Vegetarian Needs Help!

[expatriot]

I'm a vegetarian and concerned about my iron and protein intake.  What sorts of foods should I be trying to eat in order to get those vitamins?

[zgma]

For iron:

• Good iron-rich veggies are spinach, broccoli, peas, and many kinds of beans.
• Dried fruits like raisins, apricots, dates, and prunes
• Almonds are good too.
• Lots of wheat flour is enriched with iron, so most bread and pasta products are decent sources.  I suggest whole wheat as opposed to white flour products, because the vitamins have been stripped from white flour.
• Eating iron-rich foods with a source of Vitamin C helps absorption.  Also, oddly enough, cooking them in a cast-iron skillet increases your absorption of iron.
• Too much caffeine will keep you from absorbing the iron.

Protein:

• If you are not vegan or lactose-intolerant, a good source of protein is in dairy products and eggs.  Egg white is almost entirely protein.
• Combinations of whole grains and legumes or nuts make good complete protein - like rice and beans, bread with peanut butter, etc. 
• Soy products have lots of protein.  If you haven't tried them, edamame (young green soybeans that are steamed and eaten right out of the pod) are delicious, and a nice alternative to tofu.  Also, tempeh is another soy product that can be really satisfying - cut it in strips and stir fry it with a bit of soy sauce.
• Some vegetables actually have protein in them - for instance, potatoes and spinach do.

(continued...)

[zgma]

It's sometimes hard when you're a vegetarian to feel like you're getting satisfying meals and all the protein, etc. that you need... but really, if you stick to lots of vegetables and legumes (beans, lentils, peas), and some grains, you do get everything you need.



One thing you can do to make yourself feel like you are, is to have a few really satisfying vegetarian meals that make you feel really full.  Burritos with rice, beans, cheese, and guacamole are very satisfying to me, as is a baked potato with broccoli and cheese.  Figure out a few of this sort of dish, and eat them when you are feeling a bit physically run-down, and you'll most likely feel better.

[maxi29]

I can't add much more to Zgma's excellent answer except to stress that eating beans and pulses is a must for veggies. You can get your protein from cheese but you'll start piling on the kilos - believe me, I know. BTW, I've been a veggie (and I don't eat fish either) for 25 years and have no energy problems; nor do I look thin and pale. Follow Zgma's rules and you'll be fine.

[HM]

I've been a veggie for 15 years and have always had a good diet.  However, I started taking an iron supplement, Floradix, a few months ago as I was concerned about my iron intake and I'd recommend that.

[mullein]

you want to be carefull you should take vitamin b12 i dont eat much meat and i had to get blood tests early in the year and they found i was totally defficient in b12 and believe me i have long term nerve danmage from this defficiency..and now have to get injections for the rest of my life...ouch...mullein

[ursula62]

Check out the Vegetarian Society's website, there's some good info there and they have recipes as well.

[Marvin84]

zygma's answer is really thorough - fabulous! I am not a vegetarian, but have learned alot!

Don't forget that nature is colour coded.... darkgreen is usually the colour for iron (sounds stupid.. .but its true!!)

Also, don't forget that iron also requires vitaminC to be absorbed into your system... EG; when you take iron tablets, drink orange juice with it...Same as calcium.. it requires FAT to be absorbed into the system..... makes you look at low fat high calcium milk differently, doesn't it!!

Hope this helps!