Make sure your vegetarian diet is healthy

MSNBC.com | Eating Well

Despite the headline, this piece is one of the most veg-friendly articles I've ever seen from a major publication, including such quotable passages as:

Unlike carnivores, who eat meat and dairy products, vegetarians don’t have to worry as much about consuming artery-clogging saturated fats found in animal protein sources. On top of this, vegetarian foods also have heart-healthy fats.

And:

With a little planning, a vegetarian diet can be satisfying, healthy, and good for your waistline.

And, "...there are no downsides to a vegetarian diet."

That said, readers are warned that vegans are "at the greatest risk for nutritional deficiencies, including protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and iron." While this may be true of calcium, B-12, and iron, I haven't read of any protein deficiencies, and the quote does make it sound like a fairly scary diet, which is not so good. If you're thinking of going ovo-lacto and have parents that are concerned about it, then this might be a good article to show them. If vegan, be prepared to show them how you plan to take in adequate nutrients to offset that last quote.

Tags: health | nutrition