The Vegetarian Food Pyramid
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Why are Vegetarian Diets Helpful?
Types of Vegetarians:
1. Semi, partial, or casual vegetarians- Avoid red meat. Choose mainly plant-based foods, but also include milk products, eggs, poultry, and fish.
2. Pesco vegetarians- Avoid red meat and poultry. Choose fish, seafood, eggs, and milk products as well as plant-based foods.
3. Lacto-ovo vegetarians- Avoid red meat, fish, and poultry. Choose eggs, milk, and plant-based foods.
4. Lacto vegetarians- Avoid red meat, fish, poultry, and eggs. Choose milk, milk products, and plant-based foods.
5.Ovo-vegetarians- Avoid red meat, fish, poultry, milk, and milk products. Choose eggs and plant-based foods.
6. Vegan vegetarians- Avoid all animal products.
Nutrients needed in a Vegetarian Diet:
1. Protein- Plant proteins such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts
2. Iron- Vegetarians run high risks of not having enough iron. Examples: spinach, dried beans, dried fruit
3. Vitamin D- The amount of vitamin D that vegetarians take in by the sunlight should be enough. If not enough a supplement will help.
4. Calcium- Vegetarians seem to absord more calcium from their food than meat eaters. Good sources of calcium are spinach, kale, broccoli, legumes, and soybean products.
5. Zinc- Needed for growth and development. Good sources include legumes, grains, nuts. Make sure zinc in limited too much can take away from the "good" cholesterol[5]
Tips for a good Diet:
Snacks to grab on-the-go:
Good Vegetarian Recipes:
http://vegweb.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=88841b018823e0fa7302ba946455180e&topic=11887.0
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Potato-and-Bean-Enchiladas/Detail.aspx
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/1-2-3-Vegetable-Chili/Detail.aspx
Vegetarian Recipes From Around the World:
Africa
East Asia
Greek/Middle East
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Think Veggies!
Footnotes