Food: Tips For Vegetarian Eating

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Tips For Vegetarian Eating
Thursday, December 29, 2005

Being vegetarian seems to have become all the rage today. More people than ever are trying out vegetarian diets, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Still, most people are a little confused about what it means to be vegetarian and how it affects your life choices.

First, vegetarian simply means not eat meat. There are a number of variations on this theme. Some people only give up beef, pork, and poultry. They still eat fish and other seafood. Other people call themselves lacto-ovo vegetarians, and they are probably the most common. They eat no meat of any kind, including fish, but they will eat eggs and drink milk. Vegans are one of the more restrictive dietary choices. Vegans eat nothing with any animal by-product, which includes milk, eggs, salad dressings, mayonnaise, and the like. They also do not wear fur or other fabrics made from animal products. There are other variations, such as fruitarians, who eat only fruit that has already fallen from trees, but these few are the most common.

The vegetarian diet is healthy if done right. In fact, the American Heart Association reports that vegetarians in general have a lower rate of obesity and are less likely to get certain cancers as well as various types of heart disease. That said, it is important to eat the right kind and combination of foods if you are vegetarian. For example, you can get enough protein without eating animal products, primarily through plant-based sources, such as nuts and soybeans, but you need to be sure that you are getting enough. Simply leaving the meat off your pizza is not enough to give you a healthy balance.

Be sure that you eat plenty of leafy green vegetables, such as greens and spinach. While most people need three to four servings per day, vegetarians need more because these foods are a rich source of iron. This mineral is one of the hardest to get in a vegetarian-friendly diet. Dried beans and dried fruits also are good sources of iron. There is a bonus to plant-based iron as well; these sources have little or no cholesterol, unlike the animal-based iron sources.

The greens also help with calcium. Vegetarians actually tend to get more calcium that the average person because of their dietary choices. A few vegetarian foods rich in calcium include spinach, broccoli, and enriched soybean products. Everyone, vegetarian or not, should seek to get more of these foods in his or her diet as the body absorbs these forms of calcium better than animal-based sources.

Vitamins B-12 and D are two areas of concern for vegetarians. Vegans will not be able to get enough of these products in their diets, and many vegetarians are in the same situation. You can look for fortified cereals and make homemade bread with Brewer's yeast to try to come up with enough of the vitamins. The reality, though, is that unless you are very conscious of everything you are eating, it will be really tough to get enough B-12 and D as a vegetarian. In this case, you should consider a supplement to make up for any possible deficiencies.

Vegetarians need to keep a few key points about food in mind. First, they should do more than the average person to avoid empty calories, such as those found in soft drinks and other sweets. While no one should consume many of these calories, it is very important for vegetarians because they need to make all of their calories count for nutritional needs. Vegetarians also should stick with whole grain or unprocessed flour and other products when possible. They have more vitamins and minerals. Vegetarians also need to be careful about eating eggs. The regular variety has massive amounts of cholesterol, so be sure to use other sources of protein. Use low-fat milk to avoid getting too many fat calories from dairy products.

Vegetarianism should not be viewed as a restrictive diet. Instead, people who are vegetarian often consider their eating habits more fun and experimental than those of their meat-eating counterparts. There is something new and exciting about not eating meat that will force you to look elsewhere for enjoyable food. The end result often is a more-balanced and healthy way of eating.

By Julia Mercer

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