Nutrients in a vegetarian diet
Discover how to get nutrients in a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian is someone who avoids eating all types of meat, whether it's hamburgers...
The vegetarian lifestyle entails a very healthy way of eating. The rules of any healthy diet are maintained, although it is necessary to add variety, balance and moderation. Discover how to get nutrients in a vegetarian diet. A vegetarian is someone who avoids eating all types of meat. Whether it’s hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken or even fish. Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of foods they are or are not willing to eat. For example, lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal meat, however, they will eat eggs and most dairy products. A vegan, on the other hand, avoids all foods that have any trace of animal origin. A very common question from vegetarians is how they are going to get enough protein if they cut out meat. It is worth noting that even without realizing it, we may consume more protein than we really need. For the lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein. Vegans, for their part, achieve their protein intake by consuming nuts, seeds and soy products. If we stop at legumes, which provide a high amount of protein, we will find a variety that we can use, such as beans, lentils, broad beans, chickpeas and peanuts. Nuts are also high in protein, but have a higher fat content than grains, so you should enjoy them in moderation. Eating a cup of cooked beans provides the same amount of protein as 60 grams of meat. The nutrients of interest for vegans, who avoid all types of foods of animal origin, are vitamin B12, calcium and vitamin D. In an average diet the main source of vitamin B12 is animal. To have an adequate intake of this nutrient, vegans must resort to vitamin B12 supplements or increase the consumption of foods that contain it, such as soy products. For calcium, vegans can have orange juice or soy milk, which are fortified with calcium. Beans and green leafy vegetables also contain a good amount of this nutrient. Although vegetarians eat a healthy and balanced diet, they must maintain strict attention to their protein, vitamin and calcium intake to maintain their health for many years.
