Food for vegetarians

But if you’re vegetarian or vegan, you need to take a little extra care to make sure you get all the nutrients you need.

Nutrition scientist Bridget Aisbitt from the British Nutrition Foundation (see Useful links), gives the answers to some common questions about healthy eating for vegetarians and vegans.

I’m interested in becoming a vegetarian. One friend says a vegetarian diet is healthy, but another says vegetarians lack vital vitamins and minerals. Who is right?
It’s perfectly possible to eat a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet that is not deficient in the vitamins and minerals we need. If your diet is typical of many people in the UK, you’d probably get certain benefits from becoming a vegetarian. You’d cut out a major source of saturated fat – the 'bad' fat – by cutting out processed meat products such as sausages, burgers and pies. And, of course, you’d be likely to eat your five fruit and vegetables portions a day.

But becoming vegetarian or vegan is not a shortcut to a healthy diet. Meat and dairy contain some vital nutrients so they need to get those from alternative sources, or they may become deficient in them and this could lead to health problems.

Aren’t vegetarians short of iron?
Iron is important because it helps us to transport oxygen around the body. If you’re deficient, you can become lethargic and your mental function can suffer. Vegetarians just need to be a bit more aware of getting enough iron in their diet than non-vegetarians.

One of the best sources of iron is red meat but vegetarians can get iron from green vegetables including watercress, broccoli and spring greens. It’s also contained in bread and breakfast cereals that are fortified with iron.

We absorb iron better if it's consumed with vitamin C, so having a glass of orange juice with your broccoli would help. Avoid drinking tea or coffee one hour before or after a meal, as caffeine makes it harder for us to absorb iron.

We all need protein, and I thought that means meat and fish. How do vegetarians get any protein?
Protein doesn’t just mean meat and fish. We need protein for maintenance and repair of the body, but most people in the UK eat more protein than they need to. Pulses, nuts, seeds and eggs are all great sources of protein. So are dairy products such as cheese and yoghurt, and soya products.

Another point to remember is that it's important not to rely on just one source of protein, and to get different sources of protein at the same time. Mix proteins together, e.g. have a rice and bean salad or beans on toast.

At the supermarket I see products made from protein alternatives Quorn and tofu. I know these are man-made foods. Doesn’t that mean they are unhealthy?
Quorn is a branded version of a vegetable-based substance called mycoprotein; eggs are also used to make it, so it's not suitable for vegans. Tofu is made from soy milk. Although they are both manufactured foods, there’s nothing wrong with them from a nutritional point of view. Both are low in saturated fat and don't contain many calories. Tofu also contains iron, which is important in a vegetarian diet. They are both healthy sources of protein and can form part of a balanced vegetarian or vegan diet.

What other vitamins and minerals do I need to think about if I am vegetarian or vegan?
Vegetarians and vegans have to take extra care to ensure that they get all the nutrients that they need.

They may struggle to get enough selenium, which is found in meat and fish and important for a healthy immune system. But Brazil nuts are a good source: you could try eating a couple a day.

Zinc is found primarily in red meat, but it is also in bread and cereals, pulses, nuts and seeds.

Vegans might not eat enough calcium, which is found primarily in milk and dairy products. But they can make up for this by eating plenty of green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, as well as almonds and sesame seeds.

Potentially the most difficult nutrient is vitamin B12, which is only contained in animal products, yeast extract and some fortified bread and breakfast cereals.

Is it healthier to eat organic fruit and vegetables?
At the moment we don’t have a clear picture on that. Vitamin and mineral levels in food varies so much depending on the soil used in growing, when the food is picked, and other factors, that it's impossible to say that organic food is healthier.

Eating organic is a personal choice but from a nutritional perspective, just try to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables.