(SDN) Special Health and Nutritional Requirements for Vegetarians Lesson

Special Health and Nutritional Requirements for Vegetarians

A vegetarian is someone who does not eat meat, and mostly eats foods that come from plants, like grains, fruits, vegetables and nuts. Some stricter vegetarians avoid more than just meat. They also avoid animal products, which are nonmeat foods that come from animals. Some examples would be milk (from cows) and eggs (from chickens).

There are many types of vegetarians.  Choose each item below to learn more about each type.

    

Vegetarian

    

        

Individuals that do not eat any form of animal; primarily eats a plant-based diet.

    

    

Flextarian/Semi-Vegetarian

    

        

They continue to eat meat, poultry, fish and animal products in small amounts. However, if your concerns are only health-related, a flexitarian diet may help you reduce the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat. It may also help you increase the amount of grains, fruits and vegetables in your diet.

    

    

Pescetarian

    

        

Abstain from eating all meat except fish. For example, they will eat shrimp or shellfish but will not each ham or turkey.

    

    

Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian

    

        

Abstains from eating meat, poultry or fish. They do include dairy products and eggs into their diet and plant based foods.

    

    

Lacto Vegetarian

    

        

Excludes all animal products from their diet; do not eat meat, poultry, fish or eggs but continue to eat dairy products, such as milk and yogurt.

    

    

Ovo Vegetarian

    

        

Excludes all animal and dairy products except eggs; avoids meat, poultry, fish and dairy products but they do eat eggs.

    

There are many other people that are semi-vegetarians who don't eat meat, but may eat poultry and fish.  People have many different reasons for becoming vegetarians:

• Health reasons
• Concerns for animals and environ

Supplementing Nutrients

Protein has many functions in the body and is essential for growth and maintenance. Protein can be supplemented by including beans, nuts, nut butters, peas, or soy products in your diet. Milk products and eggs are also good protein sources for lacto-ovo vegetarians.

Iron functions primarily to as a carrier of oxygen in the blood. Vegetarians can get iron from iron-fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, kidney beans, black-eyed peas, lentils, turnip greens, molasses, whole wheat breads, peas and some dried fruit (dried apricots, prunes, and raisins).

Calcium is used for building bones and teeth and in maintaining bone strength. Vegetarians can get calcium from multiple sources such as calcium-fortified soymilk, calcium-fortified breakfast cereals and orange juice, tofu made with calcium sulfate, and some dark-leafy vegetables (collard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, mustard greens).

Zinc is necessary for many biochemical reactions and also helps the immune system function property. Sources of zinc for vegetarians include types of beans (white beans, kidney beans and chickpeas), zinc-fortified breakfast cereals, wheat germ, and pumpkin seeds. Milk products are a zinc source for lacto-vegetarians.

Vitamin B12 is found in animal products and some fortified foods. Sources of vitamin B12 for vegetarians include fortified foods such as cereals, soymilk, veggie burgers, and nutritional yeast.

There are 8 Key Nutrients Vegetarians Need:

Choose each item below to learn more about the 8 key nutrients vegetarians need.

    

Calcium

    

        

Helps build bone and teeth, and also helps nerve cells transmit messages and muscles contract.

    

    

Iodine

    

        

Is needed for metabolizing food into energy, as well as normal thyroid function. Since iodine is found primarily in seafood, many vegetarians don't get enough of it.

    

    

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    

        

Found mainly in fatty fish like salmon, though they can be made by the body in small amounts from ALA, another type of omega-3 that’s found in plants like flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil and soy.

    

    

Protein

    

        

This is found in almost every food we eat. Eating a variety of plant foods every day, including protein-rich soybeans, beans, whole grains, seeds and nuts (as well as vegetables, to a lesser degree), provides all the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that we need.

    

    

Vitamin B112

    

        

This is only found naturally in animal foods, but is added to fortified foods, such as soymilks and breakfast cereals. A supplement is recommended for vegetarians, especially since the body is less able to absorb B12 as we age.

    

    

Iron

    

        

The body needs this to make hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood. Red meat and dark meat in chicken are some of the best sources; it is also found in some plant foods.

    

    

Vitamin D

    

        

A nutrient which helps the body absorb calcium and is important for bone health; it also plays a role in the nervous, muscular and immune systems.

    

    

Zinc

    

        

It is important for a properly functioning immune system plus cell growth. It is plentiful in beef, pork and lamb, you can also find it in soy products, peanuts and legumes.

    

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