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VEGETARIAN DIET

VEGETARIAN MEAL

This refers to a meal which contains food of vegetable origin only and therefore excludes red meat, chicken, pork and fish. Some people eat vegetarian meals occasionally and others eat them exclusively - hence vegetarianism. Some people consider themselves vegetarian, but will eat the "white" meats and fish.

VEGAN MEAL

This excludes all animal protein - hence most cheeses and eggs.

It is probably healthier for most people to restrict their intake of meat to 3 times per week in order to limit saturated fat intake which is implicated in heart disease.

A vegetarian diet may be an unhealthy alternative if meat is substituted for fatty foods and sweets. So it is important when excluding meat from the diet to ensure appropriate food is chosen.

MEAT SUBSTITUTES

• legumes i.e. dried peas, beans - fresh green, canned "baked beans"
• increase consumption of vegetables and fruit
• increase consumption of nuts, eggs (if cholesterol is not raised) and seeds

EAT MOST OF:

• complex carbohydrates - bread, pasta, rice, cereals
• vegetables and fruit

These also provide both soluble and insoluble fibre and help prevent constipation, high cholesterol, diabetes and they may also decrease the chance of bowel cancer.

EAT MODERATELY:

• dairy products - milk, cheese, yoghurt - provide calcium requirement of 800-1500mg per day
• soy products - soy milk, soy beans, tofu
• nuts, eggs, seeds, sesame seeds

EAT LEAST:

• fats - up to 30% of calories should come from fats. Some fat in the diet is important; largely mono-saturated fats eg. olive oil, canola oil, peanuts, avocado; some polyunsaturated fat - sunflower, safflower and a little saturated fat - butter, cream, coconut oil.
• sugar
• salt

IRON

Iron is sometimes lacking in a vegetarian diet especially during pregnancy, exclusively breast fed babies over 6 months and menstruating women. Iron is most readily absorbed from eating red meat, but may also be obtained from eggs, cereals, legumes and is best absorbed if consumed with a drink or food containing Vitamin C, eg. orange juice. Sometimes iron supplements are required to treat or prevent anaemia.

VEGANS

Vegans probably enjoy no health advantage over vegetarians. A problem of the vegan diet is a lack of Vitamin B12, which is only found in foods of animal origin, therefore Vitamin B12 fortified foods or supplements will be required.

Prepared by Dr Lisa Bendsten, NEVDGP 1998

see also -

•  http://arborcom.com/frame/arb_clin.htm

•  http://arborcom.com/frame/veget.htm

•  Dieticians Association Australia (www.daa.asn.au)

•  Vegetarian network  (www.vnv.org.au/)