I’ve always known it’s important to get enough vitamins and minerals from natural sources, but doing so has been a bit overwhelming. This is a list of important micro nutrients, accompanied by the recommended daily allowance, and natural foods containing high amounts of this nutrient. These can serve as the basic ingredients that recipes and diets can be built upon. With time I’ll make this into a set of recipes and approximate meal plans for meeting our week by week nutritional

Eating a bit of fish or meat would easily satisfy some of these requirements that are hard to get, especially B12.

All units are per / 100g

 

Magnesium (400mg target)

• Hemp seeds 700 mg
• Pumpkin seeds 592 mg
• Cocoa powder 499 mg
• Flax seeds 392 mg
• Almond butter 292 mg
• Cashew butter 258 mg
• Spirulina 195 mg
• Spinach 79 mg
• Swiss chard 81 mg
• Spinach juice 13 mg

Potassium (4700 mg)

• Ancho peppers, dried 2400 mg
• Pasilla peppers, dried 2200 mg
• Sundries tomatoes (dry, not in oil) 3427 mg
• Spirulina powder 1363 mg
• Hemp seeds 1200mg
• Dried apricot 1162 mg
• Pumpkin seeds 786 mg
• Bananas 358mg

Copper (0.9 mg target)

Try eat at separate mail from iron and zinc heavy foods.

• Spirulina 6.1 mg
• Cocoa powder 3.8 mg
• Sesame seed paste (tahini) 4.2 mg
• Brown mushrooms 0.5 mg
• Basil 0.39 mg
• Lentils 1.3 mg
• Potatoes, boiled 0.8 mg

Zinc (11 mg target)

• Hemp seeds 9.9 mg
• Pumpkin seeds 10.3 mg
• Lentils 3.6 mg
• Tahini 10 ug
• Pine nuts 6.4 ug
• Cashews 5.8 ug

Iron ( 8mg target)

• Parsley 6.2 mg
• Potatoes 6 mg
• Spinach 2.7 mg

Selenium (56 ug)

• Brown mushrooms 26 ug
• Egg whites 20 ug
• Sunflower seeds 79 ug
• Tahini 34 ug

Vitamin A (3,000 IU)

• Ancho peppers 20,430 IU
• Carrot juice 19,000 IU
• Sweet potato, baked with skin 20,000 IU
• Broccoli leaves 16,000 IU

Vitamin C (90 mg)

• Bell peppers 170 mg
• Parsley 133mg
• Kale 93.4 mg
• Lemon juice 38.7 mg
• Orange Juice 50 mg

Vitamin D 6000 IU

• Maitake mushrooms 1123
• Portobello mushrooms, exposed to UV light1136

Vitamin E (15 ug)

• Sunflower Seeds 36 ug
• Sunflower oil 41 ug
• Almonds 25 ug

Vitamin K (120 uG)

• Parsley 1640 ug
• Swiss chard 830 ug
• Dandelion greens 778 ug
• Spinach 480 ug

Omega-3 (1.6g

• Flaxseed oil 53g
• Walnut oil 10.4g
• Salmon oil 35g
• Almost all oils are above 6g

Omega-6 ( 17g)

• Grapeseed oil 69g
• Sunflower oil 65g
• Walnut oil 52g

Calcium (1000 mg)

• Agave 417 mg
• Kale 254 mg
• Spinach 99g
• Parmesan 1253 mg
• Tahini 960 mg
• Jarlsberg 890
• Paneer cheese 662 mg

B6 (1.3 mg)

• Pasilla chilies 4.23 mg
• Garlic 1.24 mg
• Ancho 3.54 mg
• Bananas 0.37 mg
• Hass avocado 0.29
• Heart of palm, raw 0.81 mg

B1 (1.2mg)

• Spirulina 2.38 mg
• Flax seeds 1.6 mg
• Sunflower seeds 1.4mg
• Tahini 1.2 mg
• Pine nuts 1.24

B2 (1.3mg)

• Spirulina 3.5mg
• Pasilla peppers 3.2mg
• Dry milk 1.2mg
• Goat cheese 1.2mg
• Almonds 1.4mg
• Almond butter 0.9mg

B3 (16mg)

• Flax seeds 36mg
• Brown mushroom 3.8
• Maitake mushroom 6.59
• Peanut butter 13.7

B12 (2.4 ug)

• Duck eggs 5.4 ug
• Jarlsberg 3.06 ug
• Milk 0.45 ug
• Eggs 1.1 ug

Introduction

Buying garbanzo beans and red lentils is pretty easy. Most stores in the US sell them. Chapati flour is bit more tough to find.I don’t believe any farmers in the US grow the right kind of wheat, nor mill it fine enough to make good Chapatis. White flour is too glutinous, and whole wheat is too tough, coarse and overwhelming full of bran flavor.

Some Indian or “Asian” stores sell imported Chakki Atta. You can find many brands stocked on Amazon. Just search for Chakki Atta.

I generally to buy Organic, locally produced products whenever possible. I try to order directly from small business, and avoid buying on Amazon if I can. This is rather difficult, as almost everything seems to be going to Amazon these days.

Below I discuss how I’ve sourced these Indian food staples. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are better options available. Feel make a suggestion.

 

Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans (or chickpeas) can be bought almost anywhere. Canned chickpeas work fine for  most recipes, although some (for example Falafel), require dried chickpeas soaked overnight.

I usually buy a large bag (25Lbs) or chickpeas, since I eat so many. Gold Mine Natural Foods sells a nice 25 LBs Bag of Organic Garbanzos.

 

Lentils

I usually use red lentils in my recipes. 

In the past I’ve bought a lot of bulk red lentils from Whole Foods.

Mulberry Lane Farms sells a 5 Lb Bag of Organic Red Lentils on Amazon. They are quite good, but quite pricey.

I’ve just discovered that Bob’s Red Mill sells bulk, not just overpriced tiny bags at “health foods” stores. I’ve just ordered a  25Lb Bag of Red Lentils.

 

Chapati Flour (Chakki Atta)

My favorite was from Bytewise Organic, but they are no longer available on Amazon, and when I tried ordering on their website, they never processed my order.

I’ve ordered this 10 Lb Bag of Chakki Atta. It’s pretty good, but lacking in flavor and has some slight flavors that I don’t like compared to the Bytewise.

I’m going to try a 24Mantra 10 Lb Bag of Chakki Atta, and see if it’s better. I will eventually update this page and report on my findings.

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried apricots (or other dried fruit)
• 1/2 inch piece of ginger
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Steps

Grind all ingredients together in a food processor.

 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup grated unsweetened coconut
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 small Thai chili
• A few slices of onion
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 4 slices of ginger

Steps

• Blend garlic, ginger, onions and chili in a food processor
• Add the rest of the ingredients, and blend some more. Don’t overdo it

Introduction

This recipe is another staple. It’s easy to make, and always seems to hit the spot if your one to enjoy simple food.

Prep time: 5 minutes.

Cook time: 45+ minutes

Ingredients

• 1 Lb (454 grams) red lentils (rinsed in a strainer is advisable, but I often skip this. Make sure there are no rocks in the lentils, it happens!)
• 1-2 Tablespoons of ghee or oil
• 1 Teaspoon of salt
• 1 Teaspoon dried turmeric powder
• 1 Teaspoon dried coriander
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves

These measurements are just a guideline. Feel free to adjust. I’ve found that having much turmeric, coriander and cumin than the other spices works well. Too much cayenne, cinnamon or cloves can overpower the dish, and adding a bit extra to highlight a different spice each time adds a bit of fun to the dish

Cooking

1.  Heat the oil on a medium heat in a large heavy pot
2. Add the spices and cook for 30s or so until the spices start to bloom
3. Add the lentils, and fry for a bit
4. Add 2 liters of water. If you’re in a hurry, add hot water
5. One the mixture starts to boil, reduce heat to low and cover. You want the lentils to be boiling gently
6. Stir every 5 minutes for the next 30-45 minutes
7. You can tell they are almost done, when they start forming a thick layer on the bottom during the breaks between stirring. You’ll notice that after scraping up the thick layer, they bubble more forcefully, as the heat captured in the layer is released.
8. After 2-3 times scraping the thick layer, add a teaspoon of salt, stir and turn off the heat.

 

Notes:

• You can cook more or less, and vary the consistency. You could probably even add up to 3 liters of water if you want a very light dal
• Adding salt too early prevents the lentils from breaking apart into the smooth consistency that is key
• You can sauté 1-3 finely diced onions until almost completely caramelized and add the spices to these, followed by by lentils and water. You can add further flavor by adding a few cloves of chopped garlic with the spices.

 

Ingredients

• 1 Lb (454 grams) dried whole garbanzo beans
• 1 Small can of diced tomatoes
• 2 Tablespoons of ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 Teaspoon dried turmeric powder
• 1 Teaspoon dried coriander
• 1 Teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 Teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon smoked paprika (optional, not very Indian)
• 1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A pinch of ground cloves

Soaking and Boiling

1. Place 1 lb dried garbanzo beans in a large bowl or container. Add a lot of water, so the beans are covered with at least 1inch of water.  They absorb a lot
2. Soak for at last 8 hours, changing the water every 4-8 hours, as it gets a bit smelly, and we want to discard whatever leaches out.
3.  When you are ready to cook, drain the beans one more time, and fill a large pot with lots of water, and add the garbanzos. Set to a high heat and bring to a rolling boil.
4. As the water begins to boil, you’ll see a lot of foam forming in the pot. Scoop this off with a spoon and discard. After a few minutes the foam will stop forming as rapidly, although a bit will still form. At this point, turn the heat down to low and cover.
5. Stir every 15 minutes or so to help the garbanzos cook evenly
6. After about 1 1/2 hours, they should be tender. Turn off and let cool. They can stay refrigerated for a few days. They can be used to make hummus at this point.

Final Cooking

1.  Add the oil or ghee to a large pot and heat on medium
2.  Add all the spices and cooking for 30 seconds to a few minutes until the flavors are permeating the kitchen and your nose
3. Drain the garbanzo beans in a colander, retaining a cup of the liquid
4. Place the drained garbanzos in the put, and cooking for 5 minutes letting the spicy oil mixture coat them
5. Add the can of diced tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes
6. Add the salt (1 Teaspoon, a 1.5 if you like salt)
7. Add the retained cup of garbanzo broth and cook for another five minutes