Dear Director,

I’m thinking about becoming a vegetarian, but I’m not sure where I’ll get my protein and iron if I stop eating meat. Do you have any tips on how to eat healthy as a vegetarian?

Can you provide your body with all of the nutrients you need as a vegetarian? The answer is yes! Vegetarians can easily consume a diet that provides them with all of their nutritional needs.

There are a few different types of vegetarians, but one thing they all have in common is that they eat a plant-based diet consisting of grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes. They may or may not eat meat or meat products. Someone who is lacto-ovo vegetarian consumes the basic vegetarian diet along with dairy products and eggs, but excludes meat, fish, and poultry. Lacto-vegetarians consume milk and milk products along with plant-based foods, but no eggs, meat, fish or poultry. Vegans, on the other hand, eat only plant-based foods. They eliminate all animal products from their diets, including dairy products, eggs and honey. It’s important to understand these differences, because the type of vegetarian you are will effect where your protein, iron, and other nutrients come from.

No matter what type of vegetarian you are, however, it is possible to take in the necessary nutrients that your body need in adequate amounts. According to Heather Fisher, a dietician at Thagard Student Health Center, the key to eating healthy as a vegetarian is to consume a balanced diet.

“You need to have, at each meal, a grain option, a protein option, and a vegetable option,” said Fisher. “For instance, a meal consisting of a veggie burger, a whole wheat bun and a side salad would be balanced. But you can’t eat just a salad with no protein – some nuts or beans, for example – and call it balanced.”

Fisher said that vegetarians need to make sure they are getting enough protein, iron, calcium and vitamin B12 in their diets. So why do we need these nutrients and what vegetarian foods contain them? And since vegans don’t eat dairy products, where do they obtain their calcium?

Protein is important because it allows our bodies to build and maintain bones, muscle, and skin, while iron is needed to carry oxygen to all of our cells. And, according to Fisher, “calcium is essential not only for healthy bones and teeth, but also for muscle contraction and the firing of nerve impulses. It’s an essential player in many functions of the body.” Vitamin B12, meanwhile, is important in DNA development and nerve function.

Protein foods are easy to find and are very accessible for vegetarians. Vegan protein sources include nuts and seeds, beans, peanut butter, soy products (tofu, soy milk, soy cheese, and soy burgers), and whole grains. Vegetarians can also get protein from milk, eggs, and dairy.

Iron is found in both animal and plant-based foods. Plant-based foods have lower amounts of iron and are not absorbed by the body as well as iron from animal products, but have no fear – there are plenty of plant foods that are good sources of iron, including green leafy vegetables (the best source), dried fruits, beans, and fortified breads and cereals. Fisher emphasized, however, that “iron found in non-meat sources needs to be combined with a “helper” like vitamin C, a nutrient that increases absorption of the iron by the body.”

Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits, broccoli, green and red peppers, and tomatoes. Fisher recommends having a glass of orange juice with your breakfast cereal or adding some salsa to your dish of rice and beans in order to increase the amount of iron that you absorb from these foods.

While it’s important for vegetarians to consume an adequate amount of all vitamins and minerals, B12 is one that may be more difficult for them to get enough of because this vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products. Enriched breakfast cereals and fortified soy products, however, are very good sources of B12 for vegans and vegetarians.

Calcium may also be a concern for vegans who do not consume dairy products. Instead, they can get their calcium from dark green, leafy vegetables, calcium fortified soy milk and tofu, and fortified orange juice.

Becoming vegetarian doesn’t mean you have to become nutrient-deprived. There are plenty of foods that vegetarians can eat to make sure they get enough of essential nutrients like protein, iron, calcium and vitamin B12. If you need help planning your vegetarian diet, or if you need any type of nutritional advice, call 644-8871 to make an appointment with one of Thagard’s registered dieticians.