Vegan Nutrition with Jill Nussinow, MS, RD

Jill Nussinow is a Registered Dietitian, culinary educator, cookbook author, speaker and consultant and all around proponent of a plant-based diet. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking at Santa Rosa Junior College in California and other places around the US. She has a son who is almost 15. One of her greatest joys is sharing her enthusiasm for vegetables and pressure cooking with anyone who will listen.

My son is allergic to ALL legumes. Is a vegan diet possible for him? He has an eosinophilic disorder. He is also allergic to seasame, garlic, tomatoes, eggs, shellfish.

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I wish that I could give you a definite answer regarding your girls' nail issues. I have been asked Since shellfish and eggs aren't vegan, those would have no effect on your son's diet. Having to omit all legumes does not leave many higher protein options in a vegan diet.

One of the only truly protein sources would be seitan (wheat gluten) but it's good to keep in mind that most foods, except fruit and fats, contain some protein. Since your son has other allergies, eating wheat often could cause him to have sensitivities to this as well. Quinoa is a higher protein grain and you could use that often but without legumes, the diet may end up without a lot of variety. You don't mention how old your son is or why you want him to follow a vegan diet, and it sounds like something you should discuss with a vegetarian-friendly M.D.

Editor's Note: You might benefit from a nutrition consultation to get help structuring a diet for you son. Vegfamily offers consultations through our dietitian, Marty Davey.

Visit Jill's website TheVeggieQueen.com and her blog theveggiequeen.blogspot.com.

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Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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