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| Dietary
Requirments |
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Some
people omit certain foods
or food groups from their
diet on religious, ethical
or moral grounds, while
others are forced to exclude
certain foods for medical
reasons. Whatever the
reason, there are ways
to ensure your diet remains
healthy and balanced. |
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| Vegetarianism |
In
most cases, people
who describe themselves
as vegetarian exclude
all types of meat
from their diets.
Demi-vegetarians,
however, may eat a
little meat and fish;
people who eat fish
but not meat are often
referred to as pescetarians.
On the other hand,
some individuals follow
much more rigorous
diets, sometimes excluding
many of the major
food groups. The remaining
groups all exclude
meat and fish, and
some other foods too:
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Lacto-ovo-vegetarians
eat dairy products and
eggs and are the most
common type of vegetarians.
Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products
but not eggs. Vegans don't
eat dairy products, eggs
or any other animal products.
Fruitarians
are similar to vegans,
but usually avoid processed
or cooked foods too. Their
diet consists mainly of
raw fruit, grains and
nuts.
Macrobiotic
diets are often followed
for spiritual and philosophical
reasons. The diet progresses
through ten levels of
restriction, not all of
which are vegetarian.
As you progress through
the levels, animal products
are gradually eliminated.
The highest levels also
eliminate fruit and vegetables,
eventually reaching the
level of a brown-rice-only
diet.
Vegetarians should try
to follow the same healthy
eating principles as meat
eaters, choosing foods
from each of the major
food groups: high-protein
sources, cereals and grains,
dairy products (or soya
substitutes), vegetables
and fruits. Obviously,
the more restricted the
diet, the more difficult
it becomes to ensure all
the body's nutritional
needs are met
Extra care needs to be
taken if young children
are following a vegetarian
diet to ensure they have
enough energy and essential
nutrients to grow and
develop normally. If you're
planning to bring up your
baby as a vegetarian or
vegan, you should discuss
this with your doctor
or health visitor as some
vitamin supplements may
be necessary. |
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| Dietary
advice for vegetarians |
Deciding to become
a vegetarian isn't just
about not eating meat;
it requires a careful
consideration of your
whole diet to ensure
that nutrients usually
provided by meat or
dairy products are obtained
from other foods. However,
with careful thought
vegetarian diets can
be a very healthy option.
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| Protein. |
| Meat
is an excellent source of
high-quality protein. Vegetarians
must substitute meat with
other protein-rich foods,
such as pulses, cereals,
dairy products and nuts.
Pulses are also rich in
soluble fibre, which has
been shown to be protective
against cardiovascular
disease (CVD). |
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Soya
protein is also an excellent
substitute for meat and
is available in a convenient
and tasty form in many
ready-made meals. A diet
that includes at least
25g of soya per day has
been associated with reductions
in some forms of cancer
and CVD. Quorn and tofu
are other high-protein
foods suitable for vegetarians. |
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| Iron. |
Non-meat
eaters have to be careful
about their iron levels,
since the type of iron
found in red meat is particularly
well absorbed by the body.
Other sources include
fortified breakfast cereals,
bread, pulses, green leafy
vegetables and dried fruit. |
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| Calcium. |
Vegans
need to check their intake
of calcium. Soya milk
is a good substitute for
cow's milk and is widely
available in supermarkets.
White bread contains added
calcium and some manufacturers
now produce other foods
that have been fortified
with this mineral (check
the label for details). |
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| Zinc. |
Meat
and dairy products are
rich sources of zinc,
but serious nutritional
deficiencies among most
vegetarian groups are
rare in Britain. It seems
probable that the body
is able to adjust to lower
intakes of zinc. |
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| Vitamin
B12. |
People
who exclude all animal
products from their diets
may develop a deficiency
of vitamin B12 and should
take a dietary supplement,
as this vitamin doesn't
occur |
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