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Key Nutrients for a Balanced Vegetarian Diet

By Peter Reyes

The reason I became a vegetarian was because I was found to have high blood pressure, and being genetically predisposed to cardiovascular disease, I was advised to cut down on meat consumption.

As an omnivore leaning towards carnivorism for all my 38 years, going cold turkey (no pun intended) or trying to wean myself off pot roasts, burger steaks, pork tenderloins, chilli dogs, and buffalo wings was daunting. Very daunting. Because I love my life too much to die too soon, I knew I've to do something – something that would change my life forever. That was why I turned vegetarian and there's no looking back.

Today, I've no major issues with my health and I never felt better in my life. I sleep well, I've more energy, mental clarity, healthy skin and hair. In fact, I feel and look younger than my actual age.

If you're thinking of committing to a vegetarian diet for health reasons, I'll be more than happy to guide you along.

Many people think that vegetarianism is just about eliminating meat completely off their plates. Being a vegetarian is more than that; you must know how to eat a balanced and healthy vegetarian diet.

In general, vegetarians falls into 4(or more) groups – vegans, lacto-vegetarians, lacto-ovo vegetarian and flexitarian (semi-vegetarian). For the sake of simplicity, I won't be going into details here. Just remember, the more restrictive the vegetarian diet, the more difficult it is to get all the nutrients your body requires.

Key Vegetarian Nutritional Requirements

1. Protein – The first thing to go is obviously the meats. So, to replace protein from meat sources, you stock up your pantry with protein-rich foods such as tofu, tempehs, milk, cheeses, eggs, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains.

You've to make sure you get enough complete proteins, and good sources include quinoa, hemp, buck wheat, and hummus. Protein is needed for maintaining healthy skin, bones, muscles and organs.

2. Calcium – You need calcium for strong healthy bones and teeth. Dark colored veggies, such as kale, collard greens, spinach, broccoli, and turnips are rich in calcium.

You can also get calcium from low-fat dairy foods, calcium-fortified tofu, soy milk and fruits juices.

3. Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) – Insufficient Vitamin B12 puts you at risk for anemia. Your body needs vitamin B12 to produce red blood cells.

If you're a vegan, you can get Vitamin B12 from enriched cereals, fortified soy products or consider using a supplement.

4. Iron – Iron promotes growth and gives you resistance against diseases. Black strap molasses, raisins, apricots, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, parsley, eggs, dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products are great sources of iron.

To help your body absorb iron better, it's wise to eat with foods containing Vitamin C such as strawberries, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits, lemons), tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli.

6. Zinc – Zinc boosts your immune system and aids in the healing process. It also keeps the skin health and helps maintain good eye health.

Get your zinc from dried seaweed, seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower) and nuts (pine nuts, almonds), whole grains, wholemeal bread, brown rice, lentils, wheat germ and oats.

In summary, for a balanced vegetarian diet, eat 2 or more servings of legumes, 3 or more servings of fruits and veggies, 6 to 11 servings of whole grains daily. By doing that, you'll be sure of getting the key nutrients neccessary for best health.

My advice to all budding vegetarians is not to rush into vegetarianism. Do it slowly; allow yourself some time – say 3 days per week (for the first couple of weeks) – to being a vegetarian and then progress to the next level. Believe me, you'll soon realize you don't even have cravings for meat-based dishes. Good luck!

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key nutrients vegetarian diet