A well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy way to meet your nutritional needs. Find out what you need to know about a plant-based diet.
Adopting a healthy vegetarian diet isn't as simple as scraping meat off your plate and eating what's left. You need to take extra steps to ensure you're meeting your daily nutritional needs
A healthy vegetarian diet consists primarily of plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seed. Because the emphasis is on nonmeat food sources, a vegetarian diet generally contains less fat and cholesterol, and typically includes more fiber.
Vegetarians fall into groups defined by the types of animal-derived foods they eat:
- Vegans eliminate all foods from animals, including meat, poultry, fish, milk, eggs and cheese. They eat only plant-based foods.
- Lacto-vegetarians consume milk and milk products along with plant-based foods. They omit eggs as well as meat, fish and poultry.
- Lacto-ovo vegetarians omit red meat, fish and poultry but eat eggs, milk and milk products, such as cheese and yogurt, in addition to plant-based foods.
To keep your vegetarian diet on track, you may find using a vegetarian food pyramid helpful. This pyramid outlines various food groups and food choices that, if eaten in the right quantities, form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet.
Meatless products, such as tofu dogs, soy burgers, nut loaves or texturized vegetable protein, add variety to your vegetarian diet. These products, found in many grocery stores and health food markets, simulate the taste and texture of meat and usually have less fat and fewer calories. Many of the meatless products, such as tofu or tempeh, are made from soybeans.
If you follow a vegan diet, you may need to find alternatives for eggs and dairy products. Try these suggestions when meal planning or cooking:
- Milk. Drink fortified soymilk, rice milk or almond milk in place of cow's milk.
- Butter. When sauteing, use olive oil, water, vegetable broth, wine or nonfat cooking spray instead of butter. In baked goods, use canola oil.
- Cheese. Use soy cheese or nutritional yeast flakes, which are available in health food stores.
- Eggs. In baked goods, try commercial egg replacers — a dry product made mostly of potato starch. Or you can use the following to replace one egg: 1/4 cup whipped tofu or 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. For an egg-free omelet try using tofu instead of eggs.
The Choice of Vegetarianism
There are many reasons why children or families may follow a vegetarian diet. Younger vegetarians are usually part of a family that eats vegetarian meals for health or other reasons. Older children may decide to become vegetarians because of concern for animals, the environment, or their own health. In most cases, you shouldn't be alarmed if your child chooses vegetarianism. The best way to handle your child's choice is to discuss what it means to him or her and how he or she wants to implement it - making sure your child makes healthy and nutritious food choices.
Making Sure It's Nutritious
Vegetarian parents should give their children a variety of foods that provide enough calories and nutrients to enable them to grow normally. The majority of pediatric experts say a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet (eating dairy products and eggs, but no meat) is a healthy choice for most children (although allergists suggest not introducing eggs until after 1 year of age).
Offering young children a diet filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps them to learn healthy eating habits that may last for a lifetime. And a diet rich in fruits and veggies will be high in fiber and low in fat, factors known to improve cardiovascular health by reducing blood cholesterol and maintaining a healthy weight.
However, kids and teens on a vegetarian diet may need to be careful that they get an adequate amount of certain vitamins and minerals. Here are nutrients that vegetarians should make sure they get, and some of the food sources in which they can be found:
- vitamin B12: dairy products, eggs, and vitamin-fortified products, such as cereals, breads, and soy and rice drinks
- vitamin D: dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice, and vitamin-fortified products
- calcium: dairy products, dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, chickpeas, and calcium-fortified products, including orange juice, soy and rice drinks, and cereals
- protein: dairy products, eggs, tofu, dried beans, and nuts
- iron: eggs, dried beans, dried fruits, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals and bread
- zinc: wheat germ, nuts, fortified cereal, and legumes
Depending on the type of vegetarian diet chosen, kids may miss out on some of these important nutrients if the diet isn't monitored by the parents. The less restrictive the vegetarian diet, the easier it will be for your child to get enough protein and necessary nutrients.
