What vegetarian foods contain collagen?

Do you need to take supplements or is it enough to eat foods that contains collagen? And what vegetarian foods does contain collagen? And what are my favorites? I tell you all about it in this blog!

Since a couple of years I stopped eating meat and I eat fish on a regular basis. Because of this reason I started to wonder if I still eat enough collagen rich foods. These days you see a lot of information online about collagen supplements (cause collagen is populair right now!), so I started to look for more information online and talked to my sister in law who works as a nutritionist. I came to the conclusion that it is possible to find a lot of collagen in seeds, fruits and vegetables. But If you struggle to get enough collagen rich foods in your diet, it could be an option to take collagen supplements.

Let's start with what is collagen?

Collagen is a an important protein in the body that keeps us strong and flexible. It gives structure and elasticity to bones, hair, nails, muscles and joints. It also ensures the firmness and elasticity of the skin. It is a protein that is naturally present in the skin but after a certain age the production decreases.

An important substance for the body to form normal collagen is vitamin C.

What foods are high in collagen?

Let's start with the amino acids present in the proteins of legumes, dried fruits, whole grains, seeds and egg.

Vitamin C is present in citrus fruits such as kiwi, tomatoes, peppers, spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli.

Vitamin E present in sunflower seeds or cold-pressed sunflower oil, for example the "Campo Claro" brand, walnuts and avocado.

Zinc in pumpkin seeds, eggs, nuts, whole grains, legumes. The carotenes that are pigments of vegetables.

My personal favorites are avocado, spinach, walnuts, peppers, eggs and sunflower seeds!

All those nutrients the body needs to synthesize or produce collagen.