Search within the blog!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Vegetarian 101

Vegetarian athletes can meet all the recommendations for nutrients when done properly. KEY: consume a variety of foods and the right amount of foods to meet your caloric needs.

Nutrients to focus on:

  • Protein - build meals around protein sources that are naturally low in fat, such as beans, lentils, and rice.
    • Sources include: beans, nuts, peas, soy products (tofu, tempeh, veggie burgers, soy milk)
  • Iron - to help with iron absorption, each citrus fruits in combination with foods such as beans, spinach, or nuts.
  • Calcium - sources include: fortified breakfast cereal, soy products, calcium-fortified OJ, dark leafy greens
  • Zinc - sources include: beans (white beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans), zinc-fortified breakfast cereals, wheat germ, and pumpkin seeds. Milk products are good zinc source for facto-vegetarians.
  • B12 - sources include: eggs, milk products, and foods that are vitamin B12 fortified (cereal, soy products, veggie burgers)

Blog Archive