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Summary
A vegetarian diet focuses on plants for food. These include fruits, vegetables, dried beans and peas, grains, seeds and nuts. There is no single type of vegetarian diet. Instead, vegetarian eating patterns usually fall into the following groups:
- The vegan diet, which excludes all meat and animal products
- The lacto vegetarian diet, which includes plant foods plus dairy products
- The lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, which includes both dairy products and eggs
People who follow vegetarian diets can get all the nutrients they need. However, they must be careful to eat a wide variety of foods to meet their nutritional needs. Nutrients vegetarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12.
United States Department of Agriculture
Related Issues
- Building a Healthy Vegetarian Diet: Myths and Facts (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
-
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Cuisine
(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
- Renal Diet for Vegetarians: What about Protein? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Vegetarian Diet: Can It Help Me Control My Diabetes? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
- Vitamin B12 (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Specifics
- Beans, Peas, and Lentils (Department of Agriculture)
- Enjoy Vegetarian Meals (Department of Agriculture)
- Healthy Recipes: Vegetarian (National Library of Medicine)
Clinical Trials
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet, Vegan
(National Institutes of Health)
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Diet, Vegetarian
(National Institutes of Health)
Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
- Find a Nutrition Expert (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
- Food and Nutrition Information Center
Children
- Protein Foods for Your Vegetarian Child (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Teenagers
- Being a Vegetarian (Nemours Foundation)
- Protein Foods for Your Vegetarian Child (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
Women
- Meeting Dietary Requirements as a Pregnant Vegetarian (Organization of Teratology Information Specialists)
Patient Handouts
- Vegetarian diet (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.