Vegetarian diets can be both healthy and complete, but they must be done carefully to make sure you get all the nutrients you need. One important nutrient is protein; most people need between 46 and 56 g of protein each day, and this includes vegetarians.
Types of Vegetarians
There are three main kinds of vegetarians. Vegans excludes meat, poultry, fish, dairy and eggs, as well as any foods made with these products. Lacto-vegetarians do not eat any fish, poultry, meat or eggs, but they can consume dairy products, including milk, cheese and butter. The most permissive type of vegetarianism is lacto-ovo vegetarianism, which allows dairy products and eggs but no meat, fish or poultry. Getting adequate protein is more difficult for vegans because of the complete elimination of protein-rich animal products.
Vegetarian Sources of Protein
Although foods made from animals are commonly though of as being rich in protein, many different plant-based foods can provide adequate amounts of protein. Legumes, such as beans, lentils and peanuts, are high in protein, as are many different nuts and seeds. You can also get significant amounts of protein from whole grains and vegetables. Soy protein can also be an important source of protein for people following all types of vegetarian diets.
Importance of Variety
One thing that is critical for vegetarians is to eat a wide variety of different plant-based protein sources. Proteins are made up of many different amino acids, and your body needs all of them to repair damaged tissue and make new proteins. Relying too heavily on just a few sources of plant-derived proteins can cause you to not get enough of all the different amino acids, which can be bad for your health.
High-Protein Suggestions
Even if you do not consume dairy products or eggs, you can get large amounts of protein from other sources. Three ounces of seitan contains 31 g of protein. Tempeh, soybeans and cooked lentils, black beans and kidney beans contain 41, 29, 18, 15 and 13 g of protein per serving, respectively. You can also get protein from meat substitutes such as veggie burgers and veggie hot dogs.
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