Healthy Vegetarian Diet
By Myron Huett

Vegetarian diets can provide an extremely healthy eating plan. The trick to having a truly healthy vegetarian diet is to use balance, moderation and variety and include all of the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

The definition of a "vegetarian" is a person who avoids eating all types of meat, including beef, pork, chicken, fish, and cold cuts. Vegetarians can be further classified into the types of foods that they will or will not eat. For example, lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid eating animal flesh, yet they will eat most dairy products and eggs. Vegans, on the other hand, adhere to strict diets that do not include foods that have any traces of animal origin.

It's important to ensure that your vegetarian diet supplies you with the proper amount of protein. Most meat-eating Americans take in too much protein each day, while vegetarians are sometimes lacking in protein. If you are a lacto-ovo vegetarian, you can easily meet your protein requirements by eating a diet rich in dairy products. Vegan diets can be supplemented with the protein found in soy products, seeds, and nuts.

Beans are excellent sources of protein. Just one cup of cooked beans can contain the protein equivalent of two ounces of meat. Protein-rich choices include split peas, soybeans, chick peas, red and green lentils, kidney beans and many other varieties of beans. Many people use red kidney beans instead of meat in homemade chili, and refried beans are a staple in Mexican cooking. Nuts are protein-rich but also high in fat, so should be eaten in moderation.

Vegans should be careful to get adequate calcium, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Most North Americans receive the bulk of their B12 from meat, so vegans should consume soy products or take vitamin B12 regularly to meet their daily requirements. Dairy products including milk are an excellent source of calcium, but not acceptable in the vegan diet. Soy milk and orange juice are fortified with calcium, and beans, broccoli and leafy greens are also good sources of calcium.

Vegetarian diets are based on simple food groups, so it's important to control the intake of vitamins and calcium. Supplementing a healthy vegetarian diet with additional nutrients is essential to maintaining overall wellness. If you take control of what you eat today, you'll enjoy good health for many years to come.

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Writer Myron Huett is an author for several web sites, on health information
and health diet fitness subjects. For more information, visit:
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