Fortified Plant-Based Foods to Amp Up Your Nutrition

Fortified foods are useful and convenient, and they should not be overlooked. Supplementing your food intake with fortified foods can help you stay healthy and nutritionally balanced. But it’s not just those of us who are following “special” diets or lifestyle choices that benefit from these foods. We can all benefit from paying attention to the nutrients and vitamins we’re in taking and filling in the gaps when necessary.

Of course, there are those who would say to make homemade versions of these items, and I typically agree that homemade is better to avoid additives and preservatives. After all, real, organic plant foods can do wonders for our health. But if you are looking for additional nutrients beyond the food you are preparing yourself, eating fortified foods can be useful, depending on your situation. If you need more calcium, fortified milk and juice can help.

If you are low on calcium, Vitamin D or B vitamins, you can supplement your intake with foods. Be sure to speak to your doctor about how much more of these vitamins you need per day if you are deficient. Even if you’re not deficient, eating fortified foods can help you maintain adequate levels of these vitamins and nutrients. Here are some tips and recipes for putting those fortified foods to use.

Non-Dairy Milk

Almond milk and soy milk are often fortified with Vitamin D and calcium, which is useful for those who are used to obtaining these nutrients from cow’s milk. Just make an easy switch, glass for glass, and you’ll still get the sunshine vitamin and the strong bone nutrient without harming any cows at all. Use almond milk to make these recipes: Chocolate Strawberry Almond Protein Smoothie, Raw Green Pea Soup, and The World’s Healthiest Vanilla Milkshake. Use soy milk to make Homemade Vegan Butter, Broccoli ‘Cheese’ Pasta Bake and Vegan Creme Brulee.

Nutritional Yeast

Ah, these little golden flakes of cheesy-tasting B12 goodness are a Godsend, especially if you make the plunge to give up dairy. I myself have significantly cut back on my dairy consumption the past year in favor of following a vegan diet, and the hardest part of making the change for me has been giving up by favorite dish: Mac n’ Cheese. I no longer crave the taste and texture of meat after being vegetarian for so long, but that addicting creaminess of cheese is a whole other ball game. I am so thankful for nutritional yeast for not only its cheese-like taste, but also because it is fortified with B12. This vitamin is crucial for energy production. Use nutritional yeast to supplement your B12 intake and try it in these recipes: Tofu Scramble (with Spinach and Nutritional Yeast), Spaghetti Squash with Alfredo Sauce, Cheesy Vegan Mac n’ Yeast, and Quick & Easy Uncheese Sauce.

Orange Juice

In a study done by the The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, adults who drank Vitamin D fortification at 1000 IU/240 mL of orange juice for 12 weeks safely increased their 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Fortified orange juice doesn’t have to be a morning drink only; check out these recipes for how to use fortified juice: Curried Carrot Ginger and Orange Soup and Orange-Triple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies. Also, try using it for smoothies.

Lead image source: Broccoli ‘Cheese’ Pasta Bake