# Nutritional Values Shocking!



## imp (Jul 11, 2015)

My wife has lately taken to eating more nuts and seeds than before. Personally, I like nuts, but dislike the high calorie values. Today, as we perused the mark-down counter as usual, we spied sunflower seeds, as well as pumpkin seeds. She bought the sunflower. They are evidently roasted in oil, according to the ingredient label. Looking closely at the label, at home, I almost fell over: 1 cup provides just under *1,000 calories*! The "serving size" is 1/3 cup, 330 calories, fat 250, protein 10g, not too bad on that, but a 50 calorie helping of canned tuna provides 11 g. protein, so it's twice as effective on protein, comparatively. 

I am of the personal opinion that folks leaning heavily towards vegetables may often be protein-deficient; as I've taken to eating a bucketful of veggies daily, I watch my protein intake. Fish is good, as is poultry or any meat, of course. I finally found a most suitable site to instantly check nutritional values, you might like it:

http://www.calorieking.com/foods/

I just tried this site. No general listing for nuts & seeds, so entered "seeds" on search bar: figures were close to our package of sunflower seeds! Learned something else: pumpkin seeds calories = 1/3 sunflower!     imp


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## Ameriscot (Jul 12, 2015)

I track calories and in the UK dry foods are measured as per 100g.  I will put slivered almonds or walnut pieces on my salad but I measure them in 10g servings.  Each are 63 calories.  I put mixed dried fruit on my porridge every morning at 10g it's 28 calories.  We eat tons of veggies, and I keep fruit to 2 servings a day so I don't get too much fructose.  Get protein from pb, or eggs, or low fat cheddar for lunch, dinner is normally a homemade veggie curry or veggie chili which has either beans or tofu, or lentils, or Quorn for protein.  

I make bread in my bread machine - mixed whole grain flour, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, and linseeds added.  Husband doesn't need to count calories and he eats two thick slices of this bread as toast every morning.  If I eat this bread I have to weigh it.


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## imp (Jul 12, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> ....  Get protein from pb, or eggs, or low fat cheddar for lunch, dinner is normally a homemade veggie curry or veggie chili which has either beans or tofu, or lentils, or Quorn for protein. ....



Likely not news to you, as you are well-informed, I recall that one of the essential proteins (there are, like, 8) is not found in any vegetable (plant) matter, and will be lacking in a total vegetarian diet.    imp


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## Ameriscot (Jul 12, 2015)

imp said:


> Likely not news to you, as you are well-informed, I recall that one of the essential proteins (there are, like, 8) is not found in any vegetable (plant) matter, and will be lacking in a total vegetarian diet.    imp



True.  I've been vegan, vegetarian, then pescatarian.  But I've been eating meat again since 2006.  At home we normally eat vegetarian, but when we eat out, or go to friends' for dinner, or have guests for dinner, then we have meat..  I think it's B12 you are missing with a vegan diet.  But with vegetarian you get it from dairy and eggs.


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## Josiah (Jul 12, 2015)

I eat a moderately low carbohydrate diet. My macro-nutrient breakdown would be 20% carbohydrates, 15% protein and 65% fat as measured by calories not weight.


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## Debby (Jul 27, 2015)

imp said:


> My wife has lately taken to eating more nuts and seeds than before. Personally, I like nuts, but dislike the high calorie values. Today, as we perused the mark-down counter as usual, we spied sunflower seeds, as well as pumpkin seeds. She bought the sunflower. They are evidently roasted in oil, according to the ingredient label. Looking closely at the label, at home, I almost fell over: 1 cup provides just under *1,000 calories*! The "serving size" is 1/3 cup, 330 calories, fat 250, protein 10g, not too bad on that, but a 50 calorie helping of canned tuna provides 11 g. protein, so it's twice as effective on protein, comparatively.
> 
> I am of the personal opinion that folks leaning heavily towards vegetables may often be protein-deficient; as I've taken to eating a bucketful of veggies daily, I watch my protein intake. Fish is good, as is poultry or any meat, of course. I finally found a most suitable site to instantly check nutritional values, you might like it:
> 
> ...




I'm a vegan imp and my protein levels are anything but deficient.  A list of my foods daily would go something like this:

1/2 cup of combo. oatmeal, sunflower seeds, quinoa flakes, pumpkin seeds for breakfast
1 cup of lentil stew with mixed veggies in it, for lunch
2 cups of a vegan protein shake made with 1/2 soy milk, 1/2 water for an afternoon snack
quinoa pasta or chick peas, or quinoa (served like rice) or quinoa/potato patties, or beans done all kinds of ways......and accompanied with veggies of all sorts, for supper
nuts, blueberries, watermelon, pineapple - any one of these or even several for snacks in the evening.

Remember there are 'proteins' in pretty much every food, including fruits and veggies.  Horses, elephants, cattle.....all herbivores and they get huge and strong.  I also use quinoa a lot because it is one of the few plant foods that has a complete range of the necessary proteins.  But even without that, your body has an amazing ability to match up the enzymes from a varied diet so that you do get all the protein enzymes that are required for health and fitness.  The misinformation that YOU have to make sure that you 'match' foods to that end has been discounted years ago.

The secret is variety and then exercise.  I do a half hour of interval training plus a short yoga workout two or three times a week.  I'm up to 40 full body push ups now and recently bought myself a 15 lb. kettle bell to add weight when I do squats.  Last time I checked, 118 pounds on 5'4" frame which is about the same that I weighed just before I got pregnant in my 20's and the only difference is that now I have real, visible muscles.  As a 60 year old, I don't worry about my weight at all, I don't count calories and I eat lots of nuts. 

Ameriscot mentioned B12 and that's something that you can get from a little supplement every day.  Keep in mind that even animals don't naturally have B12 as part of their physiology any more than you do.  They source it from eating off the ground, drinking dirty water, etc., as it's a bacteria that is present in the dirt.  In fact, I even read somewhere that the hens that are hatched in sterile hatcheries and then go direct into those awful barns that they're locked into, have B12 added to their feed.  And considering how so many meat eaters are actually deficient in B12 and go for B12 shots as they age especially, the idea of one little tablet that dissolves under your tongue shouldn't be an issue.  

So if you think that being a vegetarian means a shortage of protein, that's only the case if you've given up meat for Twinkies (or some other crap like that).


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## Ameriscot (Jul 27, 2015)

Debby, it's very easy to get enough protein as a vegan.  And most people seem to eat far more protein than they need.  

When I was a vegan back in 1994 I gave up sugar and all junk food at the same time.  For those 6 months I felt fantastic and very healthy!  Couldn't stick with it though.  I did a lot of research before becoming vegan so I was eating a very healthy diet.


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## Josiah (Jul 27, 2015)

My preferred website for nutritional data is SelfNutritionData  http://nutritiondata.self.com/
The reason I like this site is that is gives a detailed breakdown of fats and fatty acids.


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## Debby (Jul 27, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Debby, it's very easy to get enough protein as a vegan.  And most people seem to eat far more protein than they need.
> 
> When I was a vegan back in 1994 I gave up sugar and all junk food at the same time.  For those 6 months I felt fantastic and very healthy!  Couldn't stick with it though.  I did a lot of research before becoming vegan so I was eating a very healthy diet.




I've also heard that most people in the developed world get far more protein than they need, sometimes double.

I kind of leaped into the vegan lifestyle overnight and the nutritional understanding developed along the way.  But on my 'worst' days, I'm so happy that I began focussing on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle when I did!  On those days, I often think about how I would be feeling if I'd stayed with the SAD diet all my life!  Holy cats, frightening thought!

And I've seen that website before Josiah, used to refer to it all the time!  It's good isn't it?  I love it that you can do a search there for kale (or whatever) and it brings up that food but prepared in several ways and then you choose if you want the details for a cooked or raw, previously frozen or fresh..... I hadn't thought of it in a while so thanks for that.


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## drifter (Jul 27, 2015)

I use this Calorie King site some but I have their 2011 Calorie King book, two of them, one I keep on my desk, the other at my dining table. I looked up seed, sunflower on the CalorieKing site. You have to write in a food if it's not listed. I myself am struggling with calories.


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## Debby (Jul 27, 2015)

drifter said:


> I use this Calorie King site some but I have their 2011 Calorie King book, two of them, one I keep on my desk, the other at my dining table. I looked up seed, sunflower on the CalorieKing site. You have to write in a food if it's not listed. I myself am struggling with calories.



Can you see yourself becoming more active so that you don't have to 'struggle' with calories?  Or maybe you have health issues that preclude that?  Don't mean to pry by the way !


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## Ameriscot (Jul 27, 2015)

drifter said:


> I use this Calorie King site some but I have their 2011 Calorie King book, two of them, one I keep on my desk, the other at my dining table. I looked up seed, sunflower on the CalorieKing site. You have to write in a food if it's not listed. I myself am struggling with calories.



I just google calories and look at two answers to be sure they agree.  I keep them on my excel log.  Most of mine have to be calculated as per 100g. I've got most memorized now anyway.  I also just look on the package or carton to get the calories.


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## drifter (Jul 27, 2015)

Debby said:


> Can you see yourself becoming more active so that you don't have to 'struggle' with calories?  Or maybe you have health issues that preclude that?  Don't mean to pry by the way !



Nonsense, you're not prying. Yes, I see myself becoming less active over time. It's a medical problem. 
But, perhaps I used the wrong word and conveyed the wrong perception. I really don't struggle with calories. I merely try to manage them. Maybe I struggle a little with vocabulary.


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## imp (Jul 27, 2015)

You "vegan" folks then can tell me if it's true that one of the essential proteins cannot be found in any vegetable? There are, like, about 8 total?    imp


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## Ameriscot (Jul 28, 2015)

imp said:


> You "vegan" folks then can tell me if it's true that one of the essential proteins cannot be found in any vegetable? There are, like, about 8 total?    imp



There are 22 amino acid and all can be found in a vegan diet since vegans don't eat only vegetables


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## Debby (Jul 28, 2015)

That's right Ameriscot.  A healthy vegan diet is going to include fruits, veggies, pulses (peas, chickpeas, lentils), beans, nuts, and seeds.  Lots of variety.


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## imp (Jul 28, 2015)

*22 Available, 8 Necessary*



Ameriscot said:


> There are 22 amino acid and all can be found in a vegan diet since vegans don't eat only vegetables



Well, I had always heard eight, but understand "where you're coming from. I've talked with some folks who claim to eat nothing but veggies, which IMO is a sure way to ill health.    imp


*Eight Essential Amino Acids for Everyone*

These are eight essential amino acids that everyone needs:


Isoleucine
Leucine
Lysine
Methionine
Phenylalanine
Threonine
Tryptophan
Valine

http://vitamins.lovetoknow.com/List_of_Essential_Amino_Acids


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## Ameriscot (Jul 28, 2015)

imp said:


> Well, I had always heard eight, but understand "where you're coming from. I've talked with some folks who claim to eat nothing but veggies, which IMO is a sure way to ill health.    imp
> 
> 
> *Eight Essential Amino Acids for Everyone*
> ...




Yes anyone who eats only veggies will have serious nutritional deficiencies.  Calcium?  Protein?  Lots.  A varied diet, as Debby says is essential.


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## imp (Jul 28, 2015)

Here's one "for the books"! Read it in a Veterinary magazine. Woman asked her Vet if she could make her cat a vegetarian, totally, no meat. Vet warned her if she did that, the cat would die within a few months, or less. Reason? Cats cannot live without _Taurine, _not found in any plant.

*"Taurine* (/ˈtɔraɪn, -ɪn/), or *2-aminoethanesulfonic acid*, is an organic acid widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight.[SUP][1"

[/SUP]*"Sources

**Dietary intake*

Taurine occurs naturally in fish and meat."


"In animal nutrition

Taurine is an essential dietary requirement for *feline health*, since cats cannot synthesize the compound."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taurine


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## chic (Jul 29, 2015)

imp said:


> Here's one "for the books"! Read it in a Veterinary magazine. Woman asked her Vet if she could make her cat a vegetarian, totally, no meat. Vet warned her if she did that, the cat would die within a few months, or less. Reason? Cats cannot live without _Taurine, _not found in any plant.
> 
> *"Taurine* (/ˈtɔraɪn, -ɪn/), or *2-aminoethanesulfonic acid*, is an organic acid widely distributed in animal tissues. It is a major constituent of bile and can be found in the large intestine, and accounts for up to 0.1% of total human body weight.[SUP][1"
> 
> ...



Taurine's important for humans too. Our hair wouldn't do too well without it as it preserves the integrity of the hair bulb helping hair to grow thicker and stronger.


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## imp (Jul 29, 2015)

Thank you for pointing out that important fact, chic!     imp


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## Debby (Aug 27, 2015)

[h=1]Taurine[/h]Technically, taurine is not an amino acid, but rather an amino sulfonic acid. But it is often referred to as an amino acid, even in scientific literature.
Taurine is not an essential nutrient; in other words, the human body makes its own taurine. Cats, on the other hand, are not able to make taurine and it must be supplied by the diet in order to keep their retinas healthy.
Taurine is made by the body from cysteine, which is a protein amino acid. If you eat the recommended amounts of protein, you should be getting enough cysteine to provide enough taurine......

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/amino

So I guess us vegans don't have to worry about taurine!


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