Recent studies have proven that some fresh mushrooms are a source of the valuable B12 vitamin, which is very
rare in a vegetarian diet.
The body doesn't take in plant - based iron as well as meat - based, and this should be accounted
for in any vegetarian diet plan.
The study authors were particularly concerned with iron concentration in insects, since iron is an important nutrient that's often
lacking in vegetarian diets.
Note: I highly recommend that a fast growing teenager who follows a strict vegan diet should consult with a dietitian
specializing in vegetarian diets to help plan a diet that meets their dietary needs.
Variety is extremely
important in a vegetarian diet, and as I already eat a whole lot of cashews (hello cashew butter) I wanted to experiment with a different type of nut.
Considering this, it can be difficult, but not impossible, to get enough
collagen in a vegetarian diet (eggs and fish are options), but somewhat more difficult to get it on a vegan diet.
In the lactoovovegetarian diet, the meat and fish calories were replaced by proportionately increasing most other foods consumed in Table 1
in the vegetarian diet except sugar and sweeteners, fats, and vegetable oils.
However, you need to be even more careful and intentional with your diet to ensure that every food that you eat provides important nutrients, including B12 — a nutrient often
low in vegetarian diets.
By comparison, «The bioavailability of iron and
zinc in vegetarian diets is poor because of their higher content of absorption inhibitors such as phytate and polyphenols and the absence of flesh foods» (57, p. 459S).
Cutting meat out of one's diet is seen as the logical reaction to these injustices; and yet, increasing numbers of articles, photographs, and video footage from industrial farms suggest that dairy,
allowed in vegetarian diets, raises far more ethical red flags than even meat.
Since this conversion is relatively inefficient,
especially in vegetarian diets that tend to be low in zinc, a larger amount of total PUFA must be consumed from plant oils to meet requirements for these fatty acids than from animal products that contain these fatty acids in their needed form.
Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD, a dietitian who
specializes in vegetarian diets and is an expert panelist for the annual U.S. News Best Diets review, says she likes her athletes to consume about 20 grams of protein within a half hour of completing strenuous exercise.
Furthermore, dried purple laver also contains high levels of other nutrients that are lacking
in vegetarian diets, such as iron and n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.