There are different types of vegetarians, including lacto, lacto-ovo, pescatarian, and vegan. Vegans only eat plant-based foods and need to plan their diet carefully to avoid deficiencies in protein, calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamin B12. Vegans can combine different plant foods to form complete proteins and get calcium and vitamin D from fortified soy milk. They can also get iron by pairing vitamin C-rich foods with iron-rich foods and can get zinc from seeds, nuts, and tofu or through a multivitamin.
Just as people have different reasons for not eating meat, there are different types of vegetarians. Some people choose this diet for animal rights reasons, some are picky or health conscious eaters, and some are vegetarian for religious reasons. Some of the different types of are lacto vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, peach vegetarian and vegan. None of these people eat meat or poultry; Fishing vegetarians are the only type who eat fish.
Lactovegetarians are those who eat dairy products; however, they do not eat eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarians include dairy products and eggs in their diet. Peach vegetarians eat everything that lacto-ovo vegetarians do but they also consume fish.
Vegans differ from all other types in that they only eat plant-based foods and consume no animal products of any kind. The vegan diet is the strictest vegetarian diet. Vegans need to plan their diet carefully to ensure they get all the nutrients they need each day. Vegans are generally prone to deficiencies in protein, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
Vegans can easily develop a protein deficiency because plant proteins are incomplete proteins. Since the human body cannot produce all the amino acids needed to build proteins, we rely on food to supply our bodies with complete proteins. Animal protein sources are complete proteins as they contain all the amino acids needed to build a protein strand. However, using a concept called complementary proteins, different plant foods can be combined to form complete proteins. Common complementary protein combinations are grains plus beans or grains plus legumes. Rice and beans or a peanut butter sandwich are also complete proteins.
Dairy products like cheese, eggs, and yogurt are complete proteins, so for most other types of vegetarians, getting protein isn’t a big deal. Vegans must consume nuts, legumes and seeds in combination with whole grains or soy foods to form complete proteins.
Vegetarians can get calcium and vitamin D from milk, however, vegans can drink soy milk with added calcium and vitamin D. Tofu, broccoli, nuts, legumes, seeds, and some ready-to-eat cereals contain calcium. Calcium-fortified orange juice is also available.
Although animal-based iron is absorbed more easily by the body, vegetarians can get iron by combining a vitamin C-rich food with an iron-rich food to help the body absorb iron better. Tofu and broccoli, wholemeal bread or toast and orange or orange juice, spinach and tomatoes are some examples of good pairings.
Vitamin B12 is found only in animal protein, so vegans need to eat grains and other foods that contain vitamin B12. Adequate amounts of zinc are found in dairy products, so all different types of vegetarians except vegans can get enough zinc from these. Seeds, nuts, tofu, legumes, wheat germ and bran are common sources of zinc for vegans. However, some vegans take a multivitamin that includes zinc, as it’s harder for the body to absorb non-animal sources of zinc. Care should be taken never to exceed 100% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for zinc, as too much zinc can be harmful to the body.
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