Protein: spirulina, chlorella, sprouts, beans (especially lentils, soybeans, and soy products), blue green algae, amaranth, quinoa, nuts (almonds, pine nuts, cashews), seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, flax, squash).
Foods with all 8 essential amino acids. Each is followed by the percentage of protein it contains: Almonds (19%), brazil nuts (14%), brussels sprouts (5%), coconut (3%), corn (3%), flax seed (22%), Hazelnut (13%), kale (6%), pecan (9%), pumpkin seed (24%), squash seed (24%), sunflower seed (24%), black walnut (21%), English walnut (15%). Source: The Happy Truth About Protein by Hannah Allen, Life Science, Yorktown, TX.
Calcium: broccoli, green leafy vegetables (esp. collards and kale), Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, beans, figs, raw unhulled sesame seeds. Best eaten with magnesium.
Iron: seeds (pumpkin, squash, sesame, sunflower), tahini, beans (soy, white, red kidney, mung, lima, lentils), pine nuts, tomatoes, tofu prepared with calcium sulfate. To enhance absorption, eat these foods with vitamin C foods. Some foods are naturally rich in both iron and vitamin C, such as broccoli, Swiss chard, and other dark green leafy vegetables. See http://www.soystache.com/iron.htm
B-12: it comes from bacteria, so you can find it in algae, miso, tempeh, fortified brewer’s yeast, sea weed, seed cheese. and sprouted wheat berries (or “rejuvelac” which is the leftover soaking water).
Omega 3 – Flax seeds/oil, hemp seeds/oil, and algae-based DHA seem to be the best vegetarian sources. A single serving of fresh purslane leaves (a little less than a cup) provides the minimum daily requirement of alpha-linolenic acid, a type of omega-3 fatty acid; however, it’s high in oxalic acid. If you want to eat fish, know that fish liver the more mercury than fish flesh. Fish oil may be more bio-available than flax oil. But fish get Omega 3 from algae.
Vitamin A – It takes 4-6 units of beta carotene to make one unit of vitamin A, and the conversion can only take place in the presence of bile salts, so eat fat with carotene foods. Beta carotene is in dark green and orange-yellow vegetables (apricots, carrots, papaya, cantaloupe, spinach, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mangoes, kale, spinach, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens, cilantro and fresh thyme.
Vitamin D – Nettle leaf, alfalfa, chickweed, kelp, dandelion greens, The (ADA) states that “Sun exposure to hands, arms, and face for 5 to 15 minutes per day is adequate to provide sufficient amounts of vitamin D.” But you need more sun during winter months, especially in northern latitudes. Many non-dairy beverage makers add vitamin D as well as calcium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin to their products. If you’re vegan, just make sure the plant-based milks have vegan vitamin D (derived from torula yeast, and not from lanolin from sheep’s wool.
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