People opt for a vegan diet for various reasons, whether it is to avoid digestive upset, reduce high cholesterol or simply because they do not care for the taste or texture. As they are not eating meat, dairy products and eggs, here are 2 foods vegans should include on their daily menu.
1. Kale – Even though dairy products are great sources of calcium, they are not the only ones. One cup of kale contains 90 mg of of calcium and you can eat it raw, in a salad or as crispy baked chips. If you are not a fan of the fibrous consistency, add some kale to your smoothie. Besides kale, you can also have spinach, broccoli, kiwi, oranges, almonds, figs and enriched soy milk as other vegan sources of calcium.
2. Flaxseeds – They are an easy source of the healthy fatty acids known as omega-3s, which lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation and reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease. Women need to get 1.1 grams of omega-3s a day and one tablespoon of ground flaxmeal has 1.6 grams and half a tablespoon of whole flaxseeds contains 1.2 grams. You can add flaxseeds to your cereal, yogurt, smoothie, as well as baked goods. Other great vegan sources of omega-3s are soy products, walnuts, hemp and chia seeds.
Photo Credits: The New Raw You
