A Food Pyramid for Vegans

My sister Susan has been doing a little research on the structure of a vegan diet. She sent the following post to me. Thank you Susan!

I love to share information about my vegan lifestyle. But I am often asked if I'm getting enough protein and calcium. I know that the plant kingdom provides excellent sources for both, but how much ? . . . and in what ? I was not interested in counting the grams of protein in everything I ate, so I began searching for an easy to apply formula that would help me maximize the nutritional value of my diet.

I found what I was looking for in a cookbook -- 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. She had reprinted the New Four Food Groups developed in 1991 by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. This is a no-cholesterol, low-fat plan that supplies all of an average adult's daily nutritional requirements and fiber; with the addition of a good source of vitamin B-12, such as fortified cereals or vitamin supplements.

I have been applying this plan and feel great!

FRUIT:3 or more servings/day

1 medium piece of fruit
1/2 cup cooked fruit
4 ounces juice

LEGUMES:2 or more servings/day

1 cup cooked beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, baked and refried beans
4 ounces tofu, tempeh or texturized vegetable protein
8 ounces soymilk

WHOLE GRAINS:5 or more servings/day

1/2 cup rice, corn, millet, barley and bulgur wheat or pasta
1 ounce dry cereal (hot or cold)
1 tortilla or 1 slice bread

VEGETABLES:5 or more servings/day

1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables


Note: The image above was found at animalsuffering.com