Vegetarian and vegan diets require a little finesse in their planning, but both can be as healthy as following a diet that contains meat or fish. In fact, according to the 2009 position paper of the American Dietetic Association, not only can vegetarian and vegan diets meet your nutritional needs, vegetarians and vegans tend to be healthier overall than people who eat meat. They have been shown to have lower LDL, or "bad" cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure and lower rates of diabetes and cancers.
The Food Guide Pyramid
As outlined on the United States Department of Agriculture's My Pyramid website, the best way to meet your nutritional requirements is to follow the food guide pyramid recommendations for your age, gender and activity level. Also, it's important to eat a variety of foods, paying close attention to the nutrients protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B-12. These are all found in meat, fish, or animal by-products, and vegetarians and vegans need to acquire them by way of other food sources.
Protein
The protein found in meat, fish, dairy and eggs can be replaced with other protein-containing foods. Choose food items such as legumes (dried beans, peas or lentils, for example), eggs or egg substitutes, nuts or seeds, tofu, tempeh or peanut butter. Also, many food items usually containing meat or animal by-products are available in soy form, such as soy cheese or soy yogurt. Visit your local grocery store and check out the soy foods selection.
Iron, Calcium and Zinc
Good non-meat sources of iron include whole wheat breads, fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, apricots, raisins, prunes and kidney beans.
Dairy is a great source of calcium for vegetarians, as are nuts, grains, dark green, leafy vegetables and calcium-fortified fruit juices. For vegans, who do not consume dairy, either a calcium supplement or calcium-fortified foods is an acceptable option for adequate calcium intake. Fruits and vegetables high in potassium and magnesium help to maximize calcium absorption from alternate food sources, so it helps to incorporate a variety of these food items into your diet as well. Choose bananas, apricots, prunes, dates, cantaloupe, watermelon, strawberries, legumes, peas, spinach or tomatoes for potassium. Almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, brazil nuts, barley or whole wheat are all good sources of magnesium.
Zinc sources include dairy products, fortified breakfast cereals, pumpkin seeds and many types of beans, such as kidney beans, white beans and chick peas.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12 is found in dairy products, eggs, fortified foods, such as soy and rice beverages and some breakfast cereals, as well as in supplements. In most cases, a vitamin B-12 supplement is needed for vegetarians and vegans to have an adequate intake of B-12, according to "The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets," by V. Messina, et al.
Bring on the Vegetables
With careful planning, a vegetarian or vegan diet is a healthy alternative to one that contains meat, fish or animal by-products. However, it's important to consult your doctor before embarking on any new diet regimen.
References
- American Dietetic Association: Vegetarian Diets
- USDA: My Pyramid
- "The Dietitian's Guide to Vegetarian Diets: Issues and Applications," 2nd ed.; Messina V, Mangels R, Messina M.; 2004
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