You may likely find yourself consuming a great deal less meat protein than you did previous to deciding on the raw food diet. If you discover that you love that part of a raw food diet, but are nervous about having adequate nourishment, there is wonderful news. There are many plant options that may maintain the majority of or all of your dietary needs.
First, it's helpful to differentiate between vegetarians and vegans, given that there are often misunderstandings regarding their differences. Vegetarians do not eat meat from animals like beef or poultry, but a number of them do eat fish (commonly known as "pescatarians", rather than pure vegetarians) , dairy products like milk, cheese and ice cream, and eggs (technically these vegetarians are "Lacto-Ovo" vegetarians).
Vegans typically do not eat meat, fish, dairy or anything that comes from animal sources. Some choose not to eat honey because it comes from bees. And many choose not to wear leather in any form, since it comes from the hide of animals. Therefore, they use cloth belts and handbags, and fabric or synthetic leather shoes and boots.
From a nutritional point of view, it really is a challenge to incorporate enough B12 vitamins in vegan diets because meat is usually the main source of that nutrient. However, because a raw food diet involves such a wide variety of foods, vegans can find B vitamins in hemp seeds, Spirulina (a type of algae) and other sources. Nevertheless, many people warn vegans to take a B12 supplement to insure their intake is a good level. Since B vitamins are water soluble and emit via the urine, they need to be replenished frequently.
Although fish oil is a rich and convenient source of important Omega-3 fatty acids, Vegans will not consume oil that is derived from a living creature. In spite of this, they may get comparable nutritional benefits from Spirulina and flax seed oil.
Protein sources are an additional concern for vegans. Although beans and legumes are a good source, they're nutritionally insufficient. Spirulina is an excellent plant source of protein that vegans can rely on. It is a good substitute for animal protein since it is 60% to 70% protein, and a great source of iron also.
Nuts, broccoli, oats are also excellent sources of protein that can be easily added to a raw food diet.
So as you can see, Vegans can definitely thrive on a raw food diet and uphold true to their beliefs.
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