For More Iron
Iron is needed by red blood cells in order to deliver oxygen throughout the body. It’s essential for energy maintenance and it also plays a role in DNA synthesis. Many plant foods, including lentils, soybeans, and leafy greens are high in iron. In fact, an average serving of lentils contains more iron than a 3-ounce serving of beef. A cup of cooked turnip greens or beet greens contains about 20% iron. Vitamin C increases the amount of iron absorbed from plant foods. Try adding bell peppers to your lentil dish, a citrus dressing over your dark leafy greens, broccoli to your tofu stir fry, or try a chickpea, quinoa and Brussel sprouts salad. Bok choy, scallions and bean noodles paired together can increase iron absorption up to six-fold.
To Reduce Inflammation
Research shows the anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric, but pair it with black pepper to increase absorption by 2,000 percent. Oxidative stress is when there is an imbalance of free radicals in the body. High levels of oxidative stress can cause chronic inflammation. The high antioxidant content in berries and cocoa make this twosome a powerful punch. Peppers have capsaicin, which has anti-inflammatory properties. Sprinkling some cayenne pepper or chili powder on orange foods rich in beta-carotene, like sweet potatoes and butternut squash, enhances vitamin A absorption. Vitamin A has been found to be beneficial in inflammatory conditions.
To Build Muscle
A recent study found that plant protein was just as effective as animal protein for gaining lean muscle, and plant-based diets come with a wide range of long-term health benefits. While there are a handful of plant sources with complete proteins, you can also mix and match plant-based foods with various incomplete proteins to provide your body with a complete protein. For example, most grains contain almost no lysine, but legumes (peanuts, beans and lentils) include a decent amount of the amino acid. On the flip side, legumes don't have much tryptophan, methionine, and cystine. However, those amino acids are found in grains. By eating both, your body can get all the amino acids it needs to build muscle. Try adding extra beans to your quinoa, kale and sweet potato salad. Mix in nut butter and hemp seeds to your oatmeal. You can combine tofu and broccoli to your brown rice or make a black bean/lentil spread to top corn tortillas with a fresh salsa. Lastly, add hummus to your pita, cucumber and peppers.
For Strong Bones
Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. Vitamin D comes from the sun, and about 15 minutes a day of direct sunlight on skin should give you enough vitamin D. However, having darker skin, living in the north and even the winter season can all make it hard to get enough vitamin D from the sun alone. Fortified cereals, grains, bread, soy or almond milk are options for providing vitamin D through diet. Mushrooms are in high in vitamin D and go nicely with calcium rich tofu. Try a kale, edamame and tahini dressing salad for a powerful combination of vitamin D and calcium. Lastly, an almond yogurt, oats and molasses parfait will have all your mineral needs covered. Combining foods rich in vitamin D has been shown to increase the absorption of calcium by an average of 50 percent.
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