10 vegan foods with more iron than red meat

From msn.com/en-us

Most people think you need a massive slab of meat to keep your iron levels up, but the plant kingdom is actually full of heavy hitters. If you’re feeling a bit sluggish, switching up your plate with these vegan basics can make a world of difference. These foods prove you can get maximum nutrition without ever touching red meat.

1. Spinach

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You can honestly throw a handful of spinach into almost everything you cook because it’s such a low effort iron boost. It wilts down to basically nothing in a pan, so you can eat a ton of it without feeling full. Try sautéing it with a little garlic and lemon juice, the vitamin C actually helps your body absorb the iron. 

2. Lentils

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Lentils are the ultimate pantry MVP when you’re tired but want a real meal. They’re cheap, cook way faster than beans, and are absolutely loaded with iron. You can make a big batch of dal or a cold lentil salad for the week. It’s a super filling way to keep your energy steady without that heavy meat slump.

3. Pumpkin seeds

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Don’t let their size fool you, these little guys are concentrated iron bombs. You can keep a jar of roasted pumpkin seeds on your desk for when you are craving something salty. Just a small handful actually has more iron than a serving of beef. They’re perfect for topping your morning oatmeal or adding some much needed crunch to a boring desk salad.

4. Quinoa

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Quinoa is one of those rare grains that’s actually a complete protein, which is huge for plant based food. It has got a nice, nutty bite and sucks up whatever flavour you throw at it. You can use it as a base for Mediterranean bowls with plenty of parsley and tahini. It’s light, fluffy, and does a great job fuelling your blood.

5. Tofu

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Tofu is basically a blank canvas that does all the hard work for you. Since it’s made from soybeans, it’s naturally high in iron and takes on the flavour of any marinade you like. You can also press yours and get it really crispy in the air fryer. It’s a total game changer for quick stir fry or even breakfast scramble bowls.

6. Chickpeas

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Whether you’re dipping pita into fresh hummus or tossing them into a spicy curry, chickpeas are a pure comfort. They are a fantastic source of iron that keeps your energy levels from dipping in the afternoon. You can keep a few cans in the cupboard for those nights when you need a fast, iron rich dinner fix that actually tastes amazing.

7. Swiss Chard

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Swiss chard is definitely one of the most underrated greens for your blood health. It’s incredibly colourful and tastes a bit earthier than spinach, but it’s loaded with just as much iron. Chop up the stems and sauté them first for a bit of crunch. It’s a beautiful way to brighten up your dinner plate.

8. Sesame Seeds

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Small but mighty, sesame seeds are a powerhouse of calcium and heart-healthy lignans like sesamin. Whether ground into creamy tahini or sprinkled over a stir fry, they provide a distinct nutty crunch and essential minerals that support bone health and metabolic function.

9. Cashews

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Renowned for their buttery texture, cashews are rich in monounsaturated fats and magnesium. They are incredibly versatile in the kitchen, acting as a nutrient dense snack or a smooth, plant based base for dairy free creams, cheeses, and rich, savoury sauces that elevate any meal.

10. Dark chocolate

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Yes, you can actually count your dessert as a health move if it’s high quality dark chocolate. It’s surprisingly high in iron, so a square or two after dinner isn't just an indulgence it’s functional. Just make sure you’re grabbing the stuff with at least seventy percent cocoa to get the real benefits without a massive load of added refined sugar.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/10-vegan-foods-with-more-iron-than-red-meat/ss-AA204DaC

These Freezer Friendly Vegan Meals Are Perfect For Busy Weekdays

From plantbasednews.org

Cook now, coast for days 

Some days, cooking feels like the last thing you want to do. You’re busy, tired, or just not in the mood to start from scratch. That’s where these freezer friendly vegan meals can make all the difference, giving you something nourishing to fall back on without the effort.

Hannah Howlett, known for her YouTube channel and platform High Carb Hannah, has built a following by sharing simple, whole-food, plant-based recipes focused on weight loss and sustainable living. In a recent video, she shows how freezer friendly vegan meals can take the pressure off daily cooking without sacrificing nutrition.

Framing the video around what she calls her “lazy girl prep,” Howlett explains that as life gets busier, having ready-made meals becomes essential. “I feel like the older I get, the lazier I get,” she says, adding that these freezer staples help her stay consistent with healthy eating. Across breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she shares three freezer friendly vegan meals designed to be practical, affordable, and easy to reheat.

Oat waffles for quick, unprocessed breakfasts

These oat waffles make an easy, wholesome breakfast you can prepare ahead and enjoy any day - Media Credit: YouTube / High Carb Hannah

Howlett starts with a breakfast that’s as simple as it is versatile: mini oat waffles made from pantry staples. The batter is made from oat flour, flaxseed, and baking powder. To this, she adds plant milk, mashed banana, and maple syrup. It’s a straightforward mix that delivers a naturally sweet, whole-food option without relying on processed ingredients.

She prepares multiple waffles in one go using a mini waffle maker. Then she cools them completely on a wire rack before freezing. This step is key. If they’re not fully cooled, condensation can ruin the texture. Once ready, she layers each waffle between small squares of parchment paper to stop them from sticking together. “You just don’t want the waffles touching each other or they will stick together and it’ll just be a mess,” she explains.

The waffles are then stacked into a freezer bag and stored flat. When needed, they go straight from freezer to toaster, making breakfast almost effortless. “You just pull one out of the freezer, pop it in your toaster,” she says. She keeps toppings simple, often using maple syrup. For something more substantial, she adds coconut whipped cream and berries.

The result is a freezer friendly vegan meal that replaces store-bought waffles with something far less processed but just as convenient.

Refried beans and quesadillas for flexible lunches

YouTube / High Carb HannahAssembling the quesadillas while the filling is still warm helps distribute the beans evenly for better results later

Next, Howlett moves on to a batch-cooking staple: refried beans. She starts by soaking pinto beans overnight. Then she rinses them thoroughly before cooking them in an Instant Pot with vegan bouillon, jalapeños or green chilies, and salt. The addition of chilies is a small but important step. “It really just makes the flavour of these so so good,” she says.

After cooking, the beans appear thin at first, almost like soup. But this is intentional. As they cool, they thicken significantly. She blends most of the mixture with an immersion blender, leaving some texture behind while ensuring the spices are evenly distributed.

Instead of storing everything as-is, Howlett turns part of the batch into freezer-ready quesadillas. While the beans are still hot, she scoops equal portions onto tortillas. Then she folds them over, and presses the filling evenly to the edges. This step makes a noticeable difference in the final result. “The beans are just perfectly dispersed throughout the quesadilla and I just love it,” she says.

The assembled quesadillas are layered with parchment paper, frozen until firm, and then transferred into freezer bags. This two-step freezing process helps them hold their shape and prevents sticking.

When it’s time to eat, they go straight into a pan on low heat with a lid, then flipped to crisp. The result is a quick, filling lunch that pairs well with cashew sour cream or hot sauce, or works on its own.

Alongside the quesadillas, she also stores extra beans in freezer-safe glass containers, noting that standard mason jars often crack in the freezer. It’s a small but practical detail that reflects her focus on making these freezer friendly vegan meals actually work long term.

Lentil shepherd’s pie for an easy, hearty dinner

For dinner, Howlett prepares a lentil-based shepherd’s pie designed to be both comforting and freezer-friendly. She cooks a mix of brown and red lentils. Then she builds the filling with frozen vegetables including shiitake mushrooms, peas, carrots, onions, and corn.

The seasoning is simple but effective: nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. But what really transforms the dish is her approach to the sauce. “The secret ingredient here is I use my instant vegan gravy and a little bit of cornstarch,” she says. Added while everything is still hot, this combination thickens the mixture into a rich, cohesive filling.

She describes the final texture as “this thick gravy kind of vibe.” Howlett explains that it turns the base into something closer to a classic comfort dish. “It just tastes like you’re eating mashed potatoes with this thick lentil [and] vegetable packed gravy on the bottom,” she adds.

The mashed potato topping is kept simple. It’s made with soy milk, garlic powder, salt, and a splash of lemon juice for balance. Once both components are ready, she portions them into containers of different sizes. This makes the meals adaptable for individuals, couples, or even kids.

When reheating, she recommends thawing the dish first. Then, you bake it at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Removing the foil at the end helps crisp the top layer, adding texture to an otherwise soft dish.

It’s the most substantial of the three freezer friendly vegan meals, designed for evenings when cooking from scratch feels unrealistic but a nourishing meal is still needed.

Across all three recipes, Howlett’s approach stays consistent: keep ingredients simple, cook in batches, and store meals in a way that makes reheating as easy as possible. The result is a system that removes friction from healthy eating, built around freezer friendly vegan meals that fit into real life rather than complicate it.

For more of Howlett’s whole foods, plant-based magic, check out the High Carb Hannah YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/freezer-friendly-vegan-meals/

Are you meeting your nutrition values on a vegan diet?

From veganfirst.com

By Akansha Jhalani

As we all know, there is no theory backing up the logic that non-vegetarians or ovo-lacto-vegetarians are healthier than vegans, even though many will tell you otherwise. But the good news is that vegans can get sufficient nutrition provided they carefully plan their meals considering all the food groups.

The nutrients which are of optimum importance on a wholly vegan diet are vitamin B12, protein, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium, iron, iodine, zinc, and selenium.  But with proper planning, one can get sufficient doses of the above-mentioned nutrients  from a plant based diet. Additionally, a well-planned vegan diet can be very beneficial for the body as it can help lower the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

Listed below are the different nutrients you need and the ways to intake them on a vegan diet:

Protein from plants

For a vegan, it is recommended that they take 0.9 gms of protein per kilogram of their body weight.

One should consume an adequate quantity of varied sources to ensure that they get their required dosage of protein. Seeds, nuts, legumes, whole grains and soy are excellent sources of protein. Other great sources of proteins are tofu, lentils, chickpeas, quinoa, orange, broccoli and plant based protein powder.

Omega 3

Take a vegan DHA capsules which contain algae-derived omega 3 fatty acids.

Omega 3 fatty acids are highly beneficial for the heart, brain, joint health and skin. Flax seeds, walnuts and canola oil are excellent sources of vegan omega 3 fatty acids. Consuming these on regular basis would nurture one with the required dosage minus the cholesterol and toxins found in fish.

Vitamin B12 for vegans

2.4 mcg of Vitamin B12 is required on an average per day.

Vitamin B12 is made by bacteria and fungi. Sterilization and cleaning of various vegan sources of food destroys their natural B12 content. Vegans all over the world are advised to take supplements for their vitamin B12 requirement. Some brands of fortified cereals, nutritional yeast, soy and rice milks also contain Vitamin B12.

Calcium

Men and women aged 19-50 should take 1000 mg of calcium every day.

Calcium is found in abundance in greens, kale, broccoli, almonds, beans and sesame seeds. There are many calcium-fortified foods available like fortified soy, cereals, tofu and juices. As a vegan, one should take supplements or such fortified foods to ensure the proper intake of calcium rich vegan foods.

Vitamin D

800IU is the recommended daily intake of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of calcium in the body. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D. It is also found in fortified orange juices, tofu and mushrooms. Vegans find it very difficult to fulfil their Vitamin D requirement in winters when the sun is low.

 

Iron

Sunflower seeds, spinach, dried fruits, nuts, lentils, molasses, grains and millet contain iron.

As vitamin C helps to increase the iron absorption in the body, either eat foods with a combination of iron and vitamin C or eat dark-leafy vegetables which have sufficient doses of both iron and calcium.

 

Carry backup food

Getting vegan options everywhere might be a problem, though more and more restaurants have started offering vegan options these days. It’s a good idea to carry your meal while travelling so that one need not skip meals. Vegan bars are a good option to carry while travelling.

Cooking your vegan meal

Invest in a few good vegan cookbooks and you would be surprised at a number of options vegans have. Vegan food need not be boring and restrictive. Food cookbooks explore and experiment with a wide range of vegan options making food delicious for you.

Proper doses and proper food combinations can ensure that a vegan diet can be as healthy and nourishing, just like any other dietary option!

https://www.veganfirst.com/article/are-you-meeting-your-nutrition-values-on-a-vegan-diet-

This Vegan Easter Brioche Will Steal The Show At Your Brunch

From plantbasednews.org

Your guests may not believe you made it yourself 

If you really want to impress your Easter brunch guests this year, skip the usual pastries and bring out this stunning vegan Easter brioche instead. Golden, braided, and designed to double as a centrepiece, it looks every bit as indulgent as the classic, yet it’s completely plant-based. Even better, thanks to a clever technique conceived by its creator, Lionel Roudaut, it delivers that soft, fluffy, slightly stretchy crumb you expect from a traditional brioche, with a surprisingly simple method that doesn’t require a single egg.

Roudaut, known for his YouTube channel My Vegan Provence, is a passionate French cook and world traveller who reimagines regional dishes using plant-based ingredients. Drawing inspiration from Provence, Roudaut focuses on preserving tradition while making it accessible for vegan kitchens. In one recent video, he shares how to make a vegan Easter brioche inspired by a classic from Nice, complete with orange blossom, pearl sugar, and chocolate eggs.

A traditional brioche, reworked

             This golden, braided brioche is inspired by the classic Easter breads of Nice - Media Credit: YouTube / My Vegan Provence

Brioche is deeply rooted in French baking. It is known for its richness, which comes from large amounts of eggs and butter. That’s what gives it its soft crumb and slightly stretchy texture.

Roudaut keeps that tradition in mind but flips the ingredients. “I will replace the eggs in the recipe by [using] this ingredient, a potato,” he says. “A simple potato, and it works.”

Instead of relying on eggs for structure and softness, he uses cooked potatoes blended into the dough. The result is surprisingly close to the original. “The crumb is moist, it’s stringy, it just tastes like a real brioche,” he adds. “This is just incredible.”

The vegan Easter brioche still includes vegan butter for richness, but the potato does the heavy lifting when it comes to texture.

Building flavour from the start

The process begins with activating the yeast in plant-based milk, a standard step in enriched doughs. From there, Roudaut layers in flavour early, zesting lemon directly into the bowl and adding orange blossom water for a floral, slightly sweet aroma that defines this regional bake.

He then blends the cooked potato with the yeast mixture until smooth. This step is key. The potato must be fully creamy, with no graininess, so it integrates seamlessly into the dough.

Once flour, sugar, and salt are added, the dough starts to form. It is kneaded to develop elasticity, which is essential for trapping air and creating that light, airy texture associated with brioche.

The role of fat and structure

In traditional brioche, butter is gradually incorporated into the dough. The same principle applies here, but with vegan butter.

Roudaut notes that the dough initially resists the fat. “The dough is elastic and is going to resist the incorporation of fat,” he explains. But with continued mixing, the butter is absorbed, and the dough becomes smooth and pliable.

This stage is crucial for achieving the right structure. The dough should stretch easily and hold together, a sign that the gluten has developed properly.

After kneading, the dough is left to rise until it doubles in size. Roudaut then takes things further by chilling it overnight.

“The flavours and the texture of the dough are going to improve drastically with the night spent in the cold,” he says. “Yeast and bacteria are going to develop slowly and create wonderful aromas.”

This slow fermentation not only deepens flavour but also improves the final crumb, making the vegan Easter brioche more complex and bakery-like.

Shaping a symbolic Easter centrepiece

YouTube / My Vegan Provence                     Roudaut carefully braids three strands of dough, creating the classic crown shape that symbolizes the Trinity

The next day, the dough is divided and shaped into three strands. These are braided together, a traditional technique that carries symbolic meaning.

“The reason why you have three braids is to represent the Trinity,” Roudaut explains.

The braid is then formed into a crown, placed on a baking tray, and left to rise again. To help with this final rise, he adds a bowl of boiling water to the oven to create a warm, humid environment.

Before baking, the brioche is glazed with plant milk and sugar for shine, then topped with pearl sugar. Once baked, it turns golden brown and fragrant.

Finishing touches and serving

After cooling, the final decorative step brings everything together. Chocolate eggs are gently melted and fixed onto the surface, turning the brioche into a festive centrepiece.

The result is a vegan Easter brioche that looks traditional but is entirely plant-based. It is soft, aromatic, and slightly sweet, with that signature pull-apart texture.

For anyone navigating Easter with mixed dietary preferences, this recipe offers a way to keep tradition alive without compromise.

For more of Roudaut’s French and Provençal vegan recipes, visit My Vegan Provence YouTube channel.

https://plantbasednews.org/lifestyle/food/vegan-easter-brioche-steals-the-show/