Vegetarian diets require some adjustment to the guidelines in Mypyramid.gov but that website provides helpful tips to make the needed changes. Following a vegetarian diet might take some planning but it is possible to consume all the nutrients that are important to health.
Vegetarianism can include many different styles of eating but the three most popular styles of vegetarianism include:
- Lacto-ovo-vegetarians – consume dairy foods and eggs but no meat, poultry or fish
- Lacto-vegetarians - consume dairy foods only
- Vegans - consume only plant-based foods and exclude any products coming from animals from their diets.
The American Dietetic Association (ADA) position on vegetarianism defines a vegan diet as one that avoids all animal products, yet the variations in which products are avoided is significant. Given this variation in product avoidance here at Washington University we define vegan as avoiding meat, fish, poultry, dairy and eggs.
The ADA position goes on to state, "The key to healthful vegetarianism is including a wide variety of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans.
Vegetarian Diet Key Points:
- Can meet all the needed nutrients, including protein
- Allows for a variety of food choices
- May require more focus on calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B12
For more information concerning vegetarian diets, check out the following web sites:
