Common Whole-food Staples
A food staple is a food that is eaten routinely and is considered the 'staple' of a meal, because it consists of the biggest amount of calories and volume found in the meal.
This section will talk about all the common vegan food staples and how healthy they are. All of these staples can be used as the main caloric source of vegan recipes--as their plain taste combined with their cheap prices and the large array of nutrients they have makes them a good choice for the main source of calories in a diet.
The foods will be sorted by value of nutrient density per kcal, which is decided according to protein, vitamin B complex, vitamin A, calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc levels (more explained below). A couple of processed staples (e.g. white pasta and white rice) will be also included for comparison.
It is sorted by calories, instead of weight or volume, because caloric intake is the most prevalent and important metric in food plans, important to know to be able to fit all the required nutrients inside our usual daily caloric intake. Therefore, foods with the highest nutrient density per kcal are ranked higher, because they would make fitting all the nutrients we need in our daily caloric intake easier.
When taking into consideration the nutrients to determine how good a staple is, proteins, vitamin B complex, vitamin A (expressed in RAE), calcium, iron, potassium, and zinc are the ones observed--this is because these represent both the nutrients that are mainly sourced from staples (and usually less so from other foods), and the nutrients that are usually not easy to get enough of.
A higher value is placed on calcium and zinc, as those are usually the hardest target to hit. Potassium is given a lower weight because, while hitting the recommended 4700mg/day RDA is very hard, 3400mg/day is an already sufficient RDA, and hitting a high enough value of potassium is easier on a vegan diet than not. Iron is given a higher weight than potassium because, while usually getting enough iron is pretty easy, iron has a worse absorption rate than on a non-vegan diet by a multiplier of 0.65-0.8 (if you want to read more about it), not eating vitamin C alongside iron-rich foods or drinking caffeinated drinks close to iron-rich meals affects the absorption of iron negatively by a very significant amount, iron is often sourced mainly from staples, and women during the menstrual cycle can easily get iron deficient. So, all in all, it is better to play it safe and give iron a significant enough weight--and while being a male that does not drink caffeinated drinks, eats vitamin C-rich foods alongside meals, and eats a good amount of food (good amount of iron) throughout the day would mean there is no worry whatsoever for iron, that is not always the case.
Protein is given a low weight, because it is very easy to reach the RDA of it, but still important enough because it is mainly sourced from staples and more of it correlates with feeling more full.
Vitamin B complex is given a lower weight than vitamin A, as vitamin A is usually harder to hit if not eating specific vitamin A-rich foods, while B vitamins can be had in good quantities from plenty of foods (but staples are usually still the main source). Vitamin B complex is calculated as the average %RDA of the B vitamins, to give a good idea of how rich/poor a food is in B vitamins; (B1% + B2% + B3% + B5% + B6% + folate%) / 6.
Fiber is not considered because it is very easy to get enough fiber on a vegan diet, and while there are more benefits with more fibers, it is not a highlight nutrient to go after with staples.
There are diminishing returns when a nutrient surpasses their optimal range per 100 kcal, as it is less important to eat more of it the more you already have. Everything is based on eating 100 kcal of the food, but the optimal threshold--after which there are diminishing returns--is based on 700 kcal meaning you would get 100% of what the staple has to offer, as at least 700 kcal/day of eating main staples is usually reasonable (roughly a third of the daily calories).
NOTE: you can and will get these nutrients when eating other foods throughout the day, too. It is not required that a staple be in optimal range for it to be good enough, a staple being in optimal range of a nutrient merely means it is exceptionally good when it comes to such nutrient, and it covers the entirety of the day for the RDA of the nutrient with 700 kcal, thus not having to worry about the nutrient with other foods if eating enough of the staple.
Finally, a negative value is placed when a food is too low in caloric density, to the point where you would have to eat enormous volumes of it for the same amount of calories as other staples that would be much denser. A negative value is placed after a certain threshold (150g/100 kcal), because it is impractical to eat high calories of a certain staple (e.g. you would have to eat 667g of squash for 100 kcal, but only 41g of oat bran for 100 kcal, so they cannot be considered as efficient/practical to eat just being compared on the nutrient density per kcal).
It is important to note that you can prioritize a certain nutrient more or less according to what you are missing, if with a personalized diet plan you are struggling to meet the RDA of a certain nutrient--in which case, the Final Value of Nutrient Density / kcal would not represent what is best for your specific case, and you can instead sort for the nutrient of most interest.
| Equation to determine Final Value of Nutrient Density / kcal |
|---|
| For each nutrient:
If (X - Y) ≤ 0, then (X / Y) * Z If (X - Y) > 0, then [1 + (((((X - Y) / Y) + 1)^(1 - n) - 1) / (1 - n))] * Z (n = 1.5) X = amount of grams/RDA% of the nutrient per 100 kcal Y = threshold of optimal amount (after which there is decreasing value/diminishing return), Y is based on 700 kcal of the food reaching optimal levels of the nutrient, as 700 kcal represents roughly 1/3 of the average diet, and that is a good average reference for how good a staple is. Y protein = 8g/100 kcal (56g over 700 kcal as optimal); Y omega-3, omega-6, vitamin B complex , vitamin A, vitamin E, calcium, iron, potassium, zinc = 14.3% RDA/100 kcal (100% over 700 kcal as optimal) Z = %value multiplier (weight) of the nutrient (protein, omega-6, vitamin B complex, potassium = 1; omega-3, vitamin A, vitamin E, iron = 2; zinc = 2.5; calcium = 3) While X has diminishing return above 1/7 of the RDA per 100 kcal, there is a hard cap at 1/3 of the RDA per 100 kcal, as higher than that would prove overkill (300 kcal meaning 100% RDA)--so, for example, vitamin A above 33,34% for carrots is not calculated, since eating 300 kcal of carrots (and as a staple you would likely eat more than that) would already give you 100% RDA, which means it would not be useful to get a higher density of vitamin A per kcal in the staple. On top of all this, a negative value is assigned where foods are too low in caloric density, and it becomes seriously impractical to eat a significant quantity of them as a staple (e.g. squash is 667g per 100 kcal). With foods above 150g/100 kcal, a part is added to the equation: - ((Xg - 150g) * 0.02) |
| Name | Final Value of Nutrient Density / kcal | Grams of food / 100 kcal | Proteins (grams) / 100 kcal | Omega-3 (RDA) / 100 kcal | Omega-6 (RDA) / 100 kcal | Total fat (grams) | Vitamin B complex (average RDA) / 100 kcal | Vitamin A (RDA, ug) / 100 kcal | Vitamin E (RDA, ug) / 100 kcal | Calcium (RDA, mg) / 100 kcal | Iron (RDA, mg) / 100 kcal | Potassium (RDA, mg) / 100 kcal | Zinc (RDA, mg) / 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaranth | 4.99 | 95 | 3.7 | 5.8% | 0% (0.0) | 5% (45.1) | 13% (2.1) | 3% (137.0) | 7% (0.8) | ||||
| Bananas | 2.28 | 112 | 1.2 | 10% | 0% (3.6) | 1% (5.6) | 2% (0.3) | 9% (402.2) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
| Barley (hulled) | 3.34 | 28 | 3.5 | 6.5% | 0% (0.3) | 1% (9.3) | 6% (1.0) | 3% (127.7) | 7% (0.8) | ||||
| Black beans | 5.47 | 71 | 5.9 | 9.7% | 0% (0.0) | 5% (49.3) | 11% (1.7) | 6% (277.9) | 7% (0.7) | ||||
| Carrots (raw) | 6.97 | 244 | 2.3 | 15% | 266% (2037.3) | 8% (80.5) | 5% (0.7) | 17% (780.5) | 5% (0.6) | ||||
| Carrots (cooked) | 6.30 | 286 | 2.2 | 15.8% | 270% (2433.3) | 9% (85.7) | 6% (1.0) | 14% (671.4) | 5% (0.6) | ||||
| Cassava | 1.18 | 62 | 0.9 | 2.8% | 0% (0.4) | 1% (9.3) | 1% (0.2) | 3% (152.2) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
| Chickpeas | 2.96 | 72 | 5.1 | 3.7% | 0% (0.8) | 3% (32.4) | 5% (0.8) | 2% (90.6) | 4% (0.5) | ||||
| Corn | 2.40 | 149 | 3.4 | 8.2% | 0% (3.4) | 0% (4.5) | 3% (0.4) | 4% (197.0) | 4% (0.5) | ||||
| Couscous | 1.56 | 89 | 3.4 | 3.7% | 0% (0.0) | 1% (8.4) | 2% (0.3) | 1% (44.2) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
| Couscous (whole durum flour) | 4.16 | 29 | 4.0 | 7.3% | 0% (0.0) | 1% (10.0) | 6% (1.0) | 3% (127.1) | 11% (1.2) | ||||
| Edamame | 7.43 | 83 | 9.8 | 17.7% | 1% (12.3) | 5% (52.1) | 12% (1.9) | 8% (360.3) | 10% (1.1) | ||||
| Fava beans | 6.63 | 161 | 7.7 | 13.8% | 3% (30.4) | 3% (29.0) | 15% (2.4) | 7% (311.3) | 8% (0.8) | ||||
| Great Northern Beans | 6.86 | 72 | 7.0 | 5.7% | 0% (0.0) | 6% (64.7) | 17% (2.7) | 9% (403.6) | 9% (1.0) | ||||
| Green beans | 6.03 | 286 | 5.4 | 15% | 10% (90.5) | 13% (125.7) | 12% (1.9) | 9% (417.1) | 6% (0.7) | ||||
| Green peas | 7.73 | 128 | 6.6 | 14.3% | 15% (134.6) | 3% (30.8) | 12% (1.9) | 3% (141.0) | 8% (0.9) | ||||
| Kidney beans | 4.30 | 81 | 6.4 | 4% | 0% (0.0) | 5% (46.0) | 8% (1.2) | 5% (223.4) | 5% (0.6) | ||||
| Lentils (brown) | 6.99 | 86 | 7.8 | 14.2% | 0% (0.4) | 2% (16.4) | 18% (2.9) | 7% (318.1) | 10% (1.1) | ||||
| Lima beans | 5.50 | 87 | 6.8 | 9% | 0% (0.0) | 1% (14.8) | 13% (2.1) | 9% (441.7) | 8% (0.8) | ||||
| Millet | 2.31 | 83 | 2.9 | 6.8% | 0% (0.6) | 0% (3.9) | 5% (0.8) | 1% (51.6) | 4% (0.5) | ||||
| Mung beans | 4.77 | 95 | 6.7 | 10.2% | 0% (1.0) | 3% (25.7) | 8% (1.3) | 5% (253.3) | 7% (0.8) | ||||
| Mung beans, sprouted | 3.88 | 476 | 9.7 | 26.5% | 1% (4.8) | 6% (57.1) | 19% (3.1) | 10% (481.0) | 20% (2.2) | ||||
| Mushrooms | 7.73 | 357 | 7.8 | 66.5% | 0% (0.0) | 2% (21.4) | 39% (6.2) | 27% (1271.4) | 28% (3.1) | ||||
| Oatmeal | 3.60 | 26 | 3.5 | 4.2% | 0% (0.0) | 1% (13.7) | 7% (1.1) | 2% (95.5) | 9% (1.0) | ||||
| Oat bran | 6.28 | 41 | 7.0 | 11.8% | 0% (0.0) | 2% (23.6) | 14% (2.2) | 5% (230.1) | 11% (1.3) | ||||
| Pasta (white) | 2.35 | 63 | 3.7 | 8.5% | 0% (0.0) | 0% (4.4) | 5% (0.8) | 1% (27.8) | 3% (0.3) | ||||
| Pinto beans | 4.31 | 88 | 6.1 | 4.3% | 0% (0.0) | 6% (55.3) | 7% (1.2) | 5% (240.4) | 5% (0.5) | ||||
| Plantain | 1.82 | 65 | 1.0 | 6.7% | 3% (29.3) | 0% (1.9) | 1% (0.2) | 7% (307.7) | 1% (0.1) | ||||
| Potatoes (with skin) | 3.92 | 108 | 2.7 | 10.2% | 0% (0.5) | 2% (16.1) | 7% (1.2) | 12% (575.3) | 4% (0.4) | ||||
| Pumpkin | 5.05 | 500 | 3.6 | 17.3% | 160% (1439.0) | 8% (75.0) | 18% (2.9) | 24% (1150.0) | 10% (1.2) | ||||
| Quinoa | 3.90 | 82 | 3.8 | 7.5% | 0% (0.2) | 1% (14.5) | 8% (1.2) | 3% (153.0) | 8% (0.8) | ||||
| Rice (brown) | 2.16 | 81 | 2.2 | 7.5% | 0% (0.0) | 0% (2.4) | 3% (0.5) | 1% (69.9) | 5% (0.6) | ||||
| Rice (wild) | 3.74 | 99 | 4 | 6.3% | 0% (0.2) | 0% (3.0) | 4% (0.6) | 2% (100.0) | 12% (1.3) | ||||
| Rice (white) | 2.31 | 77 | 2.1 | 6.3% | 0% (0.0) | 1% (7.7) | 6% (0.9) | 1% (26.9) | 3% (0.4) | ||||
| Snow peas | 9.67 | 238 | 7.8 | 20.3% | 14% (122.6) | 10% (100.0) | 29% (4.7) | 12% (571.4) | 8% (0.8) | ||||
| Sorghum (flour, whole) | 2.16 | 28 | 2.3 | 4.8% | 0% (0.0) | 0% (3.3) | 5% (0.9) | 2% (90.3) | 4% (0.5) | ||||
| Soybeans | 6.80 | 58 | 10.6 | 7% | 0% (0.2) | 6% (59.3) | 19% (3.0) | 6% (299.4) | 6% (0.7) | ||||
| Split peas | 4.50 | 85 | 7.1 | 8.2% | 0% (0.3) | 1% (11.9) | 7% (1.1) | 7% (306.9) | 8% (0.8) | ||||
| Squash | 4.76 | 667 | 7.6 | 29.7% | 41% (372.2) | 12% (120.0) | 15% (2.5) | 37% (1760.0) | 20% (2.2) | ||||
| Sweet potatoes | 6.80 | 111 | 2.2 | 12.5% | 119% (1067.6) | 4% (42.2) | 5% (0.8) | 5% (527.8) | 3% (0.4) | ||||
| Taro | 1.90 | 70 | 0.4 | 6% | 0% (2.9) | 1% (12.7) | 3% (0.5) | 7% (340.8) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
| Tempeh | 5.27 | 52 | 10.6 | 6.8% | 0% (0.0) | 6% (57.8) | 9% (1.4) | 5% (214.6) | 5% (0.6) | ||||
| Texture vegetable protein (TVP) | 10.04 | 30 | 15.2 | 12% | 0% (0.6) | 8% (78.8) | 19% (3.0) | 16% (757.6) | 15% (1.7) | ||||
| Tofu | 9.31 | 96 | 11.6 | 4.8% | 0% (0.0) | 26% (257.7) | 13% (2.1) | 4% (189.7) | 10% (1.1) | ||||
| Wheat gluten | 4.12 | 27 | 20.3 | 0% | 0% (0.0) | 4% (38.4) | 9% (1.4) | 1% (27.0) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
| Wheat, whole (pasta) | 3.59 | 67 | 4.0 | 6.7% | 0% (0.1) | 1% (8.7) | 7% (1.2) | 1% (64.4) | 8% (0.9) | ||||
| Yam | 2.49 | 86 | 1.3 | 5.8% | 1% (5.2) | 1% (12.1) | 3% (0.4) | 12% (577.6) | 2% (0.2) | ||||
