In recent years the popularity of people following a vegetarian diet has increased. By following a vegetarian diet, people increase their consumption of plant-based foods from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils. There are various health benefits gained when following a vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets have been linked to reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. People have also found compelling environmental reasons and reduced food costs when following this kind of diet.
What is a Vegetarian Diet?
The term "vegetarian" describes a variety of different diets. The type of vegetarian diet is further separated by specifying the type of animal-based products removed or kept in the diet. The types of vegetarians are:
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Lacto-Vegetarian Diet: omits fish, eggs, and animal meats from the diet but keeps in dairy products.
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Ovo-Vegetarian Diet: omits fish, animal meats, and dairy from the diet but keeps in eggs.
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Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diet: omits fish and animal meats from diets but keeps in eggs and dairy products.
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Vegan Diet: omits all animal products, including fish, animal meats, and eggs.
What is a Vegan Diet?
The vegan diet is the strictest form of vegetarianism. This is because it not only omits food sources from fish, eggs, dairy, and animal meats, but it also excludes any animal byproducts such as:
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Gelatin
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Whey
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Casein
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Albumin
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Ghee
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Honey (derived from bees)
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Fish oil
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Some forms of Vitamin D
Nutrient Considerations for Vegetarians and Vegans
Due to the increase in plant-based food consumption, all types of vegetarians generally consume a diet rich in vitamins and minerals and high in fiber from the increased consumption of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Due to omitting red meat and dairy they also decrease the amount of saturated fat consumed as well as dietary cholesterol from omitting fish and eggs. This can help with reducing their risk of heart disease.
Vegetarians and vegans will both meet their nutritional needs if meals are carefully planned out. Consuming balanced meals should still be a point of focus because it can still be easy to consume sweetened convenience foods and other processed foods as a vegetarian or vegan.
Nutrients That All Vegetarians Need to Consume
Proteins: consume nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, and soy products.
Iron: iron is fortified in a variety of grains or rich in green vegetables.
Zinc: can be found in cashews, walnuts, chickpeas, lentils, and tofu.
Calcium & Vitamin D: is fortified in dairy alternative products like almond milk, soy milk, or juices.
Vitamin B12: is primarily found in animal food sources. Vitamin B12 can be consumed by adding nutritional yeast to foods or adding a nutritional supplement.
Make sure to alert your physician if you are following a vegetarian-type diet so they can monitor these nutrient levels for you and always be sure to discuss your specific dietary needs with your physician.