A vegan or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet can be a healthy lifestyle choice, whether you choose it for health, environmental reasons or ethical ones. Vegan and vegetarian diets include vegetables, fruits, grains, beans, nuts and seeds. Lacto-ovo vegetarians include dairy products and eggs, but they avoid meat. As with any diet choice, a well-balanced diet with adequate vitamins, minerals and fats is essential.
Beans, Nuts and Protein Foods
Many people worry about adequate protein, particularly with vegan diets. If you include generous amounts of nuts, beans, seeds and whole grains in your diet, you will consume adequate vegetable protein, according to MayoClinic.com. Soy burgers, seitan, tofu and tempeh are other protein options in a vegetarian diet.
Whole Grains
Whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice, and whole-wheat bread, provide iron, vitamins and minerals, and even protein. Enriched and fortified breakfast cereals may add iron and the critical vitamin B12 to your diet. Make most of your grains complex carbohydrates---rather than choosing white bread, pasta or rice---to get the best nutritional boost from these foods. MayoClinic.com's vegetarian food pyramid recommends six servings of grains each day. Get your grains from a sandwich on whole wheat, a bowl of pasta, or a baked potato.
Fruits and Vegetables
At least five servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit are recommended by MayoClinic.com's vegetarian food pyramid. Vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamins and minerals. Choose vegetables in a variety of colors to create a well-balanced vegan or vegetarian meal. Include dark-green vegetables, like kale and spinach, to provide iron and calcium, suggests the American Heart Association. Dried fruit is another excellent source of iron in the vegetarian diet, and a convenient one to carry as a snack.
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