Balanced nutrient intakes -
A registered dietitian can help you create a vegetarian plan that's right for you. Keep in mind that the more foods you cut out of your diet, the harder it can be to get all the nutrients you need. A vegan diet, for example, cuts out natural food sources of vitamin B, as well as milk products, which are good sources of calcium.
To be sure that your diet provides what your body needs, pay special attention to the following nutrients:. Calcium helps build and maintain strong teeth and bones. Milk and dairy foods are highest in calcium.
Dark green vegetables are good plant sources if you eat enough of them. Examples include turnip and collard greens, kale and broccoli.
Other options include calcium-enriched and fortified products. Calcium is added to some juices, cereals, soy milk, soy yogurt and tofu. Vitamin D also plays an important role in bone health.
Vitamin D is added to cow's milk, some brands of soy and rice milk, and some cereals and margarines. Be sure to check food labels.
People who don't eat enough fortified foods and have limited sun exposure may want to talk with a health care provider about vitamin D supplements. Plant-derived vitamin D supplements are available. Vitamin B is necessary to produce red blood cells and prevent anemia.
Anemia a condition in which the body doesn't have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Vitamin B is found almost exclusively in animal products, so it can be difficult to get enough B on a vegan diet. Vitamin B deficiency may go undetected in people who eat a vegan diet.
This is because the vegan diet is rich in a vitamin called folate that can mask vitamin B deficiency. For this reason, it's important for vegans to consider vitamin supplements, vitamin-enriched cereals and fortified soy products.
Protein helps keep skin, bones, muscles and organs healthy. Eggs and dairy products are good sources, and you don't need to eat large amounts to meet your protein needs.
Eating a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day also can provide enough protein. Plant sources include soy products and meat substitutes, legumes, lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish, canola oil, soy oil, walnuts, ground flaxseed and soybeans.
Vegetarian diets that do not include fish may be low in two types of omega-3 fatty acids called DHA and EPA. Some evidence suggests that taking in EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk for heart disease. Also, these two omega-3s may be important during pregnancy for fetal development.
Research on other health effects of EPA and DHA varies. Vegetarians who do not eat fish or include sources of omega-3 fatty acids in their diet may consider adding fortified products to their diet.
Iron is important to red blood cells. Dried beans and peas, lentils, enriched cereals, whole-grain products, dark leafy green vegetables, and dried fruit are sources of iron. But the body doesn't absorb iron from plant sources as easily as animal sources. So the recommended intake of iron for vegetarians is almost double that recommended for nonvegetarians.
To help your body absorb iron from plants, eat foods rich in vitamin C at the same time as you're eating iron-containing foods. Vitamin C-rich foods include peppers, strawberries, citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli. Like iron, zinc is not as easily absorbed from plant sources as it is from animal products.
Fish, including crab and shrimp, are sources of zinc for pescatarians. Cheese and yogurt are sources of zinc if you eat dairy products. Plant sources include whole grains, soy products, lentils, beans, nuts and wheat germ. Zinc helps the body make proteins and grow cells. Research on zinc in the diet has found that it supports the immune system and vision, specifically.
Thyroid hormones are made partly of iodine. Thyroid hormones help control the body's metabolism and play an important role in muscle growth.
Iodine can easily be added to food by using iodized salt. Seafood and dairy also are sources of iodine. People who do not eat seafood or dairy may be at risk of iodine deficiency if they do not use iodized salt. Iodine deficiency can lead to the thyroid getting bigger as it tries to meet the body's need for thyroid hormones.
When that happens to the thyroid it's called goiter. Seaweed is vegetarian option for dietary iodine. One way to start on a vegetarian diet is to slowly reduce the meat in your diet. At the same time, increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
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Products and services. Vegetarian diet: How to get the best nutrition A well-planned vegetarian diet is a healthy way to meet your nutritional needs.
By Mayo Clinic Staff. Thank you for subscribing! Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry. Show references How does plant-forward plant-based eating benefit your health? American Heart Association.
Accessed Jan. Colditz GA. Healthy diet in adults. Demory-Luce D, et al. Vegetarian diets for children. Landon MB, et al. Nutrition during pregnancy. In: Gabbe's Obstetrics: Normal and Problem Pregnancies.
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; The DRI Calculator for Healthcare Professionals is an interactive tool to calculate daily nutrient recommendations for dietary planning based on the Dietary Reference Intakes DRIs established by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.
While this data represents current scientific knowledge on nutrient needs, individual requirements may be higher or lower than the DRI recommendations.
Recommended intakes of nutrients vary by age and sex and are known as Recommended Dietary Allowances RDAs and Adequate Intakes AIs. However, one value for each nutrient, known as the Daily Value DV , is selected for the labels of dietary supplements and foods. A DV is often, but not always, similar to one's RDA or AI for that nutrient.
DVs were developed by the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA to help consumers determine the level of various nutrients in a standard serving of food in relation to their approximate requirement for it. The U. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central provides detailed information on the nutrient content of foods consumed in the U.
Food and nutrient databases from the U. Department of Agriculture , including data sets for pro-anthocyanidins, flavonoids, choline, iodine, fluoride, isoflavones, and glucosinolates. Nutrient Recommendations and Databases. Dietary Reference Intake DRI Reports and Tables Online DRI Tool Daily Value DV Tables USDA FoodData Central USDA Databases Nutrient Recommendations: Dietary Reference Intakes DRI These documents are issued by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Sciences Engineering, and Medicine.
These documents are issued by the Ballanced and Nutrition Board of the National Academies of Blaanced Engineering, and Joint health endurance. The Food and Nutrition Board addresses issues intakfs Asthmatic symptoms, quality, Joint health endurance adequacy of Muscle growth genetics Joint health endurance supply; establishes principles and guidelines of adequate dietary intake; and renders authoritative judgments on the relationships among food intake, nutrition, and health. DRI is the general term for a set of reference values used to plan and assess nutrient intakes of healthy people. These values, which vary by age and sex, include:. For the latest information about the DRIs, go to the Health. gov DRI Activities Update. Generally, Joint health endurance Weight loss aids diet consists of many fresh fruits Asthmatic symptoms vegetables and limits Joint health endurance foods. But ask your doctor or intaes dietitian Balabced advice on making more specific dietary changes to improve your health. A balanced diet gives your body the nutrients it needs to function correctly. To get the nutrition you need, most of your daily calories should come from:. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans explain how much of each nutrient you should consume daily.
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