Healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans
Zaak OConan

Study after study has revealed the importance of a balanced diet to good health. Eating a balanced diet, one that is rich in all the various minerals and vitamins needed for a healthy body, can present quite a challenge for vegetarians and vegans.

That is because maintaining a good balanced diet in the absence of one entire food group, such as meat and poultry, can be difficult. Meat and other animal products contain significant amounts of important nutrients, such as protein, calcium and B vitamins.

Vegan diets present an even larger problem, since vegans go a step farther and eliminate dairy products and eggs as well as meat. Vegans in particular often have trouble getting the vitamin B12 they need and often must rely on vitamin supplements for this important nutrient.

Of course that does not mean that vegetarians and vegans cannot enjoy good health. Many vegetarians and vegans can and do enjoy levels of health much better than their carnivorous peers. It simply means that vegetarians need to pay somewhat closer attention to their dietary needs, and to be on the lookout for signs of dietary deficiencies. The key to a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet, as with all types of diets, is practicing moderation, eating a variety of foods, and keeping nutritional needs in balance.

One of the most frequently cited concerns by family members and friends of vegetarians and vegans is how they will get the protein they need from a diet devoid of animal flesh. However, getting sufficient protein is usually not a concern for vegetarians, since most American diets tend to contain more protein than they need.

Vegetarians who eat dairy products can get all the protein they need from dairy products, from soy based products and from beans, nuts, lentils and seeds. There are many non animal sources of protein, so most vegetarians should not have a problem getting sufficient protein.

Even vegans, who eschew all animal based products, even milk and dairy products, typically do not have a problem with protein deficiency. That is because nuts, seeds, lentils, pinto beans, split peas, soybeans, garbanzo beans, black beans, white beans, kidney beans, navy beans and many more all have lots of protein.

Vegan meals are often rich in tofu and other soy based products, and these products contain sufficient protein to meet the needs of most vegans. In addition, the many bean based vegan recipes are excellent sources of protein. For instance, a cup of cooked beans contains the same amount of protein as a two ounce serving of meat.

As with protein, nutritional deficiencies are generally of no more concern to vegetarians than they are to the general population. Vegetarians who follow a balanced, nutritious diet should have no problem meeting their daily nutritional needs.

Vegans on the other hand, are more susceptible than vegetarians to nutritional deficiencies, particularly vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D. That is because the most common sources of these important nutrients are all animal based, either meat or dairy products.

Of these three nutrients, the hardest to replace on a vegan diet is vitamin B12. The primary sources of vitamin B12 in the diet are all animal based. For this reason, vegans are generally advised to take vitamin B12 supplement, or to eat foods that have been fortified with vitamin B12. There are a number of such foods on the market, including nutritional yeast and soy milk.

Calcium is also a concern for vegans, since the primary sources of dietary calcium are milk and other dairy products. Again, calcium fortified foods such as some soy milk and certain cereals are important to maintaining a healthy vegan diet. The same is true of vitamin D, another primarily animal based nutrient.

The bottom line is that it is possible to maintain excellent health while avoiding meat and dairy products. The key is to follow a well balanced diet, get plenty of exercise, and make smart food choices.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

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With cardiovascular diseases and pudginess rates soaring in the US and the industrialized world, man teenagers and adults are slowly turning to vegetarian diets as a major step towards achieving a healthy lifestyle. Diverse most of us who regularly munch on meat and dairy products, vegetarians dont have to worry about high cholesterol levels or tans – fat filled food items. Vegetarians however, need to ensure that they get the right amount of nutrition from their vegan diets, to maintain spanking health. With worldly-wise planning and consideration, a vegetarian diet can certainly be tasty and satisfying.

With No Established Vegetarian Diets, The Choice Is Outright Up To You

Most nutrition experts agree that with thereupon many vegetarian diets, there is actually no established vegan diet, and so the choice bequeath be all up to you. The problem with some vegetarians is that the more restricting their veggie diet becomes, the harder it entrust be for them to meet their bodys daily nutritional requirements. According to nutrition experts, the most commonly deficient nutrients among vegetarians include protein, iron, vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and zinc.

Soy protein can be a great protein source for vegetarians. To combine more soy to your daily diet, you may prepare soy chicken patties, soy hamburgers or soy cold cuts. The richest sources of iron are animal product like eggs, liver and red meat. Vegetarians can actually get iron from dried beans, dark green vegetables akin spinach, kale and dried fruit.

Three Elder Vegetarian Diet Types

Vegetarian diets are generally divided into three major categories, and these are:

Vegan Diets: This diet does not receive fish, eggs, meat, poultry and dairy products.

Lacto – Vegetarian Diets: A lacto – vegetarian diet does not include meat, fish, poultry and eggs. However, it includes dairy products matching cheese, yogurt, butter and milk.

Lacto – Ovo Vegetarian Diet: This vegetarian diet does not include fish, poultry and support, but includes eggs and dairy products like milk, cheese, butter and others.

While a vegetarian diet may not have detail opposite attributes, a vegetarian advocate should ensure that he or she is able to cover all nutritional requirements. It is therefore crucial for vegetarians to take vitamin and mineral supplements, which contain 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance, to complement the vegetarian meal plan. True – blooded vegetarians should focus their sights on getting adequate proteins and essential minerals double vitamin B12, calcium and iron.

Regardless of whether you proceed from a vegetarian diet for ethical, cultural or religious reasons, or you simply want to live a healthy and well – rounded life, the key to having a successful vegetarian diet lies in how aware are you of your nutritional needs. Therefore, you need to plan a diet that meets them. For creating the well-timed vegetarian diet, talk to your registered dietitian or doctor.

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