The Vegetarian Diet. More on next page. Learn more about your health care.

Transcription

1 The Vegetarian Diet More people are following vegetarian diets today. Many people choose to become a vegetarian for health, religious or environmental reasons. Studies have shown that heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity, adult onset diabetes and cancer develop less in those who follow vegetarian diets than in those who do not. It is important to understand the 3 types of vegetarians: 1. Vegans (strict vegetarians) exclude all animal food products, such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. 2. Lactovegetarians exclude meat, poultry, fish and eggs, but include dairy products. 3. Lacto-ovovegetarians exclude meat, poultry, fish, but include eggs and dairy products. Although a vegetarian diet is a healthy way of eating, it can make it harder for some groups such as pregnant and breastfeeding women, infants and children to get all of the nutrition they need. Special planning is needed to be sure that enough protein, iron, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B are included in the diet. A healthy vegetarian diet should include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and legumes, such as lentils, black-eyed peas, garbanzo, kidney, black and navy beans. They are high in fiber, low in fat and rich in all of the needed nutrients, vitamins and minerals our bodies require. It is important to understand how these nutrients work in our bodies and to know which Learn more about your health care. More on next page Copyright, (2/5/2008) Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, The Ohio State University Medical Center - Upon request all patient education handouts are available in other formats for people with special hearing, vision and language needs, call (614)

2 Page 2 foods are the best sources, so you can plan a healthy, well-balanced vegetarian diet. Protein Protein is important for growth, building and repairing body tissues. Our bodies make complete proteins when we eat a variety of foods and enough calories each day. Good sources of protein include vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds and dairy products. Getting Enough Protein Choose whole grain cereals, wheat bread, brown rice and pastas. Include beans, legumes, lentils and seeds into your daily diet. Add these to soups, rice dishes, pasta sauce, dips or use as sandwich fillers. If you use dairy products, choose low fat or non-fat varieties. Adding soy products to your diet is an excellent way to meet protein needs. Soy products are cholesterol-free and low fat, and can add variety and texture to your meals. Soy is a good source of fiber, and many soy products are fortified with calcium, iron and vitamin B12. Also, pre-packaged soy extenders make easy meals when put with your favorite food. Examples: Chiliburger by Fantastic Foods Frozen veggie burgers (many varieties) by Worthington Foods Ground meatless soy extender by Worthington Foods to add in chili, spaghetti sauce or tacos Tofu is a soybean curd and is found in the produce section of the grocery store. It takes on the flavor of other ingredients in a recipe, is available soft or firm, and has a cheese-like texture. Firm tofu is best for stir-fry dishes, soups or the grill. Soft tofu is a good choice for recipes calling for blended tofu.

3 Page 3 Silken tofu provides a creamy custard-like product. Quick ideas for using tofu: Blend dried onion soup mix into soft/silken tofu for a cholesterol-free dip. Substitute pureed silken tofu for part of the mayonnaise, sour cream or ricotta cream cheese in recipes. Stir silken tofu into sour cream for a reduced fat, high protein baked potato topping. Iron Iron is necessary to keep our blood healthy. Good plant food sources of iron include dried beans, spinach, dried fruits, prune juice, soybean, nuts, pumpkin and sesame seeds, iron-fortified breads and cereals. Foods that are high in vitamin C (citrus fruits and juices, broccoli, green pepper) increase absorption of iron in our bodies. Calcium Calcium is necessary to promote and maintain bone health. The current Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for calcium for adults is milligrams a day (3 to 4, eight-ounce glasses of milk). Pregnant women should have 1,000-1,300 milligrams of calcium a day. Strict vegetarians can get necessary calcium from kale, mustard and collard greens, broccoli, beans, tofu prepared with calcium, dried figs and calcium-fortified bread, cereals and juices. Vegan pregnant women may need to take a calcium supplement to meet their increased needs. Lactovegetarians can get adequate calcium from low fat cheeses, skim milk, and non-fat yogurt. You should eat 2-4 servings of calcium-rich foods a day. Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is in animal foods such as dairy products, eggs and meat. Vegans should include Vitamin B12 fortified products

4 Page 4 (breakfast cereals, soy milk and meat analogs) and a B12 supplement in their diets. Vitamin D Vitamin D is in Vitamin D-fortified dairy products. People who do not eat dairy or do not have regular exposure to sunlight may consider taking a vitamin D supplement, with 100% of the RDA. Sample Menu for the Vegetarian: Breakfast: Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with whole wheat toasts 1 small banana 1 cup skim milk or soy milk Snack: 1 handful nuts 2 graham crackers/melba toast Lunch: Soy burger with tomato and lettuce Spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumber, alfalfa sprouts with a fat free vinaigrette dressing Water with fresh lemon Dinner: Vegetable lasagna, one 3 x 3-inch piece ½ cup marinated bean salad (kidney, chick peas, garbanzo, green beans with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper) ½ cup stewed tomatoes and okra

5 Page 5 ½ cup steamed broccoli/carrots 1 slice Italian bread ½ cup fresh fruit salad Flavored seltzer water Snack: 1 cup vegetable/lentil soup For More Information About Vegetarian Diets... Life's Simple Pleasures: Fine Vegetarian Cooking for Sharing and Celebration by Karen Mangum. Pacific Press, Simply Vegan: Quick Vegetarian Meals by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels. Vegetarian Resource Group, The Complete Vegetarian Cuisine: Revised and Updated with 70 New Recipes by Rose Elliot. Pantheon Books, The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide to a Healthy Vegetarian Diet by Vesanto Melina and Brenda Davis. Healthy Living Publication, Vegetarian Meals for People On-The-Go: 101 Quick and Easy Recipes by Vilmala Rodgers. Hay House, Talk to your doctor or others on your health care team if you have questions. You may request more written information from the Library for Health Information at (614) or health-info@osu.edu.