Technically, vegetarians are people who don’t eat meat, poultry, or seafood. According to Harvard University, there are between 6 and 8 million americans who eat no meat, fish, or poultry in favor of a plant based diet. There are many reasons that people become vegetarians. Some do it for religious reasons, concerns for animal welfare, or a desire to conserve environmental resources. Eating a vegetarian diet can also be a low-cost lifestyle choice.
There have been on-going concerns in health publications about concerns that a vegetarian diet could possibly be lacking in key nutrients. Additionally, a vegetarian diet is not healthy and balanced if dietary staples are pasta made with bleached flour, cheese pizza, foods that are high in added sugar. More recently a vegetarian diet has been seen as a diet that has health benefits when planned properly. According to the American Dietetic Association, “appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases.”
Sufficient protein is easy to find when eating a vegetarian diet. Plant proteins are found in foods like tofu, beans, peas, eggs, and dairy. If you choose a diet that does not include dairy, calcium can be found in fortified soymilk or breakfast cereals. Dark leafy green vegetables like collard, turnip, and mustard greens also contain calcium. When enjoying everyday food choices like pizza and tacos, be bold and move away from basic cheese or make sure to boost your veggie count by adding a rainbow of vegetables to your meal. One word of nutritional warning, vitamin B12 is naturally found only in animal products. Vegetarians should choose fortified foods such as cereals or soy products, or take a vitamin B12 supplement if they do not consume any animal products. Check the Nutrition Facts label for vitamin B12 in fortified products.
Eating a healthy and well-rounded diet is important no matter what diet you follow!
