Plastic Free, Zero Waste Nutrition

I'm no doctor, my last multivitamin was in gummy form, and I haven't had a prune since all the Golden Girls were still alive, so take the following with a grain of salt: Sometimes vegan diets are imbalanced. It seems the culprits are normally too much sugar, favoring grains over legumes, and going overboard with trendy foods like kale and quinoa (kale is the Jennifer Lawrence of cruciferous vegetables. I like it just fine, but don't really get why everyone's crazy for it). Getting my daily protein requirement is easy; I'm told a good rule of thumb is the same amount in grams as your weight in kilos. Finding plastic-free, zero waste supplements is another story. I prefer whole foods for absorption, like chaga mushroom for Vitamin A, hemp oil for Omega 3, pumpkin seeds for lysine, or one Brazil nut for selenium daily. However, whole foods present a host of problems. For instance, biotin, choline, and chromium are not precisely measured in foods. The body can use only about 50 percent phosphorus from vegetable sources. Sea vegetables, which are rich sources of iodine, may contain far more than is safe for ingestion. Nutrient content of fruits, nuts, and vegetables varies depending on the soil they’re grown on and irrigation and fertilization practices. Finally, absorption is affected by the way foods are prepared.

Everyone's needs are different, but for me, getting plant based nutrients from whole foods is the best option. I don't seem to absorb supplements well, yet experienced a surge in energy and health when I started eating this way. It may be too early to tell if the effects of my vegan and gluten-free diet are sustainable (I feel I must emphasize that I'm genetically obliged to eat vegan and gluten-free. It's not a choice). I do know my hair and nails are growing twice as fast now- my friends tease me about my Tony Montana pinky nail- and my skin cleared up. That's good enough for me! The table below started out as only the stuff I actually eat, which is why whole grains don't figure in much. I eventually added things like tempeh or soy. Note: Some people need supplements no matter what they eat. Common examples include vitamin D2 from yeast or Vitamin D3 from lichen, fortified nut and seed milks, and phosphorus.

Sources are Harvard (that's why the daily values are for women), One Green Planet's Plant Based Nutrition series, Linus Pauling, and a bunch of Cleveland Clinic stuff from the nutritionist my doctor made me go to. According to my doctor, my blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels are all great. Apparently your DHA levels will be good if you cook with lots of olive oil and eat avocadoes, flaxseed, seaweed, etc.

Sample Meals: What I Eat

Breakfast One whole roasted beet (skin on- I love the tail) Half an avocado  A roasted sweet potato- if my stepfather's cooking, sweet potato hash cooked in olive or coconut oil A handful of cherry tomatoes Collard greens or spinach and mushrooms sautéed in olive oil Snack A giant salad (225 grams) with carrots, hummus, probably avocado, and garbanzo beans Homemade balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette An apple Goji berries Almonds Lunch A vegetable curry with squash, green beans, onions, garlic, peas, chili, lentils, and coconut milk A pint of berries

Snack An orange Olives Pistachios Dinner Two cabbage steaks Beans sautéed with celery, mushrooms, and onions Roasted cauliflower and potatoes A chickpea burger with tomatoes on a bed of arugula with pesto Snack Radishes Blackberries Dessert Homemade zero waste vegan peanut butter cup, which is just melted chocolate, coconut oil, and natural peanut butter. Somehow I always make them as big as my hand so I can only eat one at a time

I don't understand how girls can live on just a smoothie for breakfast. Smoothies are beverages, not breakfast! If my grandma is Vitamixing it will have an avocado, two kiwis, an apple, a bag of spinach, and maybe cabbage or something random like that. If I'm going to the juice press down the street it usually has radish, pear, cucumber, fennel, and some other tasty things.

The nutritionist's main concern with me is that I eat too much, but I've gradually gained strength and muscle tone and my feet are no longer always freezing cold since adopting this diet. For the liver, milk thistle and mulberry work great for me, and white willow bark eliminates my pollution-related migraines. But this is my own experience. Everyone is different, and I'd never want anyone to risk their health in the name of zero waste, so please consult a physician before discontinuing or adopting a new regimen. If there are any nutrients I missed please let me know- I'll try to find a vegan, unpackaged supplement alternative. For zero waste medicine, click here.