{"id":963,"date":"2017-11-22T23:16:43","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T23:16:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/?p=963"},"modified":"2017-11-22T23:16:43","modified_gmt":"2017-11-22T23:16:43","slug":"a-vegetarian-how-to-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/a-vegetarian-how-to-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"A Vegetarian How-To Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Adopting a vegetarian diet has become more prevalent; the US Census Bureau reported that 3.3% of adults are vegetarian or vegan. There are many reasons cited for becoming a vegetarian: animal rights, sustainability, preventing chronic disease, and promoting weight management. Whatever the reason, becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a major lifestyle choice, and some planning is needed to make sure that the diet is nutritionally adequate. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics\u2019 webinar provided their position on a healthy vegetarian diet and its potential benefits, which is a good starting guide for those wanting to become a vegetarian.<\/p>\n<p>First, what are the benefits of becoming a vegetarian? Research suggests that a vegetarian diet can help to prevent many chronic diseases. It has been associated with reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower prevalence of hypertension, lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and lower risk of some cancers. For some individuals, a vegetarian diet can also be a way to promote a healthy weight.<\/p>\n<p>Another thing to consider is what type of vegetarian to become. Vegetarian is actually a fluid term that can be used to describe many diet patterns. For example, one can become a lacto-ovo-vegetarian that still eats dairy products and eggs. You can also eliminate either dairy or eggs by becoming an ovo-vegetarian or a lacto-vegetarian, respectively. Vegan is a stricter diet that excludes all animal products and maybe honey. None of these choices are better than the other; each individual should choose the type of vegetarian diet that aligns best with their food preferences and beliefs.<\/p>\n<p>If a vegetarian or vegan diet is adopted, a few key nutrients should be monitored to ensure adequate intake.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Protein \u2013 The recommended intake can be easily met by a variety of plant foods, especially beans, peanuts, and soy products.<\/li>\n<li>Omega-3 fatty acids \u2013 These heart-healthy fats are typically associated with intake of fatty fish like salmon or tuna, but there are plenty of vegetarian\/vegan sources like ground flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, or canola oil.<\/li>\n<li>Iron \u2013 It is generally not a concern for vegetarians, but remember that sources of vitamin C (fruits) can enhance absorption.<\/li>\n<li>Calcium \u2013 Vegetarians who eat dairy do not have to be too concerned about meeting their calcium needs, but vegans need to be more thoughtful about their sources. Calcium-fortified products and supplements may need to be added to the diet.<\/li>\n<li>Vitamin D \u2013 Look for fortified foods like cow\u2019s milk, nondairy milks, fruit juices, cereals, margarine, and eggs. Vegans may need to take a supplement.<\/li>\n<li>B12 \u2013 This vitamin cannot be found in adequate amounts in plant foods, so choose fortified foods or a supplement to ensure you are getting enough.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These are just a few things to consider when deciding to become a vegetarian. While this diet pattern can provide many health benefits, it is also important to consider some nutrients you may be missing. For further questions about a nutritionally adequate diet, consult a registered dietitian nutritionist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Adopting a vegetarian diet has become more prevalent; the US Census Bureau reported that 3.3% of adults are vegetarian or vegan. There are many reasons cited for becoming a vegetarian: animal rights, sustainability, preventing chronic disease, and promoting weight management. Whatever the reason, becoming a vegetarian or vegan is a major lifestyle choice, and some [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","post-preview"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/963\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ctlsites.uga.edu\/heal2017\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}