More Simple Steps To Become A Vegetarian - Which Nutrients Should I Be Concerned About?

So, you've completed the first set of steps for becoming a vegetarian, now what? If you're looking to move forward into your journey to vegetarianism, here we go!

Next Steps...what are the different nutrients of concern for vegetarians and vegans? Below I will outline the different nutrients, where a "meat-eater" would normally obtain that nutrient and where vegetarians and vegans can obtain it. Everyone is different and it can be hard to figure out if you are getting enough of a particular nutrient, especially since the Nutrition Facts Panel is only required to list calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C, as far as vitamins and minerals are concerned. Therefore, zinc, the B vitamins, and vitamin D are really just a guess. In general, you should express your concerns to your doctor and possibly discuss the addition of a vitamin and mineral supplement including iron, just to round everything out. I get asked about over-dosing on vitamins a lot, and if it is just a general multi-vitamin/mineral supplement and are taking the recommended dosage, you should be alright. Just look on the label of the supplement. Looking at the percentages on the right, shoot for a supplement that has 100% of each nutrient, try to avoid supplements that have waaaay more than 100%. When you get into a nutrient that is 1000% or I've even seen up to 10,000% (which is kind of ridiculous) that is unnecessary and, depending on the nutrient, has the possibility of over-dosing (i.e. vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin and is stored in the body when an overabundance is taken, versus just being excreted in the urine, which is what some other vitamins, for example B vitamins, will do). More on that later though, I may be writing a supplement and/or label reading post soon. 

So below are tables outlining the nutrients on concern.

Vitamin B12. 

Non-vegetarian vitamin B12 sources Vegetarian &/or vegan  vitamin B12 sources Organ meats Eggs Shellfish Milk Meat Other dairy products Poultry Some breakfast cereals Soy beverages Meat substitutes -B12 supplement is recommended for vegans, consult doctor first.

Vitamin D. 

Non-vegetarian vitamin D sources	Vegetarian &/or vegan  vitamin D sources
Meat	Egg yolks
Poultry	Beans
Fish (salmon, mackerel)	Nuts
Beef liver	Cheese (small amount)
	Fortified milk & juice
	The sun

Calcium.

Non-vegetarian Calcium sources	Vegetarian &/or vegan Calcium sources
Milk	Leafy greens
Yogurt	Tofu
Cheese	Almonds
Seafood	Some fortified food and drinks (i.e. almond & soy milks, orange juice)
	Trail mix (nuts, seeds, chocolate chips)

Iron.

Non-vegetarian Iron sources	Vegetarian &/or vegan  Iron sources
Meat	Beans
Poultry	Peas
Seafood (oysters, sardines)	Eggs
beef liver	Nuts (cashews & pistachios)
	Seeds
	Fortified breakfast cereals
	Tofu
	Spinach
	Dark chocolate
	Raisins
	Tomatoes

Zinc. 

Non-vegetarian Zinc sources	Vegetarian &/or vegan Zinc sources
Oysters	Beans
Red meat	Nuts & seeds
Poultry	Whole grains
Crab	Fortified breakfast cereal, oatmeal
Lobster	Dairy products
	Peanut butter
	- Protein increases absorption of zinc -So good sources are legumes and nuts

•      Studies show, zinc levels of non-vegetarians compared to vegetarians were not that different

It might seem like a lot to think about and go through each and every day, but glance back over the veg sources of all of the nutrients. What do they all have in common? Basically, if you are eating a variety of foods, including plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans, (if you choose; dairy and eggs), then you should cover all of these nutrients. Again, doesn't hurt to ask your doctor about a multi-vitamin/mineral supplement to be sure. 


References:

•The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

–http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/vegetarian-and-special-diets/feeding-vegetarian-and-vegan-infants-and-toddlers

–http://www.eatright.org/resource/fitness/training-and-recovery/building-muscle/build-muscle-no-steak-required

–http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/nutrition/vegetarian-and-special-diets/dining-out-for-vegetarians

Simple Steps to Become A Vegetarian

Those that are thinking of becoming a vegetarian/vegan or at least trying to focus more on a plant-based diet, are on the rise, with teenagers being the fastest growing group to jump on the band-wagon. There are many reasons as to why someone might choose to become vegetarian, examples include animal rights, sustainability for our planet, religious reasons, and studies show that those who don't eat meat have lower risk for many diseases including diabetes, heart disease and cancer. That alone is a great reason to start taking strides towards vegetarianism.

So, it might seem like a daunting task to remove 100%  of the meat from your diet, and yes, it's no walk in the park, but it's definitely doable in stages.

Step 1: Establish your "why". Why are you choosing to become vegetarian? If you don't have a reason, it's going to make your "how" that much harder. It could be for any of the reasons that I listed above, or you might have some of your own.

Step 2: Set a goal. Do you want to become full vegetarian, semi, vegan? There's many different types. Here's an outline of all of the different types of meatless eating lifestyles. Choose one that seems reasonable to you, something that aligns with your "why" (your reason for choosing this lifestyle) and something that aligns with what you'll be able to do (i.e. if you love milk and don't think you'll be able to give it up, then veganism is probably not your first choice).

Term	Avoids	Allows
Vegetarian (AKA lacto-ovo-vegetarian)	Meat, fish, poultry	Eggs, dairy
Lacto-vegetarian	Meat, fish, poultry, eggs	Dairy
Ovo-vegetarian	Meat, fish, poultry, dairy	Eggs
Pescetarian	Meat, poultry	Fish, dairy, eggs
Vegan	Avoids all animals products (i.e. meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, products containing eggs,  products containing dairy)

Example: My husband and I eat fish, milk, and eggs, so technically we are lacto-ovo-pescetarian. However, I  just say we are vegetarian (unless someone asks for more clarification), because most people would have no idea what I was talking about if I said all that.

Step 3: Start slow. If you are a carnivore or just really can't imagine cooking every single meal vegetarian, then try doing "Meatless Mondays" for a while. This is where only Mondays, you would skip the meat.

Also, take your go-to meals that you already make quite often and try to make them meatless. For example, lasagna is an easy one to switch from a beef version to a three cheese lasagna. Cooking Light has an awesome Three Cheese Lasagna that I make often (Here's the link: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/three-cheese-lasagna). If you like beans, they are pretty easy to replace the meat in chili, tacos, or another favorite dish.

Breakfast and lunch are pretty easy to make meatless, with cereal (hot or cold), waffles and pancakes for breakfast and peanut butter and jelly or a salad for lunch.

Step 4: Try new recipes. OK, so not every single recipe that you've made in the past will transfer to a vegetarian version, so getting on pinterest, allrecipes.com, cookinglight.com or buying a vegetarian cook book are all go sources to start expanding your horizons with veg meals. I've found that I cook with a lot more flavor and have tried some fun and unique recipes, that I probably would have never tried unless I were vegetarian.

Step 5: Look at your protein sources. Number 2 question that I get as a vegetarian (#1: Why am I a vegetarian), is where do you get your protein from? You don't NEED to eat meat to get protein, there's protein in almost everything that we eat! However, it is still something that you should be paying attention to. See the table below for examples of protein sources. As you can see there's a ton of foods that contain good amounts of protein. If your still going to include milk, cheese, and eggs, it's easy to make those your go-to protein sources through out the day.

Non-vegetarian protein sources	Vegetarian &/or vegan  protein sources
Meat	Milk
Fish	Yogurt (higher in Greek),
Poultry	Cheese
	Eggs
	Nuts & seeds
	Beans
	Soy milk
	Quinoa
	Tofu
	Tempeh
	Lentils
	Edamame
	Seitan
	Peas
	Cooked spinach
	Chia seeds
	Flax seeds
	Peanut butter, other nut/seed butters

Step 6: Eating out. Read the menu carefully before choosing your item. Let the waiter/waitress know what your preferences are (vegetarian, but eats fish, or full on vegan, whatever you are, just let them know so they can help you). Don't be embarrassed, most wait staff are happy to help, and they should be trained to help you find something you'll be happy with.  However, don't be mean about it either. This is a decision that you have made for your own reasons, so if they start spealing off the specials and they're all beef and chicken based, that's OK, they didn't know. Simply, say "No, thanks," and move on. 

With plant-based eating on the rise, most restaurants are offering more vegetarian options, and even have symbols on the menu to help identify those items. Sometimes it's a "v", other times it's a leaf, just look for the meaning of the symbol on the menu.

That's all for now, there will be at least 2 more posts to follow that will go into more detail. This doesn't have to be something you do over night, if you don't feel called to, because it can be overwhelming. I hope this helps! My husband and I made to switch to vegetarian and we haven't looked back :)