How to Avoid the Risks of Vegetarian Diets

There are many different classifications of vegetarians, most can have certain nutritional deficits if they do not carefully plan their dietary intake of particular essential nutrients. Whether you follow a vegetarian diet for religious, cultural, ethical, or health reasons, it is important to know how to balance your dietary intake to avoid the health risks of a diet that excludes most (or all) animal products.

1. Eat a variety of foods.

 - Many nutritionists recommend that your daily meal plan include fruits and vegetables of as many colors as possible. Not only does this encourage a diverse menu, but it also helps you consume as many different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other important nutrients as possible. Try to eat something white or yellow, orange, red, purple or black, and green everyday. Often, the darker a vegetable or fruit is in color, the more antioxidants it contains.

- Try ethnic foods and creative one-dish meals to get a variety of flavors, vegetables, grains, and sauces into your diet.

- Mix up the types of snacks you prepare as well, substituting red pepper sticks and hummus for cheese and crackers, or choosing an avocado with salsa over tortilla chips and bean dip occasionally.

2. Include sources of calcium, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D.

- Calcium is important for strong teeth and bones, so if your diet allows, incorporate milk or low-fat dairy products into your daily diet. If you prefer to skip dairy, try a fortified dairy substitute such as soy milk or buy fruit juice, cereals, or tofu with added calcium. Dark green vegetables such as broccoli and collard greens also contain calcium, but if you rely only on dark green vegetables for calcium you may run the risk of having too little.

- Vitamin B-12 is essential for healthy red blood cells and can help prevent anemia. It is principally found in animal products, although some cereals and soy products come with added vitamin B-12. If you do not regularly eat fortified cereals and enriched soy or animal products, it is important to take a B-12 supplement, especially for vegans.

- Vitamin D is also important for healthy bone growth and maintenance. If you receive regular sun exposure or if you drink fortified milk, juice, or soy products with added vitamin D, you likely consume enough vitamin D.

3. Be sure to get enough iron, protein, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

- Iron is vital for energy and for the proper function of your red blood cells. It is difficult for vegetarians to consume iron in sufficient quantities because it is more easily absorbed from meat products than from plant sources. Eat plenty of dark leafy vegetables, whole grains, dried beans or peas, lentils, enriched cereals, and dried fruit. To boost your body’s absorption of iron, eat it with foods high in vitamin C, such as cabbage, tomatoes, broccoli, strawberries, and citrus fruits.

- Protein helps build and maintain healthy muscles, organs, skin, and bones. Small amounts of dairy and eggs provide sufficient protein for most vegetarians, but if you prefer to get your protein from plant sources, you will need a variety of certain products everyday. Try eating nuts, seeds, soy products, legumes, lentils, and whole grains regularly to get enough protein.

- Omega-3 fatty acids help promote healthy tissue, eye and brain development, and cardiovascular health. If you do not eat fish or eggs, you can try to find products enriched with Omega-3 fatty acids, but these can be rare and expensive, so you may want to consider a supplement.