A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: November 25, 2011
"It wasn't much of a switch. I don't even think about meat as food anymore," said vegetarian Heather Cutshall. But she and other vegetarians need to watch what they eat to make sure their nutrition doesn't suffer.
Freeman Dietitian Heather Boline pointed out, "Proteins are the building blocks of our body so we definitely need to make sure you're getting enough protein in your diet. Whether you eat meat or you don't eat meat, you can get protein in your diet from grains, vegetables, legumes, dairy and cheese."
You'll want to make sure you're incorporating the right foods to get enough vitamins. Added Boline, "If you're not eating meat, you can get B12 from soy beans. You can get it from fortified cereal and also a supplementation. Vitamin C helps increase the vitamin absorption from plant based foods or grains."
The Freeman cafeteria is helping out. It features a different vegetarian entree every day. Items range from vegetarian lasagne and veggie burgers to cheese enchiladas and pasta bar.
