By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

There are times when people’s protein needs are higher. For example, in pregnancy, the recommendation for protein is 25 grams higher than it is when someone is not pregnant. That’s an increase of about 50%. Older adults may have higher protein needs than younger adults. Athletes may have somewhat higher protein needs than non-athletes (1). It’s entirely possible to meet protein needs with a vegan diet. Sometimes, choosing a higher protein plant milk can help to meet protein needs.

We’ve identified some higher protein plant milks. Since plant milks are often also used as a source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12, we’ve included information about whether the milks we identified are fortified with these nutrients.

West Life Smoothie Blend plain unsweetened and chocolate provide 16 grams of protein per cup. Fortified with calcium (320-330 mg/cup), vitamin D (4.3-4.4 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Edensoy unsweetened organic provides 12 grams of protein per cup of milk. Fortified with calcium (40 mg/cup) but not with vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Pacific Foods Ultra Soy has 10 grams of protein in a cup. Fortified with calcium (280 mg/cup), vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.5 mcg/cup).

Edensoy Extra Original provides 10 grams of protein per cup. Fortified with calcium (280 mg/cup), vitamin D (1.1 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (2.9 mcg/cup).

Silk Protein original and chocolate adds pea protein to a blend of almond milk and cashew milk and has 10 grams of protein in a cup. Fortified with calcium (450 mg/cup) and vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup). Does not provide vitamin B12.

Orgain Protein Almondmilk lightly sweetened vanilla and unsweetened vanilla adds pea protein and has 10 grams of protein in 1 cup. Fortified with calcium (250 mg/cup) and vitamin D (2.5 mcg/cup). Does not provide vitamin B12.

Edensoy original organic provides 10 grams of protein per cup of milk. Fortified with calcium (90 mg/cup) but not with vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Pacific Foods organic unsweetened soymilk has 9 grams of protein in a cup. It is not fortified with calcium, vitamin D or vitamin B12.

West Life organic unsweetened plain and organic unsweetened vanilla provide 9 grams of protein per cup. Organic plain soymilk has 8 grams of protein in a cup. None of these products are fortified with calcium, vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Good Karma Flaxmilk + Protein, shelf-stable, vanilla adds pea protein to flaxmilk has 8 grams of protein in 1 cup. Fortified with calcium (320 mg/cup), vitamin D (2.3 mcg/cup) and vitamin B12 (1.4 mcg/cup). Other Good Karma products, even those with added protein, only have 5 grams of protein in a cup.

Ripple Kids original and unsweetened is based on pea protein and has 8 grams of protein in a cup. Fortified with calcium (455 mg/cup), vitamin D (6 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Ripple also makes a pea protein-based milk for adults that has 8 grams of protein in a cup. It is available in original, unsweetened original, vanilla, unsweetened vanilla, and chocolate flavors and in refrigerated and shelf-stable cartons. Fortified with calcium (440 mg/cup), vitamin D (5-6 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1-2.5 mcg/cup). Fortification varies between refrigerated and shelf-stable products.

West Life organic plain or vanilla soymilk with calcium and vitamin D has 8 grams of protein per cup. Fortified with calcium (300-310 mg/cup), vitamin D (4.8 mcg/cup), and vitamin B12 (1.1 mcg/cup).

Edensoy cocoa organic provides 8 grams of protein per cup of milk. Fortified with calcium (90 mg/cup) but not with vitamin D or vitamin B12.

Reference

1. Larson-Meyer DE, Ruscigno M. Plant-Based Sports Nutrition. Expert Fueling Strategies for Training, Recovery, and Performance. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2020.

We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, information can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.

Thanks to Debra Wasserman for gathering some information that was used in this article.

To read more about plant milks see:

VRG Sends in Testimony to FDA on Labeling of Plant-based Milk Alternatives

Choosing a Plant Milk? Check the Nutrition Facts Label

Does Your Favorite Plant Milk Provide Vitamin B12?

Non-dairy Milks: Nutrients of Importance in Chronic Kidney Dysfunction

 Share this handy poster with family and friends. You can also print it out and post it on your refrigerator. See: https://www.vrg.org/nutshell/VeganDietsinaNutshellPoster.pdf

Marian from New York is a VRG video contest winner. She said: I am interested in vegetarianism for environmental reasons. A goal of mine is to reduce pollution by raising awareness about the devastating effects of the meat industry. By advocating a vegetarian lifestyle, I believe the public can counteract the ethical dilemmas introduced by factory farming.

Her video is at https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php#coloradoriversolution

The deadline for the next video contest is July 15, 2024. See https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

For information about VRG’s college scholarships, see https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To donate towards The Vegetarian Resoutce Group internships and scholarships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

Imagine a pair of spooky eyes staring up at you from a plate of pale orange strands (or, could it be hair?), topped with red sauce. Then picture “bones” to dip into more red sauce (blood?) and you have the makings of a Halloween dinner.

Vegan Eye Balls (Adapted from Vive le Vegan! By Dreena Burton)

(makes 18 balls)

7 ounces firm or extra-firm tofu, torn or cut into pieces

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1½ Tablespoons catsup

1 teaspoon minced garlic (or to taste)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 Tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

1 Tablespoon olive oil plus additional oil for baking sheet

Pepper to taste

1½ cups breadcrumbs

½ cup quick-cooking oats (uncooked)

18 pitted olives (pimiento stuffed olives are a nice touch, but black or green olives would also work)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle on a little olive oil. In a food processor, purée tofu until smooth. Add remaining ingredients except breadcrumbs, oats and olives and process until smooth. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in breadcrumbs and oats. Let sit for 5 minutes to firm up. The mixture should hold together – add more breadcrumbs if necessary.  Form mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball, carefully pressing an olive into each ball, and place on the baking sheet, olive facing up. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.

Spaghetti Squash

You can start baking this while you prepare the “eye balls.” Cut a spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and place cut-side down on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes, until squash is soft. Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle. Remove seeds. Use a fork to comb through the squash, separating the strands. Place the strands in a serving bowl.

Top the spaghetti squash (or you can use regular spaghetti) with pasta sauce (homemade or your favorite vegan brand) and then add a couple of “eye balls.”

Breadstick “Bones” (Adapted from The Farm Vegetarian Cookbook, edited by Louise Hagler)

(makes 15 small breadsticks)

1 teaspoon vegan sugar

1 Tablespoon baking yeast

6 Tablespoons warm water

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup wheat flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and baking yeast and add warm water. Stir and let proof for 5 minutes. Add olive oil, all-purpose flour, wheat flour, salt, and nutritional yeast and stir, adding water or flour to make a smooth dough. Knead dough for 5 minutes. Form dough into relatively thin bones shapes (or just make thin breadsticks), place on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet, and let rise for an hour. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake for 9 minutes or until done. Serve with a small bowl of pasta sauce for dipping.

Happy Halloween!

Recent topics brought up include:

– Looking for vegan Halloween treats to handout? Here’s some suggestions.

– We’re hosting a big, FREE anti-dairy Halloween Party on October 21st at Pioneer Square in downtown Portland, Oregon! We’ll have a kids table and trick-or-treating PLUS the first 1,000 attendees get a FREE Lush product and carton Oatly! Please share!

– My 15-year-old son will be hosting a vegan Halloween party for mostly pre-vegan kids 12 years of age and up courtesy of our local group Northern Vegans. So we are looking at providing some party favors and some kid-friendly vegan literature. Any suggestions to where or what we can use?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VRGparentsandkids is intended to be a group that offers support for families raising children on vegan diets and for vegan kids around the world. We envision it as a place to get advice about a wide-variety of topics: pregnancy, birthday parties, school lunches, Halloween, non-leather apparel, cruelty-free products, summer camps, and more. Please use it as a place to share your wisdom, seek advice, or just find a sympathetic ear. The goal is to offer support.

Consequently, any profane, defamatory, offensive, or violent language will be removed. Feel free to disagree, but do so respectfully. Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or political beliefs will not be tolerated. We expect that posts should relate to vegan diets and lifestyles. The Vegetarian Resource Group reserves the right to monitor all content and ban any user who posts in violation of the above rules, any law or regulation, SPAM, or anything otherwise off topic.

Please share this information with any veggie families that you know! Thanks.

photo from Adventist Nutrition and Dietetics International Association

The Adventist Nutrition and Dietetics International Association will hold a virtual health symposium October 28 and October 29, 2023. Webinars will provide the latest updates on plant-based nutrition. For details see www.adventistdietetics.org

magnesium vegan sources image from Freepik

By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

I was at a conference for dietitians when a speaker, extolling cow’s milk, said that 3 cups of cow’s milk provided 25% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium. Actually, the speaker just said “milk,” but it was understood that “milk” meant cow’s milk. Three cups of cow’s milk contain about 90 milligrams of magnesium. In addition to the fact that few adults will drink 3 cups of cow’s milk, the speaker neglected to mention the many plant sources of magnesium. Some of these vegan sources have more magnesium in a serving than is found in 3 cups of cow’s milk.

Magnesium is an essential mineral. We need to get it from food and/or supplements in order to stay healthy. Magnesium is important in many parts of our body including bones, muscles, nerves, and DNA. It also helps to control blood sugar levels and blood pressure.

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is:

Birth to 6 months: 30 milligrams/day (this is the Adequate Intake rather than the RDA)

7-12 months: 75 milligrams/day (this is the Adequate Intake rather than the RDA)

1-3 years: 80 milligrams/day

4-8 years: 130 milligrams per day

9-13 years: 240 milligrams/day

14-18 years: 410 milligrams/day (male); 360 milligrams/day (female)

19-30 years: 400 milligrams/day (male); 310 milligrams/day (female)

31 years and older : 420 milligrams/day (male); 320 milligrams/day (female)

Pregnancy: 400 milligrams/day (14-18 years); 350 milligrams/day (19-30 years); 360 milligrams/day (31 years and older)

Lactation: 360 milligrams/day (14-18 years); 310 milligrams/day (19-30 years); 320 milligrams (31 years and older)

Many whole plant foods supply us with magnesium.

10 Good Sources of Magnesium for Vegans

1. Spinach, 156 milligrams of magnesium in 1 cup cooked
2. Swiss chard, 124 milligrams of magnesium in 1 cup cooked
3. Quinoa, 108 milligrams of magnesium in 1 cup cooked
4. Pumpkin seeds, 99 milligrams of magnesium in 2 Tablespoons
5. Almond butter, 89 milligrams of magnesium in 2 Tablespoons
6. Soybeans, 78 milligrams of magnesium in ½ cup
7. Brown rice, 76 milligrams of magnesium in 1 cup cooked
8. Tempeh, 67 milligrams of magnesium in ½ cup
9. Shredded Wheat cereal, 66 milligrams of magnesium in 1 cup
10. Dark chocolate, 65 milligrams of magnesium in 1 ounce

Dietary fiber and substances found in plant food called phytates are known to decrease the amount of magnesium absorbed. Generally, however, vegan diets based on whole plant foods are high enough in magnesium to compensate for the possibility of a reduction in absorption.

To read more about magnesium see Magnesium Fact Sheet for Consumers (from National Institutes of Health; contains nonvegan sources of magnesium)

The Vegetarian Resource Group recently tabled at two events in Denver, Colorado, and we had the pleasure of dining at WaterCourse Foods. This vegan restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor dining and their menu is quite creative. We absolutely enjoyed the 2-piece cauliflower chicken served with a bowl of soup, and side salad as well as their Smoked Turkey + Brie sandwich served with a delicious salad. For dessert, we devoured a slice of vegan cheesecake.

They are located at 837 E. 17th Ave., Denver, CO 80218 and more information can be gotten at (303) 832-7313 or https://www.watercoursefoods.com/

VRG Booth at Richmond VegFest 2023

Thanks to Elsa Spencer, PhD, for staffing The Vegetarian Resource Group’s booth at the Richmond VegFest. She said that she talked to one person 10 minutes before the event opened and focused on where she is at diet wise. It was a steady flow of people – my voice was mostly gone by 6:00 p.m when the festival closed, and I was chatting with someone right up until 6:10.

Michelle from Texas is a VRG video contest winner. She said: “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.” – Gandhi. This statement is one that I am living by as I embark on my healthy lifestyle journey. Taking charge and controlling what I put in my body has shown to be very effective with vegetarianism, and I have noticed a vast difference in my health. It also impacts the environment and is highly sustainable, as it requires fewer resources compared to animal agriculture, which contributes to the increase in greenhouse emissions that are harmful to the Earth.

Her video is at https://www.vrg.org/veg_videos.php#michellevegetarianrap

The dealine for the next video contest is July 15, 2024. See https://www.vrg.org/videoscholarship.php

For information about VRG’s college scholarships, see

https://www.vrg.org/student/scholar.htm

To donate towards The Vegetarian Resouce Group internships and scholarships, donate at www.vrg.org/donate or join at https://www.vrg.org/member/2013sv.php