Food For Thought
Balancing A Vegetarian Meal*
April 22, 2003
Dec. 16, 2004
By Marc O’Meara, R.D., L.D.N.
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Vegetables — It’s What’s For Dinner
Wholesome Whole Grains
Variety — The Spice Of Life
Not All Fats Are Bad
Calcium — No Bones About It
Other Nutrients To Consider
Balancing meals correctly is important
for anyone who wants to be healthy, even if the meal is vegetarian. A
healthy, balanced meal is made up of a half plate of low-calorie
vegetables, a quarter plate of whole grains, and a quarter plate of
protein.
One of the most common mistakes made
by those who eat vegetarian meals is to omit a protein source. This
oversight can lead to a large calorie intake during the meal and hunger
soon after the meal, which leads to more calories. Protein, more than
any other nutrient, makes you feel full. Protein at every meal and
snack can help you feel satisfied after eating. Depending on what type
of vegetarian meal you eat, here are some protein choices to pick from
to fill about one-fourth of your plate: Seafood* (clean,
nonscavanger*), eggs, egg whites, milk, yogurt, cottage cheese,
cheese, hummus, dry beans and the wide variety of vegetable
products.
If using dairy products, choose
low-fat or fat-free varieties. The fat that is in dairy products is the
type of saturated fat that increases cholesterol levels more than any
other type of fat, even the type in red meats. Another benefit to
making this switch is a lower calorie intake and a better chance
maintaining or losing weight.
Vegetables — It’s What’s for Dinner
Protein is the most common thing to be
left off of a vegetarian plate, but low-calorie vegetables are often
forgotten, too. This group of vegetables is crucial for three reasons:
To help keep the total calories for the meal under control
To provide fiber to feel filled and satisfied
To help fight chronic disease
If you’re trying to lose weight
or maintain your current weight while eating vegetarian meals, aim to
fill half your plate with one or two of the following low-calorie
vegetables: tomatoes, spinach, salad, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower,
green beans, asparagus or bell peppers.
Starchy vegetables should not be used
to fill half the plate, since they have about triple the calories of
low-calorie vegetables. So if you’d like to eat an ear of corn in
September, have it replace the starch (rice, pasta or bread) on
one-quarter of the plate. Starchy vegetables include green peas, corn,
potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squashes.
Wholesome Whole Grains
The final quarter of your balanced
vegetarian plate should be made up of whole grains. Choose whole grains
over white, processed grains. Whole grains contain high fiber, so they
are more filling and don’t raise blood-sugar levels as much as other
carbohydrates do. Also, whole grains have more disease-fighting
phytochemicals. So instead of going white, go the whole-grains way.
Choose brown rice over white rice, whole-grain bread over white bread,
and whole-wheat pasta over white pasta.
Variety — The Spice Of Life
For the non-vegetarians, one of the
benefits of including vegetarian meals in your repertoire is to add
variety to your eating plan, so that you’re eating something different
than chicken every day. If you’re a vegetarian and you find yourself
eating the same meals each week, one of the following two ideas may
help. First, order a cooking magazine (such as Vegetarian Times) that
includes vegetarian recipes on a monthly basis, or buy a vegetarian
cookbook. Try a new recipe once every week or two.
Also, consider trying one of a vast
array of products including but not limited to veggie burgers, veggie
chicken nuggets,* yogurt and cheeses. If you already include some
of these, try a new one. (*which can be homemade)
Not All Fats Are Bad
Include healthy fats daily to feel
full and satisfied and for overall health. Healthy fats include olive,
canola, safflower, sunflower and corn oils; nuts; seeds; avocados; and
fatty fish. If you don’t eat fish, you may be lacking a sufficient
intake of omega-3 oils, or sometimes referred to as fish oils. This
type of fat is an essential fatty acid. It is essential that you eat
this type of fat regularly, because your body can’t make it. Deficiency
of essential fatty acids can lead to a poor immune system, dry skin and
unfavorable cholesterol changes.
If you’re not eating fish, it is
important that you eat foods with alpha-linolenic acid, a type of fat
that can be converted into omega-3 fats in your body. The richest
sources of alpha-linolenic acid are flaxseed oil, canola oil and
corn oil. A serving of one of these on a daily basis can help you avoid
a deficiency of omega-3 oils.
Calcium — No Bones About It
If you’re choosing two or three dairy
products daily or taking calcium supplements, your intake of calcium is
probably fine. If you’re not, be sure to choose other high-calcium
foods daily such as calcium-enriched orange juice, Total cereal,
spinach, broccoli, fortified oatmeal and baked beans.
Important note for teen-agers: The
most critical time to fill your bones with calcium is in your teen-age
years. If you don’t provide your body with sufficient calcium in your
teens, your bones will be less dense throughout your life.
Other Nutrients To Consider
When eliminating various degrees of animal products, it may be harder to get enough iron and vitamin B12.
Iron — The following foods are good or
moderate sources of iron: sardines, fortified cereals,
dried beans, dried fruits, whole-grain bread, kale and spinach.
Vitamin B12 — If you’re eating
eggs and dairy products regularly, you’ll get sufficient amounts of
Vitamin B12. If you’re not, consider taking a vitamin B12 supplement
(it may be in your multivitamin, or you can take a separate daily B12
pill or a once-a-month B12 injection).
Marc O’Meara, R.D., L.D.N., is a
senior nutritionist at the Brigham and Women’s hospital and the Roxbury
Heart Center, and also works in the lipid clinic at Children’s Hospital
Boston. He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1991 with a
Bachelor of Science in Dietetics. He completed his dietetic internship
at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in 1992.*
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Note: *This article has been modified to reflect the principles
of "How To Eat To Live." Try to stay away from the cheap and
destructive soybean and its byproducts. Remember nuts are for
squirrels!
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