15 mcg for those aged 70+ years); or sunshine.	Pay attention to these important nutrients. The best source of omega-3’s for vegans is flax oil. Use it in dressings for salads, baked potatoes, vegetables and grains! Look for foods fortified with vitamin B12. (Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast is a good example.) If you don’t get enough sunshine, be sure to get vitamin D2 from foods or supplements.
The ranges in servings allow for differences in body size, activity levels and age. For example, smaller and less active people need fewer servings; larger, more active people need more.

Many thanks to EarthSave International, John Borders and

artist Dave Brousseau for their tremendous assistance with

the Vegan Food Guide graphic.