VRG > Vegetarian Journal > 2011 Issue 1 > A Soy-Free, Nut-Free Vegan Meal Plan

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A Soy-Free, Nut-Free Vegan Meal Plan

By Corey Bivins

Soy, tree nuts, and peanuts are some of the most widespread food allergies. These common allergens are also staples for many vegans, but they don't have to be. The following meal plan shows how to eat a vegan, soy-free, and nut-free diet, all the while eating well. The menus in this article contain approximately 2,000 calories per day, which meets the needs of most adults. Of course, the menus can be modified to add foods (and calories) or subtract foods (and calories). These menus have been planned to meet the average person's needs for most nutrients.

Day 1

Breakfast

  • 1 cup oats
    • 1 cup fortified oat milk
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 banana
  • 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Lunch

  • 1 cup Amy's Lentil Soup
  • Salad
    • 2 cups arugula
    • ½ cup strawberries
    • ½ cup blueberries
    • Seed Mixture
      • 1 teaspoon flaxseeds
      • 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
      • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 1½ Tablespoons Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast
    • 2 Tablespoons vinegar and oil dressing

Afternoon Snack

  • 2 graham crackers
  • 1 apple

Dinner

  • Black Bean Veggie Burrito
    • ½ cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup vegetable broth
    • ½ cup black beans
    • ½ cup sliced onions
    • ½ cup sliced peppers
    • ½ cup sliced zucchini
    • ¼ avocado
    • 2 Tablespoons salsa
    • 1½ Tablespoons Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast
    • 2 tortillas
Note: See the following website for information on oat milk: www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/nutgrain-beverages/organic-oat-original-non-dairy-beverage.

Day 2

Breakfast

  • 2 cups fortified rice cereal
    • 1 cup fortified oat milk
  • 2 slices whole wheat toast
    • 2 Tablespoons jam
  • 1 papaya
  • 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Lunch

  • Salad
    • 1 cup romaine
    • 1 cup kale
    • 4 slices cucumber
    • ¼ cup sliced peppers
    • ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
    • 2 Tablespoons vinegar and oil dressing
  • Black Bean Dip 'n Chips
    • ½ cup black beans
    • ¼ cup avocado
    • 2 Tablespoons salsa
    • 20 tortilla chips

Afternoon Snack

  • 4 cups popcorn
    • 1½ Tablespoons Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast
  • 1 pear

    • Dinner

    • Spaghetti
      • 1 cup whole wheat spaghetti
      • ½ cup marinara sauce
      • 1 portobello mushroom, chopped
      • ½ cup chopped broccoli
      • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped onions
      • 3 cloves garlic, minced
      • Seed Mixture
        • 1 teaspoon flaxseeds
        • 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
        • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Note: See the following website for information on oat milk: www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/nutgrain-beverages/organic-oat-original-non-dairy-beverage.

Day 3

Breakfast

  • Blueberry-Banana Pancakes
    • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
    • ¼ cup white flour
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1½ teaspoons sugar
    • ½ cup fortified oat milk
    • ½ banana
    • ½ cup blueberries
  • 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice

Lunch

  • Veggie Burger
    • 1 Sunshine Burger
    • 2 slices sourdough bread
    • 1 lettuce leaf
    • 1 slice of tomato
    • ¼ avocado
  • 1 sweet potato
  • 1 cup Brussels sprouts

Afternoon Snack

  • 2 ounces whole wheat pretzels
  • 1 peach

Dinner

  • Veggie Stir-Fry
    • 1 cup kale
    • ½ cup chopped yellow squash
    • ½ cup chopped zucchini
    • 1 cup chopped eggplant
    • 1 serving Seitan Stir-Fry strips
    • ½ cup brown rice
    • Seed Mixture
      • 1 teaspoon flaxseeds
      • 1 teaspoon sunflower seeds
      • 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
    • 1½ Tablespoons Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula Nutritional Yeast
Note: See the following website for information on oat milk: www.pacificfoods.com/our-foods/nutgrain-beverages/organic-oat-original-non-dairy-beverage. Also, see www.sunshineburger.com.

Vegans who do not consume soy products and nuts need to find alternative foods that provide key nutrients.

  • Fortified soymilk is a significant source of calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 for many vegans.
    • Calcium can be found in dark, leafy vegetables - such as mustard greens, collard greens, turnip greens, and kale - as well as in calcium-fortified orange juice and calcium-fortified plant milks.
    • Vitamin D can be obtained by sunlight exposure and is added to some brands of fortified milks (hemp, rice, oat).
    • Be sure to include fortified milks (hemp, rice, oat), Red Star Vegetarian Support Formula nutritional yeast, or a vitamin B12 supplement daily to meet your needs for vitamin B12.
  • Nuts and soy products supply protein.
    • Alternative sources of protein include lentils, chickpeas, and other dried beans and peas; quinoa and other whole grains; seitan; and sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Vegetables like peas, broccoli, and kale also provide some protein.
    • Iron-rich foods include dried beans such as lentils, kidney and black beans, and chickpeas; spinach; whole and enriched grains; peas; Swiss chard; and potatoes.

If you have a food allergy, the only way to avoid a reaction is to avoid those foods and products made with those foods. This can be difficult because they are in many processed foods. Fortunately, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list common food allergens on food labels.

Ingredients to Avoid for a Soy-Free Diet

Ingredients to Avoid for a Nut-Free Diet

  • Edamame
  • Hydrolyzed plant protein
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  • Miso
  • Natto
  • Shoyu sauce
  • Soya
  • Soybean, soy sauce, soy protein
  • Tamari
  • Tempeh
  • Textured vegetable protein (TVP)
  • Tofu
  • Almonds
  • Brazil nuts
  • Cashews
  • Chestnuts
  • Filbert/hazelnuts
  • Hickory nuts
  • Hydrolyzed plant protein
  • Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
  • Macadamia nuts
  • Marzipan/almond paste
  • Nougat
  • Nut butters/nut extracts/nut oils/nut paste
  • Peanuts
  • Peanut butter/peanut flour/peanut oil
  • Pecans
  • Pine nuts
  • Pistachios
  • Walnuts

REFERENCE

WebMD. 2009. Living With a Nut Allergy. Accessed September 12, 2010, from www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/nut-allergy.

Corey Bivins is currently studying nutrition at Eastern Michigan University. Also, thank you to Reed Mangels, PhD, RD, for her contributions to this article.