Thinking about going vegan or vegetarian? Good for you! A healthy, well-planned diet that includes less or no animal products can be beneficial to your health (and budget)! Eating more veggies and fruits is never a bad idea, just be sure to incorporate enough complete proteins. Without
complete proteins in your diet, you may feel sluggish and lose muscle mass. Fortunately, a little menu planning can help you include enough complete proteins in your diet. Protein is the macronutrient in your body that builds and repairs muscle tissue. It’s essential for digestion, metabolic function and creating infection-fighting antibodies. Your brain, heart, liver and muscles consist of protein. In short, a healthy body and mind really need it. So, what makes a protein complete? It depends on whether it has all 22 amino acids. Amino acids are the basic building blocks of protein. Our bodies naturally produce 13 amino acids, but the nine others need to be sourced elsewhere. “A protein is considered ‘complete’ when it has nine essential amino acids in somewhat equal amounts,” says Meagan Ballard, a registered dietitian at INTEGRIS Health. “Essential amino acids are those that cannot be made by the body and therefore must be
eaten in our diet.” Animal proteins are the richest food source for complete proteins, but there are also options for vegetarians and vegans. Of course, there is no right or wrong way to consume complete proteins—whether you’re a meat-lover or vegan—as long as you are eating enough complete proteins. Your body creates 13 of the 22 amino acids on its own. These are the non-essential amino acids. A complete protein has the non-essential amino acids plus the nine essential amino acids that need to be eaten. An incomplete protein has only some of the nine essential amino acids. It’s easy to combine two incomplete protein sources to get the nutrients you need. “You can combine foods to make what is called complimentary proteins. Two incomplete proteins can be combined to obtain all the essential amino acids,” Ballard says. For example, brown rice has several of the essential amino acids, but not all nine. Beans, lentils and chickpeas have essential amino acids that brown rice lacks. Simply pairing rice and beans will give you a vegan-friendly meal with complete proteins. Here are several tasty combos that will please your palate and diet restrictions.
You don’t have to eat complete proteins within the same meal, just make sure you consume a combination over the course of the day. For example, you can eat a whole grain at breakfast and then snack on peanut butter later that afternoon. There’s more variety in restricted diets than it seems. Go to Pinterest and bloggers for thousands of recipes and meal prep tips. Worried about dining out? In the Oklahoma City metro area, check out dining options like the Loaded Bowl, Picasso Café, Green Goodies and the Red Cup for delicious vegan and vegetarian options. Before you make a drastic change in diet, meet with a certified dietitian to make sure you’re meeting all your nutritional needs. Remember, it’s important to consume complete proteins throughout your day, whether you’re a meat-eater, vegetarian or vegan. A well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy way to meet your nutritional needs. Find out what you need to know about a plant-based diet. By Mayo Clinic StaffVegetarian diets continue to increase in popularity. Reasons for following a vegetarian diet are varied but include health benefits, such as reducing your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some cancers. Yet some vegetarians rely too heavily on processed foods, which can be high in calories, sugar, fat and sodium. And they may not eat enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains and calcium-rich foods, thus missing out on the nutrients they provide. However, with a little planning a vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them. Types of vegetarian dietsWhen people think about a vegetarian diet, they typically think about a diet that doesn't include meat, poultry or fish. But vegetarian diets vary in what foods they include and exclude:
Some people follow a semivegetarian diet — also called a flexitarian diet — which is primarily a plant-based diet but includes meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion or in small quantities. Planning a healthy vegetarian dietTo get the most out of a vegetarian diet, choose a variety of healthy plant-based foods, such as whole fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, and whole grains. At the same time, cut back on less healthy choices, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juices and refined grains. If you need help, a registered dietitian can assist you in creating a vegetarian plan that's right for you. Vegetarian diet: Daily amounts based on 2,000-calorie diet
Keep in mind that the more restrictive your diet is, the more challenging it can be to get all the nutrients you need. A vegan diet, for example, eliminates natural food sources of vitamin B-12, as well as milk products, which are good sources of calcium. To be sure that your diet includes everything your body needs, pay special attention to the following nutrients: Calcium and vitamin DCalcium helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Milk and dairy foods are highest in calcium. However, dark green vegetables, such as turnip and collard greens, kale, and broccoli, are good plant sources when eaten in sufficient quantities. Calcium-enriched and fortified products, including juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu, are other options. Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone health. Vitamin D is added to cow's milk, some brands of soy and rice milk, and some cereals and margarines. Be sure to check food labels. If you don't eat enough fortified foods and have limited sun exposure, you may need a vitamin D supplement (one derived from plants). Vitamin B-12Vitamin B-12 is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia. This vitamin is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough B-12 on a vegan diet. Vitamin B-12 deficiency may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet. This is because the vegan diet is rich in a vitamin called folate, which may mask deficiency in vitamin B-12 until severe problems occur. For this reason, it's important for vegans to consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products. ProteinProtein helps maintain healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs. Eggs and dairy products are good sources, and you don't need to eat large amounts to meet your protein needs. You can also get sufficient protein from plant-based foods if you eat a variety of them throughout the day. Plant sources include soy products and meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Omega-3 fatty acidsOmega-3 fatty acids are important for heart health. Diets that do not include fish and eggs are generally low in active forms of omega-3 fatty acids. Canola oil, soy oil, walnuts, ground flaxseed and soybeans are good sources of essential fatty acids. However, because conversion of plant-based omega-3 to the types used by humans is inefficient, you may want to consider fortified products or supplements or both. Iron and zincIron is a crucial component of red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are good sources of iron. Because iron isn't as easily absorbed from plant sources, the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that recommended for nonvegetarians. To help your body absorb iron, eat foods rich in vitamin C, such as strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli, at the same time as you're eating iron-containing foods. Like iron, zinc is not as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products. Cheese is a good option if you eat dairy products. Plant sources of zinc include whole grains, soy products, legumes, nuts and wheat germ. Zinc is an essential component of many enzymes and plays a role in cell division and in formation of proteins. IodineIodine is a component in thyroid hormones, which help regulate metabolism, growth and function of key organs. Vegans may not get enough iodine and may be at risk of deficiency and possibly even a goiter. In addition, foods such as soybeans, cruciferous vegetables and sweet potatoes may promote a goiter. However, just 1/4 teaspoon of iodized salt a day provides a significant amount of iodine. Getting startedOne way to transition to a vegetarian diet is to gradually reduce the meat in your diet while increasing fruits and vegetables. Here are a couple of tips to help you get started:
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. Can you get enough protein from vegetables?A diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, beans, soy foods, and nuts and seeds can provide enough protein.
How much protein does a vegetarian need?How Much Protein Does A Vegetarian Or Vegan Actually Need? According to the DRI (Dietary Reference Intake), it is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.36 grams per pound. Even at a fairly conservative number, this equates to about 56g of protein per day for the average guy, 46g for the average woman.
Can vegetarians get all essential amino acids?Amino Acid Adequacy in Vegetarian Diets
The claim that certain plant foods are “missing” specific amino acids is demonstrably false. All plant foods contain all 20 amino acids, including the 9 indispensable amino acids [33].
Which protein food would be the most appropriate to meet a vegetarian needs in one meal?Vegetarians get enough protein from this group as long as the variety and amounts of foods selected are adequate. Protein sources from the Protein Foods Group for vegetarians include eggs (for ovo-vegetarians), beans, peas, and lentils, nuts and seeds (including nut and seed butters), and soy products (tofu, tempeh).
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Vegetarians can only consume adequate protein by eating a variety of vegetables and fish.
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