Vegetarian Diet

Vegetarian Diet

Overview

• What is a vegetarian diet?
• Different forms of vegetarianism
• Why do people choose this diet?
• Health advantages
• Healthy food choices
• Best choices
• Cooking methods
• Key nutrients
• Meeting protein needs

What is a vegetarian diet?

• one that does not include meat (including fowl) or seafood, or products containing those foods
• The American Dietetics Association
• Includes: fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs

Other Forms of Vegetarian Diets

• Vegan-excludes meat, dairy, eggs, honey
• Lacto – excludes meat, eggs (but includes dairy products and honey)
• Ovo – excludes meat, dairy products (but includes eggs and honey)

Why?

• A vegetarian diet may be chosen for:
• Ethical
• Health
• Environmental
• Religious
• Political
• Cultural
• Aesthetic
• Economic
• …or other reasons

Health Advantages

• Vegetarian diets have been associated with the following when compared to nonvegetarian diets:
• Lower LDL cholesterol levels
• lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease
• lower blood pressure
• lower rates of hypertension
• type 2 diabetes
• lower body mass index
• lower overall cancer rates

Healthy Food Choices

• By nature of the foods in the diet, most all choices are healthy
• fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs
• Raw or cooked vegetables or fruits
• Beans and legumes
• Whole grain cereals, breads, pasta
• Nuts and seeds
• Low fat dairy products
• Eggs

Added salt, sugar and fat

• Frying vegetables in oil
• Adding sugar, butter to fruits during cooking
• Canned beans with added salt
• High calorie additions to whole grains
• Adding sugar, butter, or other high calorie toppings to breads/grains
• Salted or sugared nuts and seeds
• Dairy products
• Whole fat dairy products are high in saturated fat
• Choose 1% or skim milk products, low fat or no fat yogurt, and low fat cheeses

Key Nutrients

• Protein
• n-3 fatty acids (omega 3 fatty acids)
• Iron
• Zinc
• Iodine
• Calcium
• Vitamins D
• Vitamin B-12

Meeting Protein Needs

• Beans
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Dairy products
• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese

Summary

• Diet that does not include meat
• Includes: fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs
• Has been associated with health benefits
• Carefully plan diet to ensure key nutrients