   Vegetarian Diets - December 17, 2008 Jeff Schalau, Associate Agent, Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County People are vegetarians for a variety of reasons. These range from food availability to cultural practices, religious or philosophical beliefs, ecological concerns, and economics. Health concerns also may be a factor in choosing a vegetarian diet. Non-vegetarians may not understand what it means to be a vegetarian or what to do when vegetarians are house guests. I’m not a vegetarian myself and am not trying to convert you, but studies have shown a positive link between vegetarian eating and health. In general, the incidence of some health problems, including heart disease, high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol and obesity tend to be lower in vegetarians. However, being vegetarian doesn’t ensure healthy eating. If poorly planned, the chances for some nutritional deficiencies can increase. Most vegetarians rely heavily on whole grains, fruits and vegetables and avoid red meat. Vegetarian diets vary considerably and are often classified by the foods they include. Vegans or total vegetarians avoid all animal products and include only plant food. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products and plant foods, and avoid all animal products including eggs. Ovo-Vegetarians include eggs and plant foods. Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy products, eggs, and plant foods, but avoid fowl, fish and red meat. Semi-vegetarians avoid red meat, but may include fish or poultry, dairy, eggs and plant foods. Ask vegetarian houseguests what foods they prefer and if stumped, ask them for suggestions. As with any eating plan, the key is to eat a variety of foods every day and to choose the recommended number of servings from the groups listed in the Daily Food Guide for Vegetarians, adapted from the Food Guide Pyramid (see the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Publication titled: Vegetarian Diets: Build on the Basics - a link is provided on the web version of this column). The main possible "problem" with vegan diets is that they may be too low in calories, especially for children. Many people view this as an advantage of the vegan diet. High fiber foods provide bulk, but are generally low in calories. Before embarking on a vegetarian diet, the person (or parent of a child) should understand both the limitations and advantages. If you’re not sure, a registered dietitian can help you develop a plan to meet you or your child’s nutritional needs. Nutrients that require special attention in vegetarian diets are protein, calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin B-12 and vitamin D. Protein You may not get enough protein if you don’t eat meat, dairy foods, or eggs. You will, however, if you eat a variety of grains, beans and vegetables each day. Calcium Vegetarians who eat no dairy products must get calcium from other foods. Try green, leafy vegetables, like spinach or collard greens, broccoli, figs, fortified soy, tofu (made from calcium sulfate), and calcium-fortified orange juice. Iron Many vegetarians don’t get enough iron. Fortified cereals, beans, spinach, chard, blackstrap molasses, bulgar and dried fruit are all good sources of iron. Eat these foods high in vitamin C and your body will absorb more iron. Good sources of vitamin C are orange juice, vegetable juice, greens and kiwi. Zinc Without meat, poultry and seafood, vegetarians may become zinc deficient. Whole grains, germ, bran, legumes (such as white or kidney beans), tofu, seeds and nuts are high in zinc. Dairy foods also contain zinc for those lacto-ovo-vegetarians. Vitamins B-12 and D Vitamin B-12 is found only in animal foods. Look for vitamin B-12 fortified foods. Breakfast cereals, breads and pasta are good choices. To make sure you get enough vitamin D, eat dairy foods like milk, yogurt, cheese, and vitamin D fortified foods. You also make vitamin D when the sun hits your skin. Next week, I will extol the virtues of T-bone steaks and deep fried pork rinds – well, maybe not, but I will provide equal time for meat in a future column. Until then, eat well and cook something tasty for those vegetarian guests during the holidays! The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension has publications and information on gardening and pest control. If you have other gardening questions, call the Master Gardener line in the Cottonwood office at 646-9113 ext. 14 or E-mail us at cottonwoodmg@yahoo.com and be sure to include your address and phone number. Find past Backyard Gardener columns or submit column ideas at the Backyard Gardener web site: http://cals.arizona.edu/yavapai/anr/hort/byg/. |