Vegetarian Diet (Page 3 of 3)

The best sources of zinc are lean meats, oysters, herring, milk, and egg yolks. Whole grain breads and cereals are the best source of zinc in the vegan diet, but this form of zinc is poorly absorbed. Frequent daily servings of whole grain breads and cereals must be included in the vegan diet to increase zinc intake or a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement that includes zinc should be taken.

A modified food plan must be adapted for the vegan diet. The daily food guide for vegans is as follows:

Vegetables -- 4 (1 cup) Servings (At least 1 dark green leafy vegetable and 1 raw salad for calcium, Vitamin B2, Vitamin A, and folic acid.)

Fruits -- 3 (4 oz or whole fruit) Servings (At least 1 iron-rich selection and 1 Vitamin C-rich selection.)

Grains -- 5 Servings (Whole-grain varieties only. A serving size is 2 slices of bread; 4-6 crackers; 1 cup cooked cereal, noodles, or rice; or 2 ounces of ready-to-eat cereal.)

Beans and Nuts, including soymilk -- 3 Servings (At least 1 cup calcium-fortified soymilk. Beans are preferable to nuts as a low-fat protein source. A serving size is 1 cup cooked beans, 2 cups soymilk, 6 ounces tofu, 2 ounces nuts, or 4 tablespoons peanut butter.)

The Lacto vegetarian and The Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diets

These vegetarian diets easily can meet RDA guidelines for all vitamins and minerals, protein, and other nutrients by the inclusion of dairy foods. The vegetarian should not rely too heavily on cheese as a source of calcium and protein, since it contains a high percentage of saturated fat. Zinc and iron intake might be low since meat is not included in the diet.

Combining the high-quality protein in eggs or low-fat dairy products with other plant sources of protein improves the quality of protein in beans, nuts, grains, and seeds. For example, the amino acids in eggs and milk products complement the plant proteins in the following foods:

• Cereal and milk - whole grain breakfast cereal and milk
• Pasta and cheese - macaroni and cheese
• Bread and cheese - cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread
• Beans and cheese - bean and cheese burrito
• Rice and milk - brown rice pudding
• Bread and egg - scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast
• Peanuts and milk - peanut butter sandwich and yogurt

The modified diet plan remains the same for the lacto vegetarian or lacto-ovo vegetarian. The only alteration is for the meat and legume group. Rather than the four recommended servings equally divided between lean meats and legumes, now all four servings each day must come from cooked dried beans and peas, nuts and seeds, or eggs. The balanced diet for a lacto-ovo vegetarian might resemble the following:

• 2 servings low-fat or non-fat milk or milk products
• 4 servings protein-rich cooked dried beans and peas, peanut butter, seeds, or nuts
• 4 + servings of whole grain breads and cereals
• 4 + servings of fruits and vegetables, especially dark green selections

Return to Diet & Nutrition Index>>