k_vegetarianism

Vegetarianism has different meanings to different people. In general, red meat consumption is eliminated from all vegetarian diets. Here is a list of the most common vegetarian practices, from the most restrictive to the least restrictive: • Vegans are strict, total, or pure vegetarians. They eat only foods from plant sources, such as nuts, fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. • Lacto-vegetarians eat plant foods and dairy products. • Lacto-ovo- vegetarians eat plant foods, dairy products, and eggs. • Pesco-vegetarians eat plant foods,dairy products, eggs, and fish. • Partial- vegetarians eat all foods except red meat.
 * What Is Vegetarianism?**

Some of the health benefits of a vegetarian diet may include: • Decreased blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. • Lower incidence of heart disease, some forms of cancer, and digestive disorders like constipation and diverticula disease. • Lower incidence of obesity and some forms of diabetes.
 * What Are the Benefits?**

If you choose to be a vegetarian, variety in your diet is essential to ensure an adequate intake of nutrients. Vegetarians who find their caloric intake is not adequate to sustain a healthy body weight should increase the size of their meals and the frequency of their snacks. It is important that calories are not obtained through unhealthy, highfat, and sugary snack foods. A vegetarian can be well nourished if the diet selected provides an adequate amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
 * Why Is It Essential to Select a Balanced Menu?**

Since vitamin B12 is found only in animal products, a vitamin B12 supplement, fortified cereal, or fortified soy milk is necessary for strict vegans. Iron and calcium intake is often low in vegetarian diets, and a supplement may be needed for these nutrients. If you are a vegetarian and are concerned about meeting your nutritional needs, please seek advice from a qualified health professional.

Protein is instrumental for growth, maintenance of body tissues, and fluid/salt balance. Proteins consist of various combinations of twenty amino acids. Nine of these amino acids cannot be made by the body and must be obtained in the diet. These are called the essential amino acids. Animal protein ( from meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and milk) is generally high-quality protein since it contains all of the essential amino acids and is highly digestible. Plant protein (from beans, nuts, grains, and vegetables) is often lower in quality because it is less digestible and lacks one or more of the essential amino acids. Soy protein is one exception. Tofu and other soy foods are complete, high-quality sources of protein.
 * Why Is Protein So Important to a Vegetarian Diet?**

It is possible for vegetarians to obtain all the essential amino acids needed for health by eating a variety of plant protein foods throughout the day. Many plant protein foods complement each other because one usually supplies the essential amino acids missing from the other and creates a “complete protein.”

• Grains + Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts): • Rice and Beans • Whole Wheat Bread with Peanut Butter • Corn Tortillas and Beans • Lentil Soup with a Whole Grain Roll • Tofu and Pasta. • Nuts/Seeds + Legumes (beans, peas, lentils, and peanuts): • Sunflower Seeds and Peanuts, • Sesame Seeds in Bean Soups and Casserole.
 * What Combinations of Plant Foods Create a “Complete Protein"?**

= Vegetarian Eating =

* Vegetable proteins must be combined in a way that makes them “complete” so that an individual’s protein requirements are met. * The diet must contain enough calories to support healthy weight if the protein eaten will be used to fill the body’s protein requirement. * A strict vegan must pay close attention to vitamin sources because they exclude meat and animal products, such as milk and eggs, from their diets. They must include supplemental vitamin B-12 (fortified nutritional yeast, B-12 fortified soy milk, or B-12 tablets) and take care to insure that their diet contains enough calcium, iron, and Vitamin D. Note that Brewer’s yeast, baker’s yeast, and live yeast have almost no vitamin B-12.
 * There are three important facts for any vegetarian to understand: **

* legumes and grains. * legumes with nuts and/or seeds. * animal dairy products (eggs, milk, and other products) with any vegetable protein.
 * The best combinations to make complete vegetable proteins are: **

Although some people are concerned that vegetarians may not eat enough protein, three facts should be noted: * Most meat eaters consume twice as much protein as really necessary. * The protein in milk and eggs is more efficiently used than that in meat, fish, or poultry; relatively little goes a long way. * Legumes, especially soybeans, contain the largest percentage of protein among the vegetable foods and are in the same range as many meats. If legumes are a central part of a vegetarian’s diet, there will be enough protein in the diet. For example, one cup of cooked soybeans contains approximately 20 grams of protein; that is equivalent to:
 * three hot dogs.
 * a quarter-pound hamburger.
 * three 8-ounce cups of milk.
 * three ounces of cheese.

Each of the above alternatives provides nearly half of the recommended protein allowance for a 120-pound adult.

Buckwheat Bulgur Cracked wheat Corn Millet Oats Rice Rye Triticale Wheat || Beans (Black, Broad, Kidney, Lima, Mung, Navy, Pea, and Soy) Black-eyed peas (Cow-peas) Chickpeas (Garbanzos) Lentils Peanuts Peas |||| Pumpkin Seed sprouts (Alfalfa seed, Lentils, Mung beans, Peas, and Soybeans) Sesame Squash Sunflower || Almonds Brazil nuts Cashews Coconut Filberts (Hazelnuts) Macadamia Peanuts Pecans pine nuts Pistachio Walnuts ||
 * |||| ** Vegetarian Protein Foods ** ||  ||   ||
 * ==Grains== || ** Legumes ** |||| ** Seeds ** || ** Nuts ** ||
 * Barley

Vegetarian Dishes with Complete Protein
* Rice with lentils * Rice with black-eye peas * Peanut butter sandwich (on whole wheat bread) * Bean taco or tostada * Split-pea soup with brown rice * Macaroni with enriched soy flour * Vegetable chili with cornbread * Bean soup with breadsticks * Falafel (chickpea pancake) with pita bread * Vegetable crepes with brown rice * Pasta salad with kidney beans || =Grains with Eggs= * Rice pudding * Fried rice * Oatmeal cookies * Quiche * Egg-salad sandwich on whole grain bread * Spaghetti pancake * Noodle pudding * French toast ||
 * =Grains with Legumes=

* Bean curd with sesame seeds * Hummus (chickpea and sesame paste) * Bean soup with sesame meal * Trail mix with toasted soybeans and pumpkin seeds
 * =Legumes with Seeds=

=Other Vegetables with Milk or Eggs= * Potato salad * Mashed potatoes with milk * Eggplant Parmesan * Broccoli with cheese sauce * Cream of spinach soup * Cheese and potato soup * Vegetable omelet * Vegetable pizza * Escalloped potatoes * Spinach salad with sliced egg * Sweet and sour vegetables with tofu || =Grains with Milk= * Oatmeal with milk * Wheat flakes with milk * Rice pudding * Pancakes or waffles * Quick breads or muffins with milk * Breads made with cheese * Pizza * Macaroni and cheese * Cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread * Cheese-stuffed manicotti * Quiche * Meatless lasagna * Granola with milk || =Using Meat Substitutes= There are products designed specifically to replace meats in the diet. These meat substitutes are made of texturized vegetable protein (TVP) from soybeans, and they can have a beef-, chicken-, or ham-flavor. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians can enjoy a meal of sausages, burgers, bacon, chicken, chili con carne, ham, or scallops that do not contain one bit of meat, fish, or poultry. One of the most popular TVP’s is imitation bacon bits.

TVP can be used as a meat substitute or as an extender. When used as a substitute, they may be healthier than “the real” main dish because they are made with little or no animal fats and cholesterol. Thus, TVP can help decrease the cholesterol and saturated fat content of a diet. Some people like them; others do not. TVP is best used in combination with meat or, if used alone, used in a spicy dish. There is one disadvantage to TVP’s; they generally have a high salt content.

Non-vegetarians may find TVP’s attractive because, they are: * economical by itself or when used to stretch red meat. * a healthy alternative to meat. * easy to store. * easy to prepare. * leave no waste; you get what you paid for.

Some grocery stores premix ground beef with TVP.

Sample Vegetarian Menus
The following menus were designed to provide 2,400 calories, adequate protein, and the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals for teen-agers and adults without overloading on saturated fats, cholesterol, and calories. If fewer calories are needed, the portion sizes can be reduced or the fats eliminated. Shredded-wheat biscuits, 2 Whole-grain toast, 1 slice Margarine, 1 teaspoon Skim milk, 1 cup || Orange, 1 medium Cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Whole-grain toast, 2 slices Margarine, 1 teaspoon Skim milk, 1 cup || Egg-salad-sandwich: whole-grain bread, 2 slices hard boiled egg, 1 medium celery, diced, 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon Pear || Split-pea soup, 1 cup Sesame or whole-grain crackers, 6 Part-skimmed cheese, 1 slice Tomato and cucumber salad Salad dressing, 1 tablespoon Baked apple Skim milk, 1 cup || Almonds, 1/4 cup || Raisins, 1/4 cup Peanuts, 1/4 cup || Carrots, 1/2 cup Broccoli, 1/2 cup Margarine, 1 teaspoon
 * ** OVOLACTOVEGETARIAN MENU ** || ** LACTOVEGETARIAN MENU ** ||
 * Breakfast || Breakfast ||
 * Cantaloupe, 1/2 medium
 * Lunch || Lunch ||
 * Vegetable juice, 1 cup
 * Snack || Snack ||
 * Dried apricot halves, 4
 * Supper || Supper ||
 * Soy and brown rice loaf, 1 slice

Waldorf salad: * apple, diced, 1/2 cup * celery, diced, 1 tablespoon * raisins, 1 tablespoon * walnuts, chopped, 1 tablespoon * mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Vanilla pudding, 1/2 cup || Fresh fruit cup Baked macaroni and cheese, 1 cup Collard greens, 1/2 cup Whole-grain bread, 1 slice Margarine, 1 teaspoon Junket or pudding, 1/2 cup || Graham crackers, 4 || Whole grain roll, 1 Skim milk or buttermilk, 1/2 cup ||
 * Snack || Snack ||
 * Yogurt or buttermilk, 1 cup