Some Common Mistakes of Nutrition and Vegetarian Diets

Some people choose to follow a vegetarian diet because of moral convictions, while many others do so because they think it is a healthier way to eat Just cutting out meat, however, does not make you healthy. For example, consider two people ordering lunch at a Mexican restaurant. Whose choices are healthier: The vegetarian who chooses chips and guacamole, retried beans, and cheese quesadillas, or the non-vegetarian who orders beef fajitas? Fajitas are generally made with lean cuts of beef that are grilled, which keeps the fat content relatively low, while every item the vegetarian chose is laden with fat and calories.

The moral is that vegetarians have to be as conscious of nutrition as non-vegetarians. Teenage vegetarians, especially vegans (vegetarians who avoid all dairy products), have to be particularly careful to get enough protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12 in their diets.

Soy products, beans, peas, and nuts are good sources of protein. Vegetarians who eat dairy can also get protein from eggs and dairy products. For those who don't eat dairy foods, calcium can be found in green leafy vegetables, broccoli, and calcium-fortified soy products and juices. You need vitamin D to help your body process the calcium, so check the labels on fortified products to make sure that vitamin D is included.

Iron is found in beans and nuts, dried fruits, and dark green vegetables. The iron is absorbed best if eaten with foods that are high in vitamin C-foods such as citrus fruits, tomatoes, and potatoes. Yogurt, tofu, whole grains, peon, nuts, and beans are good sources of zinc. Milk, fortified soy milk, fortified cereal, miso, tempera, and sea vegetables (such as nori, which Is used to wrap sushi) are all high in vitamin B12. Sea vegetables are sold at natural food stores and Asian groceries.

COMMON MISTAKES

Eating too much saturated fat is a common mistake among young people (and older people, for that matter). Saturated fats, which are found in lard, meat, and dairy products, raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease. French fries, donuts, chips, and candy are all loaded with saturated fat. The CDC reports that 91 percent of young people have too much saturated fat in their diet.

Fruits and vegetables are too often ignored. The CDC's 2001 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that only about one in five students ate the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. (Fried potatoes, french fries, and potato chips were not considered vegetables by the survey.) Even though females are more likely to order salads, males in the survey were more likely to eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables.

The CDC also reports that one in five high school-aged students regularly skips breakfast, another common mistake. Some think that avoiding breakfast saves calories and time. Yet a breakfast that contains some protein and even a little fat along with complex carbohydrates provides enough energy to last the entire morning. Whole-grain cereal with low-fat or nonfat milk, an egg on toast, or a fruit smoothie made with low-fat or nonfat milk are good choices. Grabbing a danish or a bagel on the way to school is not a good choice. Both are simple carbohydrates that will leave most people feeling hungry within an hour or two.

Fact Or Fiction

To be healthy, I need to eliminate fat from my diet.

Fact: While too much saturated fat can increase your risk of heart disease, some fat actually plays a role in keeping you healthy. Fat insulates your body and helps you absorb certain vitamins. Fat holds your kidneys, heart, and liver in place. Fat also prolongs digestion, making you feel full longer. Unsaturated fats, which are found in vegetable oil, seafood, fish, nuts, seeds, and olives, keep your blood, arteries, and nerves healthy and are important to your growth. When you replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, you also lower your risk of heart disease.