Protein-rich foods sure to beef up a vegan diet

Vegans avoid products derived from animals including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, yoghurt and honey. Consequently a vegan diet is based upon fruit, vegetables, nuts, beans and pulses.

Certainly such a lifestyle choice can bring health benefits and some studies have shown lower rates of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers amongst vegans.

Nutritionally it is perfectly possible to achieve a balanced diet as a vegan, but forethought and planning is necessary to ensure some nutrients are not overlooked. This is particularly important in China where specific "vegan" products (e.g. vegan cheese) are less readily available.

Protein is made up of amino acids. For protein in food to be used in your body to make new protein (muscles, cells etc) all 20 amino acids must be present. Animal protein contains the full complement, but plant foods do not.

By combining different types of plant foods ("protein complementing"), however, vegans can ensure they cover the full spectrum.

Specifically eating beans/pulses or nuts with either rice (vegetable, kidney bean, chilli with rice, lentil dahl with rice) or cereals (lentil soup with a slice of bread, peanut butter sandwiches) ensures a good protein intake.

The British student's standby meal of baked beans on toast ticks all the boxes and an ideal Chinese dish is eight treasures congee (ba bao zhou), which contains all manner of beans, nuts and rice.

The omnipresent soybean is one of only two plants, which have all 20 amino acids. This can be eaten in the form of the unadulterated bean or as the ever-amenable tofu.

Vitamin B12 is another nutrient vegans should be wary to include - it is essential for blood cells and nervous system function. Vegan sources include yeast extract (Marmite anyone?), or fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, but a daily 3mcg supplement is a good idea for most vegans.

Calcium and vitamin D, are bone-building nutrients typically found in dairy products. Once again the soybean comes to the rescue of dairy-avoiders in the form of calcium fortified soybean milk and tofu.

Dark green vegetables, nuts and sesame seeds are also good alternative calcium sources and a half hour stint in the sun each day will ensure your body makes sufficient vitamin D.

Iron is important for healthy blood and immune system and it is most readily available in animal products. Less available but nevertheless good vegan sources of iron include green vegetables, beans and pulses, and dried fruits.

Non-animal iron is better absorbed when it is taken with vitamin C containing foods - so adding in tomatoes or peppers, a twist of lemon juice or an accompanying glass of orange juice is a great idea.

Omega-3 fatty acids are provided by fish oils and are important for keeping blood thin and for brain and eye development. In fact, for vegans the fats in linseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, soybean oil and canola oil can be converted into omega-3 fats in the body provided they are eaten in abundance.

In the context of the Buddhist and Taoist religions, veganism was historically widespread in China but in recent years the numbers have fallen drastically making it a less widely understood lifestyle choice.

Not all Buddhists follow vegan diets, however authentic Buddhist cuisine (zhai cai) meaning "purification cuisine" follows vegan principles in their strictest sense. Buddhist chefs use a substance called "seitan" made of wheat gluten to create "mock meat" dishes.

I recently sampled a bizarrely convincing chicken and potato curry at the beautiful vegan Baihe Restaurant in Beijing; other vegetarian and vegan restaurants in major Chinese cities are listed on the Happy Cow website: http://www.happycow.net/asia/china/index.html.

This nutrition-related column is written by Nina Lenton, a qualified dietitian living and working in Beijing. Contact her at nina.lenton@ikang.com.

(China Daily 04/02/2008 page19)