Ask a Dietitian

As seen on BCTV June 6/00
VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN DIET CONSIDERATIONS

Becoming vegetarian does not mean simply cutting out meat. There are varying degrees of vegetarianism, ranging from:
Semi-vegetarians: those who eat limited amounts of animal products such as fish or poultry, milk and eggs.
Lacto-ovo Vegetarians: those who eat milk products and eggs.
Lacto Vegetarians: those who include dairy products only.
Vegans: those who completely avoid animal products.

All types of vegetarian diets can provide completely adequate nutrition, as long as appropriate substitutions are made. If you choose to eliminate only meat from your diet, you must find suitable plant substitutes for protein, zinc and iron. If you eliminate dairy products as well, you need to consider calcium and vitamin D, and when you eliminate all foods of animal origin, vitamin B12 also needs special attention.

Protein
It used to be believed that you had to eat certain combinations of plant foods at the same meal to get complete protein value. We now know that eating different plant foods over the course of the day gives your body all of the amino acids you need. As a vegetarian, you need to replace the meat portion of your diet with a variety of healthy meat alternatives such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, tofu and other soy products, nuts, nut butters, seeds, and eggs, dairy and fish (if you eat them).

Iron
The recommended intake of dietary iron in premenopausal women aged 19-49 is 14 mg per day and for other adults it is 8-10mg per day. Iron is found in both plants and animals, the later being absorbed the best. The best sources of iron from plants include nuts and seeds, legumes, dried fruit such as prunes and raisins and dark green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and spinach. To increase the absorption of iron from plant sources, include foods that contain vitamin C (vegetables and fruits). Another way to ensure adequate iron intake is to cook with cast iron cookware. Make a tomato sauce for spaghetti in a cast iron pan and the iron from the pan will increase the iron content of the food by up to six times and the vitamin C in the tomatoes will increase its absorption in your body. Try to avoid drinking black tea with your meals as it can interfere with iron and zinc absorption.

Calcium and Vitamin D
The best sources of calcium and vitamin D are milk, cheese and yogurt. If you don’t eat dairy, don’t worry. Calcium is found in a wide variety of plant foods. Soy beverages have now been fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Other sources of calcium include almonds, brazil nuts, sesame seeds, canned salmon with the bones, calcium fortified orange juice, firm tofu, molasses, figs, kale, bok choy and chard. Sufficient amounts of vitamin D are made in your body when your skin is exposed to sunlight for about 10-15 minutes. In addition, margarine has been fortified with vitamin D or you can take a supplement of no more than 400 IU.

Vitamin B12
People who eat meat, poultry, fish, milk or eggs will get vitamin B12 from these foods. Vegans, who only eat plant foods, must choose either vitamin B12 supplements or food items fortified with vitamin B12 (check the label) such as:

• Nutritional yeast grown on a vitamin B12 enriched medium (Red Star)
• Fortified soy beverages
• B12 fortified breakfast cereals (Just Right)
• Simulated egg, meat and poultry products
• Meal replacement formulas

Watch for the Eating for Energy segment every Tuesday on BCTV’s Noon News Hour!