Meeting Your Dietary Needs as a Vegetarian

Many people argue that eliminating meat from your diet means you won’t be getting enough protein and other essential vitamins and nutrients in your diet. However, there are plenty of plant based sources for these dietary components – you just need to do a little extra work planning your meals. The following is a list of the components you need to watch out for and where you can find them as a vegetarian:

Protein

Based on media coverage, you might think that being vegetarian is synonymous with a lack of protein in your diet. But while this may have been true several years ago, nowadays, it simply isn’t the case. Protein is readily available in wholegrain foods, legumes, nuts and soy products, and many vegetarians get all the protein they need from chickpeas, tofu and boiled eggs. In addition, some lesser known forms of protein include porridge, potatoes, broccoli, brown rice and carrots.

Essential Fatty Acids

Essential fatty acids are supplied through vegetable oils. Soy bean and rapeseed oils are commonly recommended in order to get sufficient linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid in your diet.

Vitamin B2/Riboflavin

The vegetarian lifestyle eliminates the most common food sources of vitamin B12, which can be a cause for concern nutritionally. Since vitamin B12 is typically found in meat and dairy products, this one is a bit tricky to fit into your vegetarian diet consistently. However, vitamin B12 can be found in some fortified whole grains, mushrooms, almonds and leafy green vegetables, as long as the soil they were grown in contains an adequate amount of the vitamin. Fermented soy products, seaweed and algae also contain sufficient amounts of vitamin B12.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is found in fish, eggs and dairy products, making it easily accessible to vegetarians and meat eaters alike. Vegetable margarines, some soy milks and a few other fortified foods are also easy places to find the D vitamin. Best of all – getting out in the sun is a fun, easy way to obtain vitamin D, as the vitamin is synthesized by your skin when exposed to sunlight.

Calcium

Tofu, leafy green vegetables such as spinach and collard greens, dried fruit and nuts all contain sufficient amounts of calcium for vegetarians. And, for those vegetarians who haven’t given up dairy products, low-fat dairy foods are also an excellent option.

Iodine

Although you might not know it, it’s important to maintain a certain level of iodine in your diet as a vegetarian. Though much of the iodine we currently take in comes from meat products, iodine can also be obtained from many vegetable and grains, as long as they’re grown in iodine-enriched soils. However, if you find you aren’t getting enough iodine in your diet, just add a little iodized salt to your food to make up for a lack of this essential nutrient.

Iron

Iron isn’t easily assimilated by your body, so it’s an important one to pay attention to. Eating foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes and cabbage, can help your body to absorb iron from your diet. Lentils, fortified cereals, dark green vegetables, peas, and dried fruits also contain a good amount of iron.

Zinc
This mineral is a difficult one to get consistently in any diet – whether you’re a vegetarian or not. To obtain proper amounts of zinc on a daily basis, try eating lots of whole grains, nuts, wheat germ and soy products, or supplement with a good multivitamin if you’re having trouble getting enough.