A healthful vegetarian diet includes a variety of foods from every food group. Your choices of suitable foods depend on the type of vegetarian diet you adopt. A vegan diet excludes all animal products including eggs and dairy, a lacto-vegetarian diet includes dairy but not eggs, and a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet allows eggs and dairy.
Fruits and Vegetables
All vegetarian diets allow a variety of fruits and vegetables. The Vegetarian Resource Group recommends that you include leafy green vegetables such as collards, broccoli, kale and mustard greens in your diet to ensure an adequate intake of calcium, especially if your diet excludes dairy. Spinach, lima bean, Swiss chard, turnip greens and potatoes are good sources of iron in the vegetarian diet, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. Eating foods high in vitamin C such as tomatoes, broccoli and citrus fruits help your body absorb the non-heme iron present in plant sources, adds the group.
Whole Grains
Balanced vegetarian diets include a variety of whole grain foods. Choose from whole grain products such as pasta, bread, oatmeal and fortified cereals. Other options include millet, whole wheat tortillas, wild rice and barley. Whole grains help vegetarians to meet the recommended intake of protein, according to the American Dietetic Association. Good choices for added protein include oatmeal, whole wheat bread, brown rice, bulgar and quinoa, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. Quinoa, bulgar, oatmeal and millet also add iron to the vegetarian diet, as do fortified breakfast cereals, according to the group.
Protein Sources
Vegetarians can easily meet protein requirements by consuming a variety of foods, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. Lacto-vegetarians and lacto-ovo-vegetarians get protein from dairy products or eggs, but some plant-based foods make good protein choices for vegetarians as well. Legumes, nuts and seeds are good protein sources. Soy-based products such as soy milk, tofu, tempeh and veggie burgers provide vegetarian alternatives to dairy and meat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Leafy greens, potatoes and corn also add protein to the diet, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group.
Other Foods
A healthful vegetarian diet centers around minimally processed foods. When you opt for prepackaged meals, read the ingredient list carefully to make sure the product is actually vegetarian. Watch for ingredients such as enzymes and gelatin, which are typically animal-derived. Cheeses, for example, often contain rennet, an enzyme derived from milk-fed calves, according to the Vegetarian Resource Group. Foods that commonly contain gelatin include ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, jello, fruit snacks and marshmallows, according to the Gelatin Manufacturers Institute of America.
References
- American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Lifestyle
- The Vegetarian Resource Group: Vegetarianism in a Nutshell
- The Vegetarian Resource Group: Iron in the Vegan Diet
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Vegetarian Choices in the Meat and Beans Group
- The Vegetarian Resource Group: Questions About Food Ingredients
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