Phase 2, Day 37

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Breakfast: raspberry-orange smoothie with soy protein powder and flax seed; mug of green tea

Lunch: leftover "healthy harvest" spaghetti with TJ's marinara and a few frozen mushroom fake-meatballs; diet Dr. Pepper

Midafternoon snack: generous spoonful of almond butter/flax meal spread

Dinner: lentil dosha (scroll down to find it, then scroll further for tips on how to make) served with cabbage curry (instead of using the spices listed in the recipe, I just used a boxed sambar spice mix); diet Dr. Pepper

Exercise: none

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As a vegan, should you worry about B-12? And should you worry about protein, iron, calcium, zinc, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids?

There was a time when I would have said, "Gimme a break. I eat healthier than anyone I know." But I'm not so sure any more. These nutrients *are* hard to get. I think all vegans should be concerned about calcium, B-12, and omega-3s. Everyone (boys, too!) should supplement calcium and B-12, and all vegans (all people, actually) should make a point to add a source of omega-3s like flax or hemp to their diets. But as for the others, I think it depends on what kind of vegan you are. If you are:

An athletic vegan:
You *might* worry about protein if you are very active. A really active athlete needs about a gram of protein per pound of body weight (maybe per pound of lean body mass). That's not easy to get. But a scoop of soy protein powder in your smoothie, juice, or morning oatmeal cures this problem easily.

A female vegan in her childbearing years:
Iron could be an issue. Make this "is likely an issue at some point" if you are also an athlete, or have very heavy periods. Avoid consuming caffeine while eating your iron sources; caffeine interferes with its absorption. Try to couple iron-rich foods with vitamin C-rich foods; vitamin-C improves absorption. If you use a daily multivitamin with iron in it (check, not all include iron), you are probably fine. Warning: don't self-diagnose an iron deficiency. It can be hazardous to supplement it if you don't need it.

A vegan who is as obsessive about sunscreen as he is about his diet (like me):
Worry about vitamin D. Your body can't synthesize this, and it's necessary for bone health. Take it as a pill. Your calcium supplement probably includes it; if not, switch to one that does.

A vegan who hates nuts and whole grains:
Is there such a beast? If so, make sure your daily multi or calcium supplement also includes zinc.

A vegan who makes everything like soymilk and tofu and such for herself, and never eats anything but 100% whole grains:
Believe it or not, you're missing out on nutrition by doing this. Most soymilk and tofu, and all refined flours, are enriched with a lot of things like calcium and vitamins that can be hard to get in your diet. This doesn't mean you have to eat this stuff, but you do need to be careful you get these nutrients elsewhere, like in pill form.

A vegan who only eats crap like white pasta, and never eats vegetables and fruits:
Worry about everything. And grow up! You're a VEGan! That means VEGetable-eatin' freak, so eat your greens like the rest of us before we take your membership card away!


Does the fact that you *might* have to be concerned about these things mean that the vegan diet doesn't make sense? That always seems to be the conclusion I see drawn in the popular press. "It's hard to get such-and-such from just eating vegan foods, therefore a vegan diet is risky." But in a world filled with supplements and protein powders, why on earth is the availability of these nutrients from vegan foods "alone" even relevant? What, are all vegans Luddites, too? The modern food industry has its ugly, dirty side, but it also has generated amazing innovations. Technology has made possible a variety of resources for keeping us vegans healthy, and there's nothing about the vegan philosophy that prevents us from taking advantage of them.