Gerry, et al

I have switched over to a vegetarian (dairy included) diet about a month ago (I was already on a very light meat protein balance at that point) and I practice yoga daily.  I am in reasonable physical condition (40 yr old male, 5'10", 160 lbs, no major health issues outside moderate osteoarthritis) and I follow a 5 meal per day ~2000 calorie diet.

My question is really about getting sufficient protein for long term muscle maintenance and combating any potential vitamin/nutrient deficiencies to which I might be exposed by my diet.  I try to keep nuts, legumes, and protein rich cereals in my diet and eat lots of green leafy vegetables for iron.  What else should I be doing to keep my nutrient intake in balance?

Ben

Hi Ben,

Vegetarian diets can be healthful and nutritionally sound if they’re carefully planned to include essential nutrients. However, a vegetarian diet can be unhealthy if it contains too many calories and not enough important nutrients.
What are the nutrients to consider in a vegetarian diet?

Protein: You don't need to eat foods from animals to have enough protein in your diet. Plant proteins alone can provide enough of the essential and non-essential amino acids, as long as sources of dietary protein are varied and caloric intake is high enough to meet energy needs. The best sources of protein though are definitely animal in origin. Whey protein isolate is the most bioavailable naturally occurring protein and I would strongly recommend incorporating it into your diet. http://www.energyfirst.com/site/files/whey/whey-protein-powder.htm

Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds and nuts all contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. You don't need to consciously combine these foods ("complementary proteins") within a given meal.

Iron: Vegetarians may have a greater risk of iron deficiency than nonvegetarians. The richest sources of iron are red meat, liver and egg yolk -- all high in cholesterol. However, dried beans, spinach, enriched products, brewer's yeast and dried fruits are all good plant sources of iron.

Vitamin B-12: This comes naturally only from animal sources. Vegans need a reliable source of vitamin B-12. It can be found in some fortified (not enriched) breakfast cereals, fortified soy beverages, some brands of nutritional (brewer's) yeast and other foods (check the labels), as well as vitamin supplements.

Vitamin D: Vegans should have a reliable source of vitamin D. Vegans who don’t get much sunlight may need a supplement.

Calcium: Studies show that vegetarians absorb and retain more calcium from foods than nonvegetarians do. Vegetable greens such as spinach, kale and broccoli, and some legumes and soybean products, are good sources of calcium from plants.

Zinc: Zinc is needed for growth and development. Good plant sources include grains, nuts and legumes. Shellfish are an excellent source of zinc. Take care to select supplements containing no more than 15-18 mg zinc. Supplements containing 50 mg or more may lower HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.

Best,

Gerry Morton
gmorton@energyfirst.com
http://www.energyfirst.com/

You may want to consider tofu. My wife marinates it and serves it with a stir fry. It's really excellent and even my three year old son asks for seconds.

I have eaten a vegan diet for over a year. I get protein from nuts, beans & vegetables. For anyone concerned about the kind/amount of protein they are eating or need to eat, I would suggest reading a book called The China Study.

Ben,

Lentils should be an essential part of a Vegetarian Diet. I have been vegetaian since birth. Being an Indian by origin, my diet consists of a lot of beans and lentils. I eat eggs too. I suggest you eat lentil soup with vegetables. It is quite nourishing. Hope this helps

-Vai