Vegetarian diet is fully sufficient says Dr Jagmeet Madan

Many people consider a vegetarian diet to be insufficient in terms of the major food groups. However, if you choose the right combination of foods, your diet can actually turn out to be a healthier one, says Dr Jagmeet Madan

Vegetarianism is a way of life, which may come to us naturally because of our ethnic background, or it can be a conscious decision irrespective of our cultural and ethnic origin. The term vegetarianism is very often used in a generalised context, so it is not enough to only know that an individual is a 'vegetarian'. There are various types of vegetarians and the distinctions between them can only be made clear through a nutritional rating.

Some of the main types of vegetarians include:

In the Indian context, within the purview of vegetarianism, there are vegetarians who are still further restrictive in eating all plant foods. Thus, it is not appropriate to make evaluative statements about nutritional adequacy of a vegetarian diet without individualising it to the persons practicing vegetarianism.

Evaluating nutrition value of vegetarian diet

The biggest virtue of a vegetarian diet is that it allows for substantial add-ons to the total fibre intake (both soluble and insoluble), while also allowing the incorporation of good quality fat. All wholegrain cereals and coarse grains like bajra, jowar, thalipeeth, oats, and pulses, as well as dals, nuts, oilseeds, and even green leafy vegetables, are not only full of soluble and insoluble fibre but also have good quality fats like omega 3 fatty acids and monounsaturates. These are needed to prevent the onset of diabetes, heart diseases and cancers. A major benefit of including these foods in our daily diet is that they help to lower cholesterol and blood sugar, and also help in creating a protective environment in the body.

It is also a myth to say that a vegetarian diet is not high in proteins. The quantity and quality of protein should not be a concern for vegetarians if they are consuming a variety of pulses, whole grain cereals, nuts, oilseeds and some of the protein rich vegetables such as peas, beans, fenugreek, colocascia etc. Most of the pulses and dals have a protein content of 22-43 percent, while soybean has the highest protein content.

Incorporating a variety of vegetarian protein sources is not only important for the quantity but also for quality of protein which is determined by the right mix of essential amino acids. Thus, when we combine a variety of these sources, the essential amino acid missing in one gets complemented by the other, and a balance is maintained. It is easier to achieve this for a lacto vegetarian or a lacto ovo vegetarian as both milk and eggs are good quality protein sources.

Diet for vegetarians

A strict vegan diet may get too bulky for a child unless supported with milk and milk products or alternatives like soymilk, groundnut milk, tofu etc. If you are a vegetarian, do not overdo the consumption of refined forms of cereals and pulses like maida and besan which are invariably used as a base for a variety of snacks such as samosas. These preparations are made using high amounts of bad quality fat. Instead, for variety, vegetarians should emphasise on coarse cereal based preparations.

Use a combination of pulses, nuts and oilseeds with a variety of cereals in preparations such as idli and dosa to get the right balance of proteins and amino acids in your diet.

Vegetarians can get enough iron through the diet provided they are wise in selecting the right kind of foods. Try and incorporate good amounts of some of the iron rich sources among plant foods such as cauliflower, radish (muli), garden cress, and sesame (til).

In order to aid the absorption of iron from these foods, vegetarians should also incorporate foods rich in vitamin C into their diets. Some of the good sources of vitamin C include capsicum, cabbage, drumstick leaves, guava, amla, orange juice, and sprouts.

(The author is a nutritionist)