All of the recipes on Meat Free Fitness have important nutrition information at the end of each post. They will always include how much protein and iron they contain, as these are the nutrients that most often raise concern when it comes to vegan and vegetarian diets.
Posts also provide information regarding calories, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, salt, and fibre. You'll be amazed at how most vegan recipes are lower calorie, lower saturated fat, lower salt, and higher fibre than typical meat containing meals.
Each recipe will also show the nutrients as a percentage of the Dietary Reference Values (DRVs). These are a series of estimates of the energy and nutritional requirements for healthy people in the UK population, and include Reference Nutrient Intakes (RNIs) and Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs):
RNIs are the amount of a nutrient that ensures that the needs of 97.5% of the population are met. This is used here for protein, iron, and fibre.
GDAs, also known as Reference Intakes, are set by European law. When used on nutrition labels on packaged foods, they refer to the maximum daily amounts based on an average female adult. These values are used here for calories, sugar, total fat, saturated fat, and salt.
ADULT WOMEN
Protein: 50g / day
Iron: 14.8mg / day (8.7mg / day for over 50's)
Calories: 2000 / day
Sugar: 90g / day
Total fat: 70g / day
Saturated fat: 20g / day
Salt: 6g / day
Fibre: 30g / day
ADULT MEN
Protein: 55g / day
Iron: 8.7mg / day
Calories: 2500 / day
Sugar: 120g / day
Total fat: 95g / day
Saturated fat: 30g / day
Salt: 6g / day
Fibre: 30g / day
* Please note that DRVs are guides to help populations understand the amount of energy and key nutrients that can be eaten on a daily basis in order to maintain a healthy diet. They are not individual recommendations or goals, and your needs many be different depending on your age, weight, health, and how physically active you are.
For example, I would usually recommend that those who train frequently would require higher calories, protein, and iron than the DRVs.
If you’d like to ensure your nutrition is right to help you reach your goals, whether they're weight loss, increasing strength, improving fitness, or just feeling healthier and more energised, then click here to find out more about the Meat Free Fitness nutrition guides.
They’re bespoke, tailored nutrition plans that will help you adopt habits to improve your health and fitness long into the future, rather than an unsustainable crash diet, where most people regain any weight lost or muscle they've gained soon after finishing the diet.
For more information on DRVs in the UK, see the British Nutrition Foundation report on nutrition requirements here.