5 grains and seeds that cannot be missing from a vegan diet –

If you opted for a vegan or vegetarian diet, include grains, nuts and seeds in your daily menu. Nutritionist Luna Azevedo, from Rio de Janeiro, selected five options to help her make up for the lack of nutrients (especially protein and calcium) that a menu without food of animal origin can present. Flavor won’t be missed either!

1.LENTILS

Legumes and grains are the options that concentrate the most protein. There are 6.3 grams in 100 grams of lentils, for example. But the structure is different from the protein coming from meat and egg. “Foods of plant origin do not contain all the amino acids necessary to provide the body with a complete protein”, warns Luna. But it’s a simple matter to solve: always combine a legume (lentils, peas, beans) with a cereal (brown rice, quinoa, corn, oats). And you don’t even have to put both on the same plate – you can have one for lunch and one for dinner. “The important thing is that these foods are consumed on the same day.” Lentils still offer fiber, vitamins A and B complex (such as thiamine and riboflavin), potassium and folic acid.

+ nutrients (in 100 g):
1.5 mg of iron
1.1 mg of zinc

Read more: Lentils lower cholesterol and ward off diabetes

2. BLACK BEANS

The more you vary the menu options the better. So don’t just stick to lentils or black-eyed or carioquinha beans. Black beans also guarantee a considerable amount of protein (4.5 grams in 100 grams of the grain), in addition to a good dose of fiber.

+ nutrients (in 100 g):
1.5 mg of iron
0.7 mg of zinc

Read more: Compare: black beans and pinto beans

3. SESAME SEED

Without milk, cheese and yogurt are the main sources of calcium in an omnivore menu. But there are other foods from the plant kingdom capable of meeting the daily needs of the important mineral to maintain bone health, and sesame is one of them. In 10 grams, the seed has 82.5 milligrams of calcium. Is enough! The same amount of tahini (sesame paste) offers more: 96 milligrams, with the advantage of being digested more easily than the seed. Broccoli, cauliflower and kale are other foods that contain calcium.

+ sesame nutrients (in 100 g):
21.2g of protein
5.4 mg of iron
5.2 mg of zinc

Read more: Vegetable drinks: discover 5 alternatives to milk

4. PUMPKIN SEED

Like sesame, pumpkin seed adds calcium to dishes. “The fibers, concentrated mainly in the bark (there are 15.3 grams in 100 of the seed), are satiating and contribute to the metabolism of glucose and cholesterol”, says Luna. Eat it pure or sprinkled on salads, soups, fruits…

+ nutrients (in 100 g):
21.4g of protein
28.8g of fat
20.3mg of Vitamin E

Read more: 5 seeds that reduce measures

5.LINSEED

The strength of the seed is the omega-3 fatty acid also present in cold water fish. The nutritionist especially recommends linseed oil: 6 milliliters a day. But the seed, preferably freshly crushed, is also welcome. Sprinkle on rice, fruit, tapioca.

+ nutrients (in 100 g):
14.1g of protein
4.7 mg of iron
4.4 mg of zinc

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