Vegetarianism Made Easy

People who adopt the recommended low-fat, high-fiber diet may discover that they have stumbled into vegetarianism. If you are considering switching to this type of diet, here are some suggestions.

1. Cut back gradually

a. If you are in the habit of eating meat, poultry or fish for lunch and dinner, limit such choices to one meal a day and then cut back further.

b. Decrease or forgo the meat in your family's favorite dishes. For e.g. use more beans and less ground beef in a chili recipe and layer lasagna with ricotta or fresh vegetables instead of meat.

c. When you do eat meat, poultry or fish, use it sparingly to flavor dishes such as rice and pasta entrees.

d. If your substitute cheese and other dairy products for red meat, choose low-fat or nonfat varieties whenever possible.

e. Apply the same rules to a vegetarian diet as to any other eating plan: variety moderation and balance. Except among very strict vegetarians, deficiencies of vitamins and minerals rarely occur.

f. Keep experimenting. Scour cookbooks and magazines to find new recipes using beans, pasta, whole grains and rice.

2. Get into grains

a. Millet: It is not just bird food. High in protein, millet is an excellent source of B vitamins and several minerals, including iron. Use whole hulled millet in place of rice in stuffings and side dishes. Try puffed millet as an ingredient in breads and puddings.

b. Buckwheat: Its nutty flavor and crunchy texture contribute to entrees and side dishes. Buckwheat can also be eaten for breakfast.

c. Barley: Whole hulled barley is more nutritious than pealed barley, which loses its outer layer in processing. Use barley as a side dish, in soups or as a breakfast cereal.

d. Quinoa: This ancient Peruvian grain is rich in iron, crunchy and has light, nutty flavor. Try it in puddings, stews and soups or as hot cereal.

e. Rice: Do not limit yourself to white or brown rice. Try basmati, wild rice and other types.

f. Boost the flavor of grains by cooking them in wine, vegetable stock, tomato sauce or with herbs and spices.

g. Stay away from seasoned rice mixes, which generally contain oil, sugar and sodium.

3. Dabble in beans

a. Dried peas and beans, which are a staple of vegetarian diets around the world, provide protein, B vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc and fiber. Red lentils are one of the quickest to prepare requiring no soaking and less than 20 minutes or cooking.

b. To shorten soaking time, place beans in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn off the burner and let the beans stand, covered, in the pot for an hour or two.

c. Use canned beans occasionally to save time. Be sure to rinse the beans which often have added sodium in the canning liquid.

d. Keep dried bean in an airtight container in a cool room as their self-life is up to a year. Cooked beans can be stored in the refrigerator for five days and in the freezer for six months.

e. Too much fiber too soon can produce stomach discomfort. Increase your consumption of such high-fiber food as beans and grains gradually and drink plenty of water and other liquids.

4. A meal plan: Here is what a healthy lacto-ovo vegetarian (those who eat no meat, poultry or fish but do consume dairy products and eggs) diet should include daily:

a. Four or more servings of vegetables.

b. Three or more servings of fruit.

c. Six or more servings of whole grains (such as bread cereal, rice and pasta).

d. Two or three servings of nuts, tofu (a soyabean product) and legumes (dried peas and beans).

e. Up to three servings of low fat dairy foods.

f. An occasional egg or egg whites.

5. Put worries aside

a. Forget the old warning that strict vegetarians or vegans (whose diet excludes eggs, dairy products, meat, poultry and fish) must mix and match plant foods carefully at each meal to make sure that they get enough protein. Experts now believe that eating a variety of plant-based foods daily supplies adequate protein. Good sources of plant-based protein include nuts, seeds, dried peas and beans, green peas, tofu, pasta and rice.

b. To get as much protein from plant food as you could get from a three-ounce serving of sirloin steak or pork loin, eat a half cup each of green peas, lentils and soybeans.

c. Iron and zinc deficiencies occur very rarely. In general, if a vegan consumes a good assortment of foods, the only potential nutritional problem will be vitamin B12 deficiency, which is curable when caught early.

d. Vegetarians who avoid animal foods can help to minimize the risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency by drinking fortified soy milk and eating fortified cereals.

6. Depending on their food preferences, vegetarians generally fall into one of the following categories.

a. Semi-vegetarians

They eat little or no red meat but eat poultry, fish and dairy products.

Benefits: They may have a reduced risk for some cancers. Poultry and fish tend to be less fatty than red meat and contain many of the same nutrients as red meat.

Suggestions: Consume plenty of iron-rich foods. Use cast-iron pots for cooking foods. Boost iron absorption by including foods high in vitamin C with each meal. Include foods high in zinc such as shellfish, seeds and tofu.

b. Lacto-ovo vegetarians

They eat no meat, poultry or fish but do consume dairy products and eggs.

Benefits: They may have reduced risk of some cancers and heart disease. Dairy products are excellent source of calcium and protein.

Suggestions: Consume plenty of iron-rich foods. Use cast-iron pots for cooking foods. Boost iron absorption by including foods high in vitamin C with each meal. Include foods high in zinc such as shellfish, seeds and tofu. Choose low fat or nonfat dairy products. Limit egg yolks to 3 or 4 per week to avoid excess dietary cholesterol.

c. Vegans

They eat only plant foods, no animal products.

Benefits: They have reduced risk of some cancers, heart disease, adult-onset diabetes and obesity.

Suggestions: Consult a registered dietitian or other nutrition expert to ensure that you are getting enough calories, protein, vitamins and mineral. Supplements of vitamin B12 may be needed.