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A well-planned vegetarian diet can be healthy for everyone. Vegetarians primarily eat foods that come from plant-based sources such as vegetables and fruit, grain products, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts and seeds.
Vegetarians need to focus on a variety of foods to get all the nutrients they need for health. This takes some planning and depends on what foods you choose to exclude from your diet. A healthcare professional or dietitian can help you plan a healthy vegetarian diet.
Generally, plant-based diets tend to be:
- Low in saturated fat and cholesterol
- High in fibre, folate, vitamin C and E, potassium and magnesium
Vegetarians and Canada's Food Guide
Vegetarians should follow Canada's Food Guide by choosing:
- A variety of fresh, frozen and canned vegetables and fruit. Include one dark green and one orange vegetable each day
- Whole grain breads, pastas, cereals and other whole grains
- Cow's milk or fortified soy beverage:
- Fortified rice beverage and fortified almond beverage are good sources of calcium and vitamin D but are not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk and fortified soy beverage. Speak to a healthcare professional or dietitian if you have questions about how these beverages can fit in your diet
- Fish, beans, lentils, eggs, tofu, soy-based meat substitutes, nuts, nut butters and seeds
Focus on the Alternatives in the Milk & Alternatives and Meat & Alternatives groups. Simply cutting out meat, fish, poultry or dairy without substituting alternatives from the same food group could leave you deficient of certain nutrients.
Be sure to get all of your recommended servings from the four food groups each day. Your body needs specific nutrients that are common to each of the food groups (e.g. dairy products provide calcium).
What Type of Vegetarian Are You?
There are many different types of vegetarians:
| Type |
Does Eat |
Does NOT Eat |
| Pesco-Vegetarian |
Fish, shellfish, eggs, dairy products, grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts |
Meat, poultry or products containing these foods |
| Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian |
Eggs, dairy products, grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts |
Meat, fish, poultry or products containing these foods |
| Lacto-Vegetarian |
Dairy products, grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts |
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs or products containing these foods |
| Vegan |
Grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, nuts |
Meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy, honey or products containing these foods |
Important Nutrients for Vegetarians
| Nutrient |
Why It's Important |
Vegetarian Sources |
| Calcium |
Needed to build strong bones
Helps regulate heartbeat and blood clotting
Helps muscles contract
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Dairy products, fortified soy beverages, dark leafy green vegetables, almonds, tofu set with calcium (read label), canned salmon with bones, canned sardines with bones
|
| Iron |
Helps blood cells deliver oxygen from your lungs to the rest of the body
Helps all body cells work properly
Helps the brain develop early in life
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Eggs, beans, lentils, whole grains, cereals, enriched tofu, breakfast bars, pasta, dried fruits, nuts, seeds, leafy green vegetables
|
| Omega-3 |
Reduces inflammation in the body
Important for heart health
Helps reduce triglycerides, a type of fat that circulates in the bloodstream
Helps control blood pressure
May help lower risk of other chronic diseases
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Fish (salmon, trout, herring, mackerel, sardines, anchovies), omega-3 eggs, fortified yogurt, walnuts, canola oil, soybean oil
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| Protein |
Is a part of every cell in the body
Builds and repairs muscle, tissue, skin, nails and hair
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Dairy products, soy products, eggs, beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, whole grains
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| Vitamin B-12 |
Helps make red blood cells and DNA
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Fish, eggs, cow's milk, cheese, fortified soy or rice beverages, fortified soy-based meat substitutes
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| Vitamin D* |
Needed to build strong bones
|
Fresh or canned fatty fish, cow's milk, fortified soy beverages, margarine, egg yolks, some yogurts (check label), infant formula
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* Breastfed babies and infants need a vitamin D supplement. Health Canada also recommends that all adults over 50 years take 400 International Unit (IU) or 10 micrograms (µg) every day. This is because as we age, adults have a decreased ability to make vitamin D.
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Some vegetarians with more limited diets may need to pay attention to other nutrients, including zinc, riboflavin, vitamin A and iodine. Speak to a healthcare professional or dietitian if you have questions.
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