Eating a Healthy Diet

A vegan or vegetarian diet can give you most of the nutrients you need. It depends on how restrictive the diet is. As long as you eat a variety of healthy foods, there are only a few things you need to pay special attention to.

You might want to think about working with a registered dietitian to be sure you are getting all the nutrients you need.

• Get enough protein.
  • A vegetarian diet that includes eggs and dairy provides quality protein.
  • A vegan diet takes more planning. Eat a wide variety of protein-rich foods to get the protein you need. Examples are soy products, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds.
• Pay attention to vitamin B12.
  • Vitamin B12 occurs naturally only in foods from animal sources, such as milk, eggs, and meat.
  • If you follow a vegan diet, be sure to eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 (such as fortified soy milk) or take a supplement that contains vitamin B12.
• Get enough iron.
  • Include cooked dried beans, peas, and lentils, leafy green vegetables, and iron-fortified cereals in your diet.
  • Iron from plant foods is not absorbed as well as iron from meats. Eat foods that contain vitamin C to help your body absorb iron from a meal.
• Get plenty of calcium.
  • If you don't use milk or other dairy products, be sure to get calcium from other sources.
  • Good sources of calcium include calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy milk, and tofu.
  • Other non-dairy sources include corn tortillas made with lime (calcium carbonate) and green vegetables such as turnip greens, collard greens, kale, bok choy, and broccoli.
• Get enough vitamin D.
  • If you don't use milk or milk products, be sure to get enough vitamin D from other sources. Soy milk and cereals are often fortified with vitamin D.
  • Your body can produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight on a regular basis. You may need a supplement if you don't consume enough vitamin D or don't get enough sunlight.
• Get enough zinc.
  • Good sources of zinc include whole-grain breads, cooked dried beans and lentils, soy foods, vegetables, milk, and yogurt.
• Add omega-3 fatty acids.
  • If your diet doesn't include fish and eggs, you need other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These include hemp seeds, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, certain leafy green vegetables, soybean oil, and canola oil.

Getting enough protein

Protein is made of building blocks called amino acids. The human body can make some of these amino acids. But you must get the nine essential amino acids from food.

You can get more protein by adding high-protein foods to your meals and snacks. Some plant protein sources are lentils, chickpeas, beans, dairy products, tofu, tempeh, and nuts and seeds.

To add more protein to your meals and snacks, you can:

• Add beans to soup and chili.
• Add lentils to salads or wraps.
• Have trail mix or roasted chickpeas as snacks.
• Add nuts, seeds, or wheat germ to yogurt.

You can also:

• Spread peanut butter on a banana.
• Mix cottage cheese into noodle dishes or casseroles.
• Sprinkle hard-boiled eggs on a salad.
• Grate cheese over vegetables and soups.
• Add powdered milk to other foods, such as pudding or soups.
• Add powdered protein to fruit smoothies and cooked cereal.

You can also buy vegetarian protein bars, drinks, and powders. Check the nutrition label for the amount of protein in each serving.

Vegetarian Diets for Children and Teens

A well-planned vegetarian or vegan diet can be healthy for children and teens.

Here are some things to think about at different stages of a child's life.

Babies

Supplements may be important.

• Babies who get only breast milk should have iron supplements after the age of 4 to 6 months (or you can add iron-fortified cereal).
• Vegans who are breastfeeding and whose diet isn't fortified with vitamin B12 need to give their babies B12 supplements.
• A vitamin D supplement is recommended for breastfed babies younger than 1 year of age. Talk with your doctor about how much and what sources of vitamin D are right for your child.

Young children

Children ages 1 to 2 years need extra fat for brain and nerve development. They may also need certain supplements, depending on what they eat.

• If you use milk, use whole milk. Don't use low-fat or fat-free milk. (Children younger than 12 months of age should not drink cow's milk.)
• If you use soy milk, make sure that it's full-fat soy milk.
• If your child eats a vegan diet, they likely need a B12 supplement.
• Most children this age need a vitamin D supplement.
• Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian to make sure that your child is getting the nutrients they need.

Children

Vegan and vegetarian diets can contain a lot of fiber. Fiber fills you up without adding a lot of calories. But children have small stomachs. The fiber they eat can fill them up before they get enough calories. Frequent meals and snacks with plenty of whole grains, beans, and nuts will help children get the energy and nutrients they need for healthy growth.

Young children who eat a vegetarian or vegan diet tend to be slightly smaller but still within normal growth ranges. And they tend to catch up to other children in size as they get older.

Teens

Teens need plenty of calcium and vitamin D. And iron is especially important for teens who are menstruating. If your teen decides to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet:

• Teach your teen how to plan meals to get all the right nutrients every day. You may want your teen to talk to a registered dietitian to learn how to plan a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet.
• Talk with your doctor or dietitian about the vitamins and minerals your child needs. Ask if your teen needs to take a daily supplement.
• Find out why your teen wants to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. Some teens adopt this diet as a way to lose weight, and it can hide an eating disorder like anorexia.