March 10, 2008

Vegan Foods

Vegan foods are foods that contan no animal products of any kind.

Basic [vegan] foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, are low in fat, contain no cholesterol, and are rich in fiber and nutrients.



Basic food groups:
Put together based on the nutrients we need, based on vegan nutrition. In parenthesis, show the foods that contain the most nutrients based on vegan nutrition.

Grains (whole, breads, quinoa, oats, wheat germ, etc)
Fruits ( avocado, dried fruits, strawberry, apple, banana, cantaloupe, grapefruit, orange, berries, watermelon, kiwi, squash, tomato, etc)
Vegetables (green leafy vegetables, potato with the skin, cauliflower, pea, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, beet, brussel sprout, onion, turnip, squash, sweet potato, sea vegetables, etc)
Nuts (almond, cashew, peanut, pistachio, etc)
Seeds (ground flax, sunflower, pumpkin, etc)
Legumes (lentil, chickpea, soy/products, beans, etc)
Algae, yeasts, and fungi (seaweeds, spirulina, nutritional yeast, mushrooms, etc.)

Staple foods:
Staple foods are foods that forms the basis of a traditional diet, basically everyday typical vegan foods.

  • Water
  • Tea and other beverages
  • Dried or canned beans
  • Chickpeas
  • Ground flax seeds
  • Nuts (i.e almonds, peanut butter)
  • Breads (i.e pita, sourdough)
  • Gluten (i.e seiten)
  • Pastas
  • Potatoes
  • Quinoa
  • Rices
  • Soy/products (i.e tofu, tempeh, TVP)
  • Mushrooms
  • Breakfast cereals and oats
  • Green leafy vegetables (i.e spinach, artichoke, kale)
  • Sea vegetables
  • Other vegetables
  • Fresh and dried fruits
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Plant milks (i.e soy milk, hemp milk, rice milk)
  • Vegetable and seed oils
  • Spices and herbs

Other:
For detailed information of the below foods with recipe links, See: Vegan Foods, Part 2
Sweetners
Dairy substitutes
Meat substitutes
Egg substitutes
Desserts
Condiments
Beverages
Snacks
Vegan meal ideas
Vegan brand foods

National cuisines that are mostly vegan: Indian, Asian, Mediterranean, Vietnamese, Spanish, Ethiopian, Mideastern, Chinese, Japanese, Europe, Thai, Creole, & Indonesian.

Links:
Vegan nutrition
Vegan recipes
Vegan cuisine
List of fruits
List of vegetables
List of beans, nuts, & seeds
List of herbs and spices
List of nuts
List of rice varieties
Vegan cuisine @ WikiCookbook
Vegan Substitutions @ WikiCookbook
What do vegans eat?
How to Stock Your Pantry
Vegan Basics Food guide by Viva!
Vegan Products Guide
VegCooking Shopping Guide
TryVeg Shopping Guide
VeganOutreach:Vegan Foods
Vegan substitutions
Vegan alternatives
I Can't Believe It's Vegan! (not everything is vegan)
Vegan Alternatives
Substitution Tips
Vegan Food Guide: A Glossary of Vegan Ingredients

Note: Make sure when buying foods to make sure they are vegan, read the ingredients, some products may contain hidden animal products. For a list of what ingrdeients to avoid, go here. Of course organic, and unprocssed foods tend to be the best way to go.

Remember to check back here daily for new posts and this post revised, and e-mail me me if you have any suggestion post or know anything I forgot to add or something that is misplaced or missing relating to this post.




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