Vegetarian diets take planningFrom Blount Memorial Hospital
Originally published: April 05. 2010 3:01AM
Last modified: April 03. 2010 11:54PM

More and more people are trying out the idea of being a vegetarian or vegan, whether it is based on their personal beliefs, health reasons or just a temporary diet plan. If you’re new to this lifestyle change, whether it is permanent or temporary, it’s important to know how to get all of the nutrients you need.

“With a vegetarian diet, and even more so with a vegan diet, it takes some thought and planning to get all of the needed nutrients,” Blount Memorial Weight Management Center director and registered dietitian Angie Tillman explains. “However, many Americans eating a ‘typical American diet’ of fast food, processed food and convenience food also are not meeting their nutritional needs.” Tillman said that well thought out and planned vegetarian diets can potentially be healthier than the “typical American diet.”

Tillman said it is important to make sure you get enough protein, iron, zinc, Vitamin B-12 and Omega-3 fats if you are on a vegetarian or vegan diet. good sources of protein include:

All types of beans
Nuts and seeds
Soybeans and soybean-based food products
Dairy products
Whole-grains (especially quinoa)
Eggs
Vegetables, which have small amounts of protein
Soy- and vegetable-based meat substitutes

To get iron, meat, fish and poultry are the best sources of the most efficiently absorbed type of iron, heme iron. However, vegetarians can get sufficient amounts of iron from a diet rich in cereals, eggs, nuts, seeds and beans, Tillman said. Vegetarians may need slightly more zinc than meat-eaters, but most can get adequate zinc from dried beans, fortified cereals, soy foods, nuts, peas and seeds. Vitamin B-12 is found naturally in animal products, and a vegetarian diet may be lacking Vitamin B-12. Tillman said that fortified cereals and nutritional yeast can provide Vitamin B-12, but a supplement may be necessary. Diets that exclude eggs and fish may be lacking in healthy Omega-3 fats. good vegetarian sources of Omega-3 fats are walnuts, flaxseeds and flaxseed oil.

Tillman reminds that being vegetarian doesn’t necessarily mean you’re eating healthy. “Both chocolate and french fries could be considered vegetarian and I’ve definitely seen people eat vegetarian diets that are not necessarily healthy.” However, a vegetarian diet that is rich in whole-grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and low-fat dairy could fit into a healthy way of eating for weight loss, Tillman said. it also is possible to eat in a very healthy way for weight loss while including lean meats like chicken, fish and lean beef.

“The bottom line is that choosing to consume meat or animal products or not is a personal choice. either choice can be healthy. but, as a society, we all need to focus more on quality foods overall — a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, low-fat dairy and lean meats (if desired).”

Vegan, vegetarian and meat-eating diets can be nutritionally sound. However, because many Americans consume so much high-fat meat (bacon, sausage, high-fat beef, fried chicken and fish), reducing those high-fat meat items in your diet can definitely be a nutritional improvement. “And we all need to constantly work on eating more fruits and vegetables. A plant-based diet has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer and may be beneficial in many areas of health.”

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