What
is a vegetarian?
Broadly defined, a vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat,
poultry, and fish. Vegetarians eat mainly fruit, vegetables, legumes,
grains, seeds, and nuts. Many vegetarians eat eggs and/or dairy
products but avoid hidden animal products such as beef and chicken
stocks, lard, and gelatin.
The American
Dietetic Association (ADA) classifies vegetarians more specifically
in the following ways:
Vegans
or strict vegetarians exclude all animal products (e.g.
meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, and other dairy products).
Many vegans also do not eat honey.
Lactovegetarians
exclude meat, poultry, fish, and eggs but include dairy products.
Lacto-ovovegetarians
exclude meat, poultry, and fish but include dairy products and
eggs. Most vegetarians in the US are lacto-ovovegetarians.
Why
are people vegetarians?
People are vegetarians for many reasons, including concern for personal
health and the environment, economic and world hunger concerns,
compassion for animals, belief in nonviolence, food preferences,
or spiritual reasons. People may become vegetarians for one reason,
and then later on adopt some of the other reasons as well.
What
are the health benefits of a vegetarian diet?
According to the ADA, vegetarians are at lower risk for developing:
Heart
disease
Colorectal,
ovarian, and breast cancers
Diabetes
Obesity
Hypertension
(high blood pressure)
This
is because a healthy vegetarian diet is typically low in fat and
high in fiber. However, even a vegetarian diet can be high in fat
if it includes excessive amounts of fatty snack foods, fried foods,
whole milk dairy products, and eggs. Therefore, a vegetarian diet,
like any healthy diet, must be well planned in order to help prevent
and treat certain diseases.
Are
there any health risks in becoming a vegetarian?
Though being a vegetarian can be a healthy lifestyle, care needs
to be taken that this is not a step towards a generally more restrictive,
disordered eating pattern. Be sure you fully understand why you
are choosing vegetarianism.
Do
vegetarians get proper nutrition?
The key to any healthy diet is to choose a wide variety of foods,
and to consume enough calories to meet your energy needs. It is
important for vegetarians to pay attention to these five categories
in particular.
Protein
Protein is found in both plant foods and animal foods. The ADA has
said that it is NOT necessary to combine specific foods within a
meal in order to "complete" the amino acids profile of
the proteins found in plant foods. Eating a wide variety of foods
and enough calories during the day will fulfill your protein needs.
Good sources of protein include whole grains, lentils, beans, tofu,
low-fat dairy products, nuts, seeds, tempeh, eggs, and peas.
Calcium
The ADA recommends consuming at least 1300 mg of calcium per day
- the equivalent of over 4 cups of milk or yogurt! Vegetarians can
meet their calcium needs if they consume adequate amounts of low-fat
and fat-free dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese. Calcium
is also found in many plant foods including dark, leafy greens (e.g.
spinach, kale, mustard, collard and turnip greens, and bok choy),
broccoli, beans, dried figs, and sunflower seeds, as well as in
calcium-fortified cereals, cereal bars and some juices.
Vegans
(people who don't eat any animal products) must strive to meet their
daily calcium requirements by regularly including these plant sources
of calcium in their diets. Many soy milk products are fortified
with calcium, but be sure to check the label for this. You can also
include a calcium supplement in your diet, which is available at
the pharmacy in Health Services.
Vitamin
D
Vitamin D helps your body absorb and use calcium. There are few
foods that are naturally high in vitamin D, though. Therefore, dairy
products in the US are fortified with vitamin D. Many soy milk products
are also fortified with vitamin D. Your body can make its own vitamin
D, but only when the skin is exposed to adequate sunlight (but that
can have its own risks). People who do not consume dairy products
and who do not receive direct exposure to sunlight regularly should
consider taking supplemental vitamin D. This supplement should contain
no more than 100% of the Recommended Daily Value, however, because
larger doses can be dangerous. Both multivitamin supplements and
calcium supplements with vitamin D are available at the pharmacy
in Health Services
Iron
Iron-fortified breads and cereals, dark green vegetables (e.g. spinach
and broccoli), dried fruits, prune juice, blackstrap molasses, pumpkin
seeds, sesame seeds, and soybean nuts are good plant sources of
iron. Consuming foods high in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits or
juices, tomatoes, and green peppers helps your body absorb iron
from these plant sources. Cooking food in iron pots and pans will
also add to your iron intake.
Vitamin
B-12
Vitamin B-12 is produced in animals and by bacteria in the soil.
Vegetarians who consume dairy products and/or eggs usually get enough
B-12 since it is found in these foods. Vegans, however, should add
vitamin B-12 fortified soy milk to their diets. Regularly taking
a broad-spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement (available
at the pharmacy in Health Services) will also supply the necessary
amount of B-12.
What
about athletes?
Being both an athlete and a vegetarian can be challenging, especially
for vegans. It can be difficult to eat a volume of food high enough
to meet an athlete's high caloric needs. Vegetarians who participate
in sports should be aware of their increased energy needs, and should
make a concerted effort to consume sufficient calories. Click for
info on sports
nutrition.
How
do I become a vegetarian?
Some people stop eating meat "cold turkey." Others may
prefer to make dietary changes more gradually. However you choose
to make the change, you can begin to achieve the health benefits
of vegetarianism by significantly cutting down on the amount of
meats consumed, and making vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole
grains the focus of your meals. The ADA suggests the following tips
for following a vegetarian diet:
Choose
whole-grain products (e.g. whole wheat bread, brown rice, or whole-grain
cereals instead of refined or white grains.
Eat
a wide variety of foods.
If
you eat dairy products, choose non-fat or low-fat varieties.
Limit
intake of eggs to 3-4 yolks/week.
Limit
intake of sweets and high fat foods.
When
shopping for food, plan ahead, shop with a list and read food
labels.
Many
vegetarian foods can be found in any grocery store. Specialty
food stores may carry some of the more uncommon items, as well
as many vegetarian convenience foods.
What
are some options for a tasty vegetarian meal?
Becoming a vegetarian can be as easy as you choose to make it. Whether
you enjoy preparing elaborate meals or choose quick and easy ones,
vegetarian meals can be very satisfying. In order to make meal preparation
easier, the ADA suggests having the following foods on hand:
Ready-to-eat,
whole-grain breakfast cereals, and quick-cooking whole-grain cereals
such as oatmeal
Whole-grain
breads and crackers, such as rye, whole wheat, and mixed grain
Other
grains such as barley and bulgur wheat
Canned
beans, such as pinto, black beans, and garbanzo beans
Rice
(including brown, wild, etc.)
Pasta
(now available in whole wheat, spinach, and other flavors) with
tomato sauce and canned beans and/or chopped veggies
This reliable source on vegetarian diets was given the top rating
by the Tufts University Nutrition Navigator, a nutrition web site
rating guide. Recipes, games and information on nutrients such as
protein, calcium and iron included.
Daily Tips and Feature Topics often have articles of interest. By
sending an email,
you can ask questions directly of registered dietitians in your
area. Nutrition Network is a national referral service for registered
dietitians in their areas nutrition. Award winning web site.
This archive has over 4,000 fat-free and low-fat vegetarian recipes
as well as information about vegetarian diets.
This site provides updates on soybean research and has an online
newsletter available with recipes.
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