Struggling to fill recommended daily nutrition

[Joe Pringle]

Hi all, I became vegetarian around a month ago and for the most part gave found it surprisingly easy. I don't have any cravings and I enjoy my vegetarian meals just as much as I used to enjoy my meat ones. However I just don't know what to eat.

From the moment I wake up till 5pm I drink a meal replacement smoothie (huel), so I don't have to worry about what I eat most of the day, and I also know exactly what nutrition I am getting for that portion of the day.

The problem is when I get home I don't know how to fill in the rest of my requirements. If someone could suggest a simple meal or two and maybe a few snacks that would at least sort my more severe deficiencies for the evening I would appreciate it greatly.

Here is what I need to fill in the evening:
Chromium - 92ug
Carbohydrates - 183g
Iodine - 81ug
B6 - 1mg

I get that I haven't asked this question in the most straightforward way possible, so I'll be happy to answer any questions

 

[Emma JC]

I would suggest googling to see what foods contain the nutrients you feel you are missing and include them.

Emma JC

 

[Lou]

How many cups of Huel do you have a day?

 

[Emma JC]

How many cups of Huel do you have a day?

wow, I missed that completely, I hadn't heard of Huel before so my eyes skipped over it, good catch and ugh

I can't imagine (well actually I can as we did a week long cleanse years ago) not eating on a regular basis, normal food. Food replacements may be okay for a short period or for one meal a day if you are in a hurry but regularly.... hmmm.... it will be interesting to see what everyone thinks.

Emma JC

 

[Joe Pringle]

How many cups of Huel do you have a day?

9 cups

 

[Joe Pringle]

wow, I missed that completely, I hadn't heard of Huel before so my eyes skipped over it, good catch and ugh

I can't imagine (well actually I can as we did a week long cleanse years ago) not eating on a regular basis, normal food. Food replacements may be okay for a short period or for one meal a day if you are in a hurry but regularly.... hmmm.... it will be interesting to see what everyone thinks.

Emma JC

I replace two meals a day with huel, but always have a regular meal when I get home. I've been having it for 3 months now and so far it's only helped me.

 

[Emma JC]

It is good to know that it has helped you, the question is helped you how?

A good meal at home, imo, would be one that includes some protein (beans, lentil, tempeh, tofu), a good carb (rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, whole grain pasta), vegetables and greens. The good thing is that you could make large batches of say black bean chili with lots of veggies in it and serve it different nights over rice or potatoes etc. Put some hummus on and a bed of greens underneath... A batch of spaghetti sauce could be used the same way. "Well Your World" and others make a simple cheeze sauce (made of vegetables) that can be stored and put on top of almost everything including potatoes and broccoli etc.

A mixed bag of dried dulces/kelp can be sprinkled on top or mixed in for your iodine, chromium is solved with the potatoes and/or broccoli and B6 in vegetables. An apple or berries/banana for dessert and your needs may then be met.

Emma JC

 

[Lou]

Ok. well. I have to pass on the iodine and the chromium part. I use CronOmeter to track my nutrients and CronOmeter doesn't track iodine or chromium. In its defense, the iodine content of food varies a lot. If your crops come from a coastal area it will have lots of iodine. If your crops come from the midwest - well not so much.

I wonder if Huel actually contains those micronutrients and just doesn't list them because they are in quantities too small to list. the mRDA of Chromium and Iodine are pretty small. I just checked and my Multivitamin has both iodine and chromium. So maybe the best answer would be to take a multi. Just to be sure. It also might be worth emailing the company about it. Maybe they can reassure you - or maybe they can start adding some. A multi would take care of the B6 issue too.

For the carbs, I went online and googled 200-gram carbohydrate meals. I found this one article that has several choices for you.

https://www.shape.com/blogs/weight-loss-coach/what-200-grams-carbs-looks

 

[Frederic Lavender]

Hi all, I became vegetarian around a month ago and for the most part gave found it surprisingly easy. I don't have any cravings and I enjoy my vegetarian meals just as much as I used to enjoy my meat ones. However I just don't know what to eat.

From the moment I wake up till 5pm I drink a meal replacement smoothie (huel), so I don't have to worry about what I eat most of the day, and I also know exactly what nutrition I am getting for that portion of the day.

The problem is when I get home I don't know how to fill in the rest of my requirements. If someone could suggest a simple meal or two and maybe a few snacks that would at least sort my more severe deficiencies for the evening I would appreciate it greatly.

Here is what I need to fill in the evening:
Chromium - 92ug
Carbohydrates - 183g
Iodine - 81ug
B6 - 1mg

I get that I haven't asked this question in the most straightforward way possible, so I'll be happy to answer any questions

Hey there buddy. I am unsure on Chromium, Iodine and B6, but I know how to hit carbs, fats and proteins if that helps??

Let me know and I can explain in more details brother

 

[Forest Nymph]

Carbs, iodine, and B6 would easily be found in a vegan stir-fry with noodles or rice. Get some mixed veg that you like - I prefer things like mushrooms, eggplant, spinach and tomatoes with garlic - and use some oil and salt. The iodine present in fortified table salt would be fine. You could also use Asian sea vegetables instead for a more "authentic" flavor. Veggies and things like udon noodles would have B6 and carbs. Tomatoes have chromium. So does broccoli if you like that, or you could have some fruit for dessert.

These aren't difficult nutrient requirements to fill....also drinking more than one meal replacement smoothie throughout the day is inadvisable, gross and unsatisfying. It's fine to do it for your breakfasts if you don't like solid foods in the morning, but for lunch you might want to try a tofu sandwich on whole grain bread with raw veg and condiments, with a side of nuts or a granola bar or whatever you have around. Tofu sandwiches are a quick easy way to get protein and it's more affordable than buying mock meats. If you can only stand mock meats this early on, then make a Tofurky or Field Roast sandwich instead. PB and J also works, but if you do that, also try to have a thermos of veggie soup or a side of vegetables and hummus.

 

[Emma JC]

Interesting.... Mic the Vegan just did a YouTube video on meal replacements, including Huel...

Emma JC