People following pescetarian or flexitarian diets often do so to get the health benefits of eating a largely vegetarian diet without giving up meat entirely. A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet can provide many health benefits, such as a reduced risk of chronic diseases, including:. Vegetarians and vegans also have lower rates of illness and death from some degenerative diseases.
If you choose to be vegetarian or vegan, plan your diet to make sure it includes all the essential nutrients. This is even more important if you are pregnant , planning a pregnancy, breastfeeding or have young children following a vegetarian diet. Eating a wide variety of foods will make it easier to meet your nutritional requirements. Essential nutrients that are harder to obtain in a vegetarian diet, if not carefully planned — include protein, some minerals especially iron, calcium and zinc , vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Protein is essential for many bodily processes, including tissue building and repair. Protein is made up of smaller building blocks called amino acids. These amino acids are classed as non-essential can be made by the body and essential must be obtained through the diet. Most plant foods, however, are not complete proteins — they only have some of the nine essential amino acids.
Soy products , quinoa and amaranth seeds are some of the few exceptions of a complete vegetable protein. It was once thought that vegetarians and vegans needed to combine plant foods at each meal to ensure they consumed complete proteins for example, baked beans on toast. Recent research has found this is not the case. Consuming various sources of amino acids throughout the day should provide the complete complement of protein.
Generally, if energy kilojoules or calorie intake is sufficient, vegetarian diets can meet or exceed their protein requirements, but some vegan diets may be low in protein. Some good vegetarian sources of protein include:. Some of these minerals and their suggested food sources include:. Iron is an important mineral that is involved in various bodily functions, including the transport of oxygen in the blood. Although vegetarian and vegan diets are generally high in iron from plant foods, this type of iron, called non-haem iron, is not absorbed as well as the iron in meat haem iron.
Combining non-haem iron-containing foods with foods high in vitamin C and food acids such as fruit and vegetables helps your body absorb the iron. Zinc performs numerous essential functions in the body, including the development of immune system cells. Calcium is vital for strong bones and teeth.
It also plays a crucial role in other systems of the body, such as the health and functioning of nerves and muscle tissue. Dietary iodine is needed to make essential thyroid hormones involved in metabolic processes.
This includes growth and energy use, as well as brain and bone development during pregnancy and in early childhood. Vitamin B12 is important for red blood cell production — it helps to maintain healthy nerves and a healthy brain. People following a vegan diet are at risk of developing vitamin B12 deficiency because it is only found in animal products. Vegetarian sources of vitamin B12 include:. This is particularly important for breastfeeding mothers where vitamin B12 deficient breastmilk can interfere with normal brain development of the baby.
Vitamin B12 absorption becomes less efficient as we age, so supplements may also be needed by older people following a vegetarian diet.
Check with your doctor before starting on any vitamin and mineral supplements. Vitamin D is important for strong bones, muscles and overall health. The main source of vitamin D for most Australians is sunlight. There are few foods that contain significant amounts of vitamin D. Fortified low-fat and skim milk is another source of vitamin D, but it is present in low amounts.
Vegetarian sources of vitamin D include:. As the sun is also a major source of vitamin D, dietary intake is only important when exposure to UV light from the sun is inadequate — such as people who are housebound or whose clothing covers almost all of their skin.
However, special care needs to be taken for vegetarian diets during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and infancy and childhood. This especially applies to those who follow a vegan diet. Strict vegan diets are not recommended for very young children. A vegetarian diet can be safely followed during pregnancy provided you eat regularly to ensure you have enough energy.
Include a variety of foods from the five food groups each day to meet your nutrient needs. Most women will need supplements of nutrients that are difficult to obtain just from food such as folic acid and iodine. Vitamin B12 supplements will also be needed for women following vegan diets for optimal brain development in their baby.
According to the American Dietetic Association, eating a wide variety of protein sources every day is sufficient. Vitamin B Vitamin B 12 is found only in animal products, but those products include dairy foods and eggs, so most vegetarians get all they need. If you avoid animal products altogether, you should eat foods fortified with vitamin B 12 certain soy and rice beverages and breakfast cereals or take a vitamin B 12 supplement to avoid a deficiency, which can cause neurological problems and pernicious anemia.
Studies show that in Western countries, vegetarians tend to get the same amount of iron as meat eaters. But the iron in meat especially red meat is more readily absorbed than the kind found in plant foods, known as non-heme iron. The absorption of non-heme iron is enhanced by vitamin C and other acids found in fruits and vegetables, but it may be inhibited by the phytic acid in whole grains, beans, lentils, seeds, and nuts. Phytic acid in whole grains, seeds, beans, and legumes also reduces zinc absorption, but vegetarians in Western countries do not appear to be zinc-deficient.
Omega-3 fatty acids. DHA-fortified breakfast bars and soy milk are also available. Official dietary guidelines recommend 1. Good ALA sources include flaxseed, walnuts, canola oil, and soy. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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Read about the best plant-based sources of protein. Soy products — such as tofu , tempeh, and seitan — provide protein and also add a meat-like texture to many dishes. Learn more about meat substitutes here.
It may take a little experimentation, but most people will be able to find a vegan meal plan to suit their taste.
Vegan diets are growing in popularity. A vegan diet can offer many health benefits, including better heart health, weight loss, and a reduced risk of chronic diseases. People who wish to adopt a vegan diet will need to plan their meals carefully to ensure that they are getting enough key nutrients to avoid deficiencies. A runner's diet should contain a healthy balance of macronutrients, adequate carbohydrates, and micronutrients from plant foods. Learn more. Learn why some people might need to follow a mechanical soft diet, the foods they can eat safely, and the foods they may wish to avoid here.
Caffeine, fatty foods, and foods high in sugar can all negatively affect sleep and keep people awake. People can often manage fatty liver disease by making dietary changes.
Learn which foods to include and avoid in a diet for fatty liver disease. A vegan diet can be healthy and well-balanced as long as people ensure that they eat enough of each type of nutrient.
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