What food or combinations of foods contains everything you would normally get from meat. (Amino acids, protein, B12). I can handle all the other nutrients but I need a good source of B12 or whatever else I would miss out on by not eating meat. I want to be a vegetarian but I don't want to dive into it and find out 3 months later I have some deficiency. If there is some kind of vegan magic food then let me know. Please don't list something obscure or hard to find.
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you can take supplements, if you're serious about this, it shouldnt be a problem. but regular ol food wise, im not sure there is a "magic" food. haha i looked for the same thing when i first became a vegetarian. XD
Amino acid is what protein is made out of. Amino acids are en every food you eat except for sugar and oil. In a first world country like the US it's virtually unheard of to be deficient in protein levels. On the other hand most Americans are deficient in folic acid, fiber, maganese, and magnesium. Over half are deficient in vitamin C. Vitamin A, E and K are common deficiencies as well, mostly because only 20% of Americans get the bear minimum of servings of fruits and veggies.
One magic food is not the answer. The key to good nutrition is variety, and this is all trie for omnivores as well as vegetarians. You should eat at least 5 fruits and veggies (preferably more) every day. At least one should be dark green and you should make them different colors (different colors generally have different nutrients) You should eat whole grains, dark colored rices, nuts, beans, seeds, spices, etc. Drink water.
Are you planning on being vegetarian? If so then dairy (Greek yogurt being a great dairy food) and eggs give you plenty of B12. If not then you want to use nutritional yeast or take a suppliment.
You're not missing any nutrient by not eating meat because everything in meat is in other foods as well. The only thing you're missing is saturated fat and cholesterol, neither of which you need.
The only reliable unfortified sources of vitamin B12 are meat, dairy products and eggs. There has been considerable research into possible plant food sources of B12. Fermented soya products, seaweeds and algae have all been proposed as possible sources of B12. However, analysis of fermented soya products, including tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, found no significant B12.
Spirulina, an algae available as a dietary supplement in tablet form, and nori, a seaweed, have both appeared to contain significant amounts of B12 after analysis. However, it is thought that this is due to the presence of compounds structurally similar to B12, known as B12 analogues. These cannot be utilised to satisfy dietary needs. Assay methods used to detect B12 are unable to differentiate between B12 and it's analogues, Analysis of possible B12 sources may give false positive results due to the presence of these analogues.
Researchers have suggested that supposed B12 supplements such as spirulina may in fact increase the risk of B12 deficiency disease, as the B12 analogues can compete with B12 and inhibit metabolism.
The current nutritional consensus is that no plant foods can be relied on as a safe source of vitamin B12.
Bacteria present in the large intestine are able to synthesise B12. In the past, it has been thought that the B12 produced by these colonic bacteria could be absorbed and utilised by humans. However, the bacteria produce B12 too far down the intestine for absorption to occur, B12 not being absorbed through the colon lining.
Human faeces can contain significant B12. A study has shown that a group of Iranian vegans obtained adequate B12 from unwashed vegetables which had been fertilised with human manure. Faecal contamination of vegetables and other plant foods can make a significant contribution to dietary needs, particularly in areas where hygiene standards may be low. This may be responsible for the lack of aneamia due to B12 deficiency in vegan communities in developing countries.
Good sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians are dairy products or free-range eggs. ½ pint of milk (full fat or semi skimmed) contains 1.2 µg. A slice of vegetarian cheddar cheese (40g) contains 0.5 µg. A boiled egg contains 0.7 µg. Fermentation in the manufacture of yoghurt destroys much of the B12 present. Boiling milk can also destroy much of the B12.
Vegans are recommended to ensure their diet includes foods fortified with vitamin B12. A range of B12 fortified foods are available. These include yeast extracts, Vecon vegetable stock, veggieburger mixes, textured vegetable protein, soya milks, vegetable and sunflower margarines, and breakfast cereals.
Vegetarian Shepard's Pie
Pumpkin Soup
Tomato Bruschetta
look around I probably have different taste than you
I'd say a good source of B12 would be seaweed, you could get nori seaweed (used in sushi) at an Asian/Japanese grocery store or you can purchase dried seaweed online or anywhere that it may be available in near your area.
beans + whole grains. nuts + whole grains. lots of veggies. especially leafy greens.
cereals, like total, wheat chex and cheerios.
nutritional yeast.
fortified soy milk.
quinoa.
lentils
nutritional yeast