Vegans: The TRUTH About Combining Grains And Beans

For years Vegetarians were told that they need to eat eggs and dairy products to get enough protein. Many Vegetarians include eggs and dairy products in their diet so they can avoid protein deficiency, and Vitamin B-12 deficiency.

After awhile some Vegetarians decide to give up all animal products and become Vegan, or "pure Vegetarian". They had to search for books at the library (no Internet back then) to find out about combining grains and legumes to get complete protein. You would think all this reading would discourage many people from becoming Vegan, but the serious Vegan plods on.

"Laurel's Kitchen" by Laurel Robertson stands out as my favorite Vegan cookbook. Ms. Robertson details Vegan living with her interesting writing style, and includes some delicious recipes using complementary proteins -- as the "experts" were saying.

I will try to explain what that means in simple English. The human body can produce most amino acids (the building blocks of protein), but there are 9 essential amino acids that the body must get from food. Grains produce some, and beans produce the amino acids that grains lack; thus, they complement each other because together they are complete protein. Using this line of thinking, combining grains with legumes became the norm for Vegans, and an untold number of books have been written about this.

Two days ago I ran across the following website:

http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/get-enough...

This article explains that Vegans do not have to combine foods to get their protein Click to Tweet a myth or fallacy that many people wrote books about for several years.

I was originally going to write an article for Vegans about combining grains and beans for their protein needs. But after finding this out, I had to rewrite my article so I can help inform Vegans and other Vegetarians. They need to know that this information is not valid; as long as Vegans are eating a variety of vegetable foods within 24 hours their protein needs are met.

This lens is for those who may be thinking of giving up all animal products and becoming Vegan. I have included suggestions for Vegan main dishes to give you an idea of how simple it is to eat well without eating animals or animal by-products.

(Images from: http://veganfeministnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads...

and: webmd/consumer_assets/site_images/articles/health_tools/vegetarian_diet_slideshow/corbis_rm_photo_of_avocado_bean_rice_bowl.jpg)

When I was Vegetarian, I relied on eggs and dairy products to get my protein.

As I became more aware of animal abuse in our 'meat factories' I changed to a Vegan diet.

So, what do you do when you decide to omit ALL animal products? At first, I was eating a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, lots of plain bean burritos. After awhile, the serious Vegan finds out about soy products, and tofu.

Tofu is an interesting and ancient food product made out of cooked, strained soybeans -- one of the five plant sources that is complete protein on its own. Back to tofu. I never really got used to tofu in its watery, original container. Instead, I squeezed all the liquid out of it, seasoned it with salt, garlic, onion, and pepper, and it made a delicious pseudo-egg sandwich! My mom and I tried it together. She was always ready to try my Vegetarian dishes, no matter how different they might seem.

Many ethnic foods, such as Mexican food, Italian food, and so forth, are naturally based on simple food combinations, such as rice and beans or noodles and peas, and many others.

Vegans, remember to eat a variety of healthy whole foods throughout the day to get adequate protein. There is no need to combine foods to get complete protein, as nutritionists used to think. Almost all vegetables contain some protein, so there is no reason to worry about running into protein deficiency. Vegans should still take a Vitamin B-12 supplement occasionally because Vitamin B-12 is not found in any plant sources, so you can become deficient in this vitamin.

Here are some sample Vegan entrees:

1. Soy milk + cereal

2. Spanish rice + pinto beans

3. Black beans + white rice

4. Noodles + sweet peas

5. Bean soup + whole wheat crackers

6. Split pea soup + crackers

7. Rice + peas + corn

8. Lentils + corn/flour tortillas

9. Green beans + slivered almonds

10.Tofu + grains/beans/vegetables

11. Whole wheat + peanut butter (I had to list it!)

12. Whole grain pasta + Textured Vegetable Protein (soy product)

Whether you are a new Vegan - and even if you are not Vegetarian - please watch these videos and try one of these recipes out.

I selected videos that are brief (because I hate watching time-consuming videos) and have been seen by lots of people. Please take a moment to watch one that appeals to you. There are some that are for a Vegan main dish, some that are for smoothies, and others.

Please watch them, Like them, and then feel free to sign your name in the Guestbook section near the bottom of the lens. Leave a comment or suggestion and let us know what you liked or did not like about this article.

Thank you!

Delicious Vegan sushi roll. You have to try it!

There's nothing like lentil soup to remind you of your Mama. <3

Here's a delicious Vegan recipe -- cook it all in one pot!

Shows you how to make a yummy Vegan breakfast.

This guy is good! Watch as he shows you how to make a Vegan omelet.

Make Vegan pizza!

Vegan spaghetti! Need I say more?!

Learn to make a healthy smoothie!

A recipe for a smoothie that is good for your skin.

The Vegan Zombie's version of Fettucine Alfredo. Try it!