Vegetarianism

Nutritional approach

Vegetarianism is a type of diet that includes many plant-based foods such as legumes, nuts and seeds, fruits and vegetables, and related products. There are several types of vegetarianism that differ based on what foods they include.

Adopting a vegetarian diet has many benefits:

• It reduces your consumption of saturated fats and lowers cholesterol.
• It increases your consumption of fibre and antioxidant vitamins.
• It increases your life expectancy.
• It protects against many chronic diseases (e.g., hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cancer).

Anyone can become a vegetarian, at any stage of life. The important thing is to plan your meals and ensure that you're eating a variety of foods to avoid nutritional deficiencies. The risk of deficiency varies depending on the type of vegetarianism and the foods it excludes. Do not hesitate to consult a nutritionist if you would like support to transition to this type of diet.

Nutrients that deserve special attention

Proteins

• Proteins are essential for the body to function properly.
• Every meal and snack should include protein-rich foods to meet your body's needs.
• All animal-source foods contain complete proteins:
  • Dairy products, eggs, meat, poultry, and fish
• Some plant proteins are incomplete (i.e., they don't contain all the amino acids essential for your health).
• If your diet excludes all animal-source foods, it's important that you vary your meals and combine different plant-based proteins every day to get all the essential amino acids:
  • Choose complete plant protein sources:
    • Quinoa, soy, amaranth, buckwheat
  • Combine legumes with whole grains:
    • Black bean and brown rice chili
    • Whole wheat couscous and chickpeas
  • Combine vegetables with nuts and seeds:
    • Tofu with broccoli and peanut butter
• Opt for less-processed sources of protein, like tofu and legumes, and avoid highly processed foods, which tend to have a lot of sugar, salt, fat, and additives, despite having no meat in them. What's more, highly processed foods contain very little fibre and few vitamins.

Omega-3 fatty acids

• Omega-3s are important for heart and brain health.
• Fish (e.g., salmon, trout, tuna) contains good quantities of omega-3 fatty acids.
• Vegetarians who exclude fish from their diet can get these fatty acids from certain plant-based foods:
  • Ground flaxseed and chia seeds
  • Soy and its derivatives (e.g., tofu, textured vegetable protein)
  • Walnuts
  • Linseed and canola oil

Iron

• Iron is essential for transporting oxygen in the body and ensuring proper immune function.
• This mineral is found in meat, poultry, and seafood, and in the following plant-based foods:
  • Legumes
  • Leafy greens
  • Whole grains
  • Nuts and seeds
• Iron from plants is not as easily absorbed as iron from animal sources. To enhance its absorption, combine it with a source of vitamin C (e.g., colourful or dark green fruits and vegetables).
• Tea and coffee can interfere with iron absorption. They should therefore be consumed between meals.

Calcium

• Calcium is essential for bone health at every stage of life.
• It is found in both plant- and animal-source foods:
  • Cheese, milk, and yogurt
  • Salmon and sardines with bones
  • Fortified plant-based beverages* and yogurt
  • Tofu made with calcium sulfate
  • Soybeans (edamame)

* Calcium tends to settle at the bottom of the carton. Shake well before drinking.

Vitamin B12

• Vitamin B12 is essential for the nervous system.
• As B12 is only naturally present in animal products (meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, and milk), vegetarians may need to add fortified foods to their diet:
  • Nutritional yeast
  • Fortified plant-based beverages

Zinc

• Zinc is important for healthy immune function and growth.
• This mineral is present in meat, poultry, and oysters, and in the following plant-based foods:
  • Tofu and legumes (e.g., lentils and chickpeas)
  • Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
  • Wheat germ
• Zinc from plants is not as easily absorbed as zinc from animal sources.
• To enhance its absorption, it's best to eat it with citrus fruits (e.g., oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit).
• Tea, coffee, and chocolate can interfere with zinc absorption. Ideally, they should be consumed between meals.

Iodine

• Iodine is an important mineral that contributes to the production of essential hormones.
• Vegetarians who don't eat dairy or seafood should include other sources of iodine in their daily diet:
  • Iodized salt (sea salt is not iodized)
  • Seaweed

Vitamin D

• Vitamin D plays a key role in maintaining healthy bones and teeth and supporting the immune system.
• Sun exposure is a major source of vitamin D.
• It is only present in certain foods, such as fish (e.g., halibut, salmon) and cow's milk. If these are excluded from your diet, make sure to eat foods fortified with vitamin D like fortified plant-based beverages.

Transitioning to a vegetarian diet

Try the following replacements:

• Textured vegetable protein (TVP) or crumbled tofu instead of ground meat
• Scrambled tofu instead of scrambled eggs
• Plant-based yogurt or chia or silken tofu pudding instead of regular yogurt
• Nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan cheese
• Quinoa instead of pasta

You can enhance the flavour of vegetarian dishes with the following:

• Roasted nuts
• Sautéed onions, garlic, or mushrooms
• Fermented foods (e.g., kimchi, soy sauce)
• Sundried tomatoes, olives, or seaweed

Always watch your diet: