List Of Things The Average Vegetarian Eats

Open the door of any vegetarian's refrigerator and you'll find a wide array of foods -- fresh fruits and vegetables, processed foods, grains and dairy products. However, vegetarians differ in the strictness they bring to their diets. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat both eggs and dairy products, some vegetarians eat one or the other, and vegans do not eat any animal products, including honey or butter. Overall, vegetarians of all types enjoy good health, according to Karen Collins, a registered dietitian writing for the American Institute of Cancer Research.

Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Seeds

Most vegetarians eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, often building whole meals around a baked and stuffed winter squash or pasta loaded with mushrooms and kale. Vegetable soups and salads, accompanied by a crusty loaf of bread, make a typical dinner. Certain fruits and vegetables add iron to a vegetarian's diet that they're not able to get from meat. Some good sources of iron include almonds, sesame seeds, prunes, raisins, apricots and dark green vegetables.

Beans, Grains, and Pasta

Many vegetarians rely on beans for protein in their diets. Canned garbanzo beans, made into falafel balls, hummus or tossed into a salad; lentil soups and stews with tomatoes and spinach; and chili with black beans, pinto beans or kidney beans all appear frequently on the dinner table. Bulgur, couscous and brown or white rice also form the basis for dinner entrees. Lacto-ovo vegetarians frequently add cheese to bean and grain dishes. Vegans count on oil for sauteing instead of using butter.

Dairy Products

While some vegetarians use dairy products such as milk, yogurt, sour cream, cheese and butters, lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans rely on soy milk and soy cheese products. For instance, when pureed in the blender, tofu substitutes easily for sour cream or cream cheese. In all cases, dairy and dairy substitutes provide what the Dietitians of Canada website calls "good sources of protein." Products made with soy also add iron.

Other Foods

All sorts of nut butters, such as almond and cashew butters, stand in for cheese in many vegan dishes. Instead of milk, vegans rely on soy, almond or coconut milk for drinking, for use in sauces, and for baking. Processed soy foods often stand in for meats. Seitan, a high-protein food made from the gluten in flour, and tempeh, made from partially-cooked and fermented soybeans, form the basis for meat-like products such as sausages, cutlets, and ground meat substitutes.

Sample Dinners

Didi Emmons, author of "Vegetarian Planet," suggests a weeknight menu of potato and cheese quesadillas and a tomato, corn and black bean gazpacho, with banana cream pie for dessert. A summer meal might include spinach patties with orange salsa, a quinoa-sorrel salad and mango slices with yogurt for dessert. And for a winter dinner for friends, she might serve carrot-fennel soup, baked pasta with broccoli and gorgonzola cheese, a green salad, and pumpkin-bread pudding for dessert.