Optimising your nutrition on a vegetarian diet

There is a great deal of evidence on how a good vegetarian diet can be beneficial to health and studies suggest that overall vegetarians have lower rates of mortality than the general population. The Vegetarian Society attributes this to (VS-1, 2013) 

• the high levels of antioxidants and other beneficial phytochemicals that this type of diet contains, 
• the fibre content of a vegetarian diet which contributes to bowel health and to lower cholesterol levels,
• the absence of meat and the associated saturated fat which is linked to heart disease. 

Nevertheless, vegetarians need to be mindful that the absence of meat in their diet, can also lead to less than optimal levels of certain nutrients and will need to make sure that their diet contains appropriate alternatives to ensure that their needs are met by their diets. 

The key nutrients to think about are: 

Protein: 

The UK Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI) is set at 0.75g of protein per kilogram bodyweight per day for adults (BNF-1, 2012). It is important to try and include a protein source in each of your meals. Good vegetarian sources of protein are: 

• Eggs 
• Lentils 
• Legumes 
• Beans 
• Quinoa / Chia Seeds 
• Nuts and seeds 
• Avocado 
• Fermented soya products: natto, tempah and miso 

It is also worth considering using a good quality protein powder; such as Hemp or Pea protein which can be added to smoothie to give an additional protein punch. 

Vitamin B12: 

Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin which plays a role in a number of functions in the body, deficiency of this vitamin can led to anemia and neurological problems (LPI-1, 2007). Vitamin B12 is derived from animal food sources, consequently if you are excluding (or eating only small amounts of) eggs and/or dairy produce as part of your vegetarian diet, it is worth considering a good quality B12 supplement. It is important to note that some sources state that you can get Vitamin B12 from fermented soy products and algaes such as spiralina; it is in an inactive state and therefore cannot be used by our bodies. 

Iron: 

There are two forms of iron; haem and non-haem iron. Non-haem iron is an oxidized form of iron or ferric iron (Fe III) and less easily absorbed by the body, this is the form of iron found in plants. Haem Iron or Ferrous iron (Fe II) is the more absorbable form of iron, but is only available through meat and fish. Therefore, it is important that your vegetarian diet contains good levels of iron containing foods (LPI-2, 2009).  Good sources of iron rich foods are: 

• Green leafy veg (Vit C too) 
• Pumpkin / Squash (Vit C too) 
• Pumpkin seeds & Cashew Nuts 
• Beans, Lentils & Pulses 
• Seaweed 
• Dried Fruits: Apricots & Prunes 
• Black Strap Molasses 

Additionally, Vitamin C works to reduce the ferric iron found in plant foods to its more absorbable ferrous form increasing overall absorption of iron (LPI-2, 2009). Including a source of vitamin C with your iron source foods is beneficial. 

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) - Omega 3 & 6: 

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) cannot be synthesized by the body and must be supplied in the diet. They are important components of cell membranes and substrates for signaling molecules, which control many important functions at a cellular level (BNF-2, 2012). In addition, EFAs are associated with reduced blood cholesterol levels and Omega 3 has a particular role in heart health (BNF-2, 2012).  Vegetarian sources of EFAs include: 

• Flaxseeds (whole, ground or oil) 
• Hempseeds 
• Rapeseed oil  
• Walnuts 

I am frequently surprised by the number of vegetarians, who subsist on a diet which is largely made up of pasta and cheese, but there are a myriad of options with a vegetarian diet, some menu ideas that also incorporate the above nutrients, include:

Breakfast 

• Chia seed smoothie 
• Bircher muesli 
• Porridge or yoghurt with stewed / dried apricots, prunes and figs 
• Poached eggs with spinach 

Lunch 

• Soup: spicy lentil, minestrone or miso 
• Three bean salad 
• Falafel or hummus salad 
• Omlette with mushrooms, parsley and tomato 

Dinner 

• Sweet potato with ratatouille 
• Stuffed pepper/tomato/courgette flowers with rice, lentils feta and parsley 
• Indian red lentil dhal, saag aloe, brown rice and cucumber raita 
• Mexican refried beans with corn tortillas, guacamole and salsa 

Snacks 

• Celery / Apple / Pear with nut butter 
• Hummus and crudities 
• Avocado, pea and mint dip with rye crackers 
• Flaxseed crackers with mushroom pate 

Resources:

The following are good sources of additional information and recipe ideas:

www.vegsoc.org

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Vegetarianhealth/Pages/Vegetarianhealthhome.aspx

http://www.cookveg.co.uk/

http://www.nomeatathlete.com/

http://www.racheldemuth.co.uk/blog/

References:

BNF-1: British Nutrition Foundation. (2012). Protein. Available: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients/protein. Last accessed 16th June 2013.

BNF 2: British Nutrition Foundation. (2012). Fat. Available: http://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritionscience/nutrients/fat. Last accessed 16th June 2013.

LPI-1: Blumberg, J. (2007). Vitamin B12. Available: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/vitamins/vitaminB12/ Last accessed 16th June 2013.

LPI-2: Wessling-Resnick, M. (2009). Iron. Available: http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/iron/. Last accessed 16th June 2013.

VS-1: Vegetarian Society. (2013). Vegetarian diet for health problems. Available: https://www.vegsoc.org/sslpage.aspx?pid=784. Last accessed 16th June 2013.