Do I still need vegetable nutrients if I take a multivitamin

[coldheartedsnake]

I am new to gaining weight. I'm 6'0, 145 pounds. I work out for an hour a day 5 days a week. I try to consume about 3500-4000 calories a day, which is a bit difficult to me if I'm eating a lot of vegetables too. I have to stick mostly to calorically dense foods. I am already taking a daily multivitamin for B12 concerns and it has the day's worth of almost all vitamins I'd assume that ordinary vegetables would give me. Here is a typical day's worth of food...

 

2 cans of boiled peanuts- 890cal

half cup of sunflower kernels- 320cal

1 banana- 120cal

2 boca chik'n patties with buns and hot sauce- 540cal

3 cups apple juice- 360cal

1 can of spinach- 140cal

protein shake consisting of 2 cups soy milk, 400 calories of peanut butter, chocolate syrup, protein powder. -770 calories.

2 cups of chili consisting of various vegetables. -350 cal.

 

 

My basic question then is whether the multivitamin is giving me all I need, even though I eat less vegetables and fruits than recommended on a food chart.

Also, is it detrimental to get so many calories from peanuts? I find it to be very easy and convenient, though something like a third of my calories are peanut derived.

Thanks.

[vegimator]

You're getting a lot of omega 6 fats and not a lot of omega 3s. It would be better if you were eating toasted walnuts instead of the peanuts.

[coldheartedsnake]

That's good advice. I will search for walnuts. I know that flax seeds are a good source of omega 3s too and I used to eat them all the time.

[chrisjs]

Meh. Optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is probably somewhere around 2:1, walnuts are 4.5:1 which, while better than most things, doesn't really help balance your overall w6:w3 intake.

 

I'd look into flaxseeds, flax oil, or chia seeds. Of course you can't go too crazy there since flax is high in cyanide.

[vegimator]

Meh. Optimal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is probably somewhere around 2:1, walnuts are 4.5:1 which, while better than most things, doesn't really help balance your overall w6:w3 intake.

 

I'd look into flaxseeds, flax oil, or chia seeds. Of course you can't go too crazy there since flax is high in cyanide.

 

True, but if you're eating nuts, it might as well be walnuts. Hemp seed would be a better replacement nutritionally too (2:1 ratio and high protein) but it's expensive and doesn't taste as good as peanuts.

[Northstar]

I wonder if sprouting chia seeds affect their omega ratio.

[Zerh]

don't forget avocado ! good omegas 3

Also, legumes would be a good deal for proteins/carbs and calories overall. I see mostly fats here. For bigger caloric intake, eat your legumes with olive oil (good stuff, good ratio)

 

Also, as a guy currently cutting, I'm currently salivating big time reading your diet.

[chrisjs]

don't forget avocado !

Also, legumes would be a good deal for proteins/carbs. I see mostly fats here.

Avocados are mostly fat.

[Zerh]

don't forget avocado !

Also, legumes would be a good deal for proteins/carbs. I see mostly fats here.

Avocados are mostly fat.

yeah we were talking about omegas lol

[vegimator]

Avocados:

 

Total Omega-3 fatty acids

165 mg

 

Total Omega-6 fatty acids

2534 mg

 

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fruits-and-fruit-juices/1843/2

 

Avocados are called good fats because they're loaded with monounstaurated fat.

[chrisjs]

My point was suggesting avocado then saying the diet's already high in fat. lol.

[Ducati]

My point was suggesting avocado then saying the diet's already high in fat. lol.

 

Avocados are a huge weakness of mine. I will eat them whole and plain right out the their flesh. I found that if I mix it with mustard, they remind me of egg salad:)

[chrisjs]

That's an interesting combination!

[coroho]

My point was suggesting avocado then saying the diet's already high in fat. lol.

Not to mention suggesting adding olive oil to his legumes, lol.

 

But I agree, it will be easier to get your nutrients from a greater variety in calories than from mostly fats. Doesn't have to be all vegetables, lots of things have vitamins and minerals.

[coldheartedsnake]

I will replace a can of peanuts with a can of black beans for starters.

Zerh, how do you incorporate olive oil into legumes?

[MartinVegartin]

 

My basic question then is whether the multivitamin is giving me all I need, even though I eat less vegetables and fruits than recommended on a food chart.

 

You'll still need to eat fruit and vegetables, and pulses, seeds, and other things, to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. There will be things in food that aren't even known about now. Vitamins were unknown not long ago.

 

Until we are living in Star Trek days, we'll need more than just pills for our micronutrients. Even if we were living in Star Trek days, I would still eat proper food. The taste is very tasty. And I could never give up tea.

 

Good luck on gaining lean weight.

[Zerh]

I will replace a can of peanuts with a can of black beans for starters.

Zerh, how do you incorporate olive oil into legumes?

 

Here around the mediterrannean sea we add olive oil to almost anything, since it is so delicious.

 

When I'm lazy I just take a bowl of green lentils, add olive oil, salt and just a bit of pepper and it is done. Olive oil is great with almost any vegetables or legumes, I think it's actually the only oil who can be considered as a sauce by itself.

 

You can also make a special sauce, like the sauce pesto (can be made vegan, just remove the cheese it's still good) or the aioli (it's some kind of mayonnaise, of course you can substitute the eggs like for a vegenaise)

The pesto is great with pasta and aioli is great with anything solid (Boiled potatoes ?)

 

I don't know if americans can find high-quality olive oils. Some of them are so good you eat your food only for the oil

[Ducati]

 

My basic question then is whether the multivitamin is giving me all I need, even though I eat less vegetables and fruits than recommended on a food chart.

 

You'll still need to eat fruit and vegetables, and pulses, seeds, and other things, to ensure you get all the nutrients you need. There will be things in food that aren't even known about now. Vitamins were unknown not long ago.

 

Until we are living in Star Trek days, we'll need more than just pills for our micronutrients. Even if we were living in Star Trek days, I would still eat proper food. The taste is very tasty. And I could never give up tea.

 

Good luck on gaining lean weight.

 

 

It is great to see that other people recognize that there are things in food that provide us benefits that we have yet to discover. People think that vitamins and minerals are the limits of micronutrients, but there are maybe hundreds, maybe thousands, maybe millions of combinations of micronutrients that provide us with benefits that we can not easily quantify.

 

Food is always better than a pill, but a pill of micronutrients is better than nothing at all.