Crazy Plant Lady
About the “Crazy Plant Lady”
My name is Sam and I’m a dietetic intern at Andrews University. I live in Orlando Florida, right in the middle of theme park heaven. I even worked for Mickey Mouse himself for eight and a half years (or “ears” as we call them) at several different restaurants throughout Walt Disney World. I have had an obsession with plants for several years, both owning them and eating them! I own about 100 plants both indoors and outdoors. And as a future dietitian, it may come to no surprise that plants are also a huge part of my diet. This first post will focus on plants in the kitchen, and how you can cook for yourself on a plant-based or vegetarian diet while still meeting all your nutrient needs!
Plant-Based Kitchen
I personally do not follow a plant-based diet, however I am always open to cooking recipes that don’t include meat. Plant-based diets tend to have more fiber and less saturated fat than omnivore diets, which are two important components to a healthy diet. However, a poorly planned plant-based diet can result in nutrient deficiencies, especially vitamins and minerals that are more commonly found in animal products. Below is a list of nutrients that I will cover throughout the post.
Vitamin B12
Iron
Protein
DHA
I tested a couple plant-based recipes that can be included in any plant-based or vegetarian diet!
Cooking with B12 and Iron
Vitamin B12 is commonly deficient among vegans and vegetarians, due to it being almost exclusively found in animal products. Vitamin B12 is important for DNA production, your body’s metabolism and nervous system, and is involved in the formation of red blood cells. The only way to consume B12 on a plant based diet without supplementation is through fortified foods. The food I decided to experiment with today is nutritional yeast. I’ve never cooked or even tasted nutritional yeast before, so I did a deep dive on this curious food. Along with B-12, fortified nutritional yeast also contains protein, other B vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, B6, and riboflavin, trace minerals like zinc and selenium, and antioxidants. I got my nutritional yeast at Whole Foods, and this brand contains 8.3 mcg of B12 per ¼ cup (way over the RDA of 2.4 mcg!). They look like little flakes, and have a subtle umami/savory, nutty flavor to them.
I found this great recipe on bonappetit.com for a broccoli side dish, that includes nutritional yeast. It contains broccoli (stems and florets), peanuts, a little sugar, rice vinegar, scallions, olive oil, and nutritional yeast. You start by peeling and slicing the broccoli stems, then toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast them at 450 degrees F for about 15 minutes. While they are roasting, you separate the florets and saute them over medium heat for about 5 minutes (until they’re bright green and tender). Once tender, add in the peanuts and a couple teaspoons of sugar and cook until the peanuts are browned. By then, the stems should be done cooking, so take them out of the oven and add them to the saute pan. Toss everything together with a little vinegar and a couple tablespoons of nutritional yeast and season one last time to taste. When you plate the final product, top it with sliced scallions and even more nutritional yeast, and you’re done! I really thought nutritional yeast was going to give off a stronger flavor than it does. It’s very subtle, but it works nicely in this recipe to give it a well rounded flavor profile between the acidity of the vinegar, sweetness from the sugar, and slight bitterness from the broccoli stems.
My takeaway from using nutritional yeast is its versatility. It’s flavor is subtle enough where it can be sprinkled on a variety of things such as vegetables, popcorn, and pasta, making it an easy B12 boost to any diet.
Another great thing about this recipe is its iron content. Iron that comes from plants is called “non-heme” iron, which is not as readily absorbed as “heme” iron, which comes from animal sources. This means that you would need to eat more plant-based iron to get the same amount of iron from a piece of meat. Luckily, there are strategies that can help with the absorption of nonheme iron, one of which is demonstrated in this recipe! If you pair an iron food with a food containing vitamin C, it increases the amount of iron your body absorbs. The iron source in this recipe is the peanuts, while the vitamin C comes from the broccoli. The addition of red bell peppers to this recipe could also enhance the vitamin C content. Another way to ensure you aren’t inhibiting the amount of iron you are getting is to avoid drinking coffee and tea during the same meal period as your iron containing foods (both regular and decaf!). Coffee and tea contain something called “tannins” which inhibit your body’s absorption of iron.
Just like plant sources of iron, plant protein is different from animal protein. Animal proteins are called “complete” proteins, which means they contain all 9 essential amino acids (amino acids our bodies can’t make themselves). Luckily, there is an easy solution! As long as you consume a variety of plant protein sources, such as whole grains, legumes, peas, and seeds, you shouldn’t have a problem getting all the essential amino acids your body needs. For example, if you were to eat a piece of whole grain toast in the morning and this broccoli side dish for dinner, you consumed foods that contained all the amino acids that you need!
Cooking with DHA
Another nutrient that is deficient among vegetarian and vegans is DHA. DHA is an omega-3 fatty acid, and is considered essential. It provides structure in our body’s cell membranes and can provide the body with energy. The reason vegetarians are deficient is because DHA is primarily found in fish oils. A different omega-3 fatty acid called ALA, can be found in plant sources such as walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds. Our bodies are able to convert ALA into DHA under the right conditions. Ensuring your diet is low in saturated fats and cooking with plant oils that contain monounsaturated fats (like olive oil) can help increase the amount of DHA your body converts from ALA.
I chose to highlight chia seeds in my next recipe. Along with containing omega 3’s, chia seeds also contain fiber and protein. The recipe is called chia seed pudding. I had never made this recipe before, so I experimented with three different combinations.
I made three different flavors:
Classic Vanilla
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup vanilla light yogurt
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey
Pumpkin
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
2 tbsp chia seeds
½ cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
Blueberry Oatmeal
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup oats
2 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp agave
Blueberries (topping)
Mix all the ingredients together and leave in the fridge overnight. How easy was that? The chia seeds become slightly gelatinous which thickened up the almond milk. I observed the pudding with the oats was the thickest, followed by the pumpkin, and finally the vanilla. The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. You can use a variety of sweeteners, milks, and flavorings to cater to your personal taste preferences.
References
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/roasted-and-charred-broccoli-with-peanuts
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/