My Vegetarian Food Guide

The following is a very general guide. In the beginning, I consulted it every day to make sure that I was not forgetting something. After a few months, I would consult it periodically to refresh my memory of what it was that constituted a healthy diet for a vegetarian. I haven't looked at it for nearly four years until now. Much of what appears below came from a hand-out given me by my nutritionist, Lorraine M. Picot, n.d., R.N.C.

As of March 2004, I have started eating some fish. I have not yet come to terms with this ethically, but it makes meal preparation a lot easier. So far only salmon, halibut and, rarely, shrimp. I have always mourned the loss of salmon in my diet and that is likely what makes it easy to reintroduce it. But like I said, ethically, I am not easy with this. Is my head in the sand? Probably.

Whole Grains
Legumes
Vegetables
Fruits
Seeds, Nuts and Oils
Dairy

Whole Grains
5 or more servings
Because I am trying to lose weight, I eat only whole grains. No more white glue-y bread for me. The one exception is sourdough bread which I absolutely love and cannot resist if it is in the house. I just wish wholegrain sourdough bread was not so hard to get.

Grains are rich in complex carbohydrates, fiber, as well as B vitamins, zinc and other minerals.

This group includes all the grains. Eg. wheat, millet, oats, corn, barley, bulgur, rice.

The grains can be consumed in any form: bread, pasta or cereals or simply as a cooked grain dressed with other food groups.

Weight-conscious vegetarians may wish to eliminate white bread and white rice from their diet, replacing them with a small amount of whole grain breads and brown rice in moderation. Instead, grains such as quinoa, kamut and spelt can be added to the diet with little to no effect on weight.

Serving Size (Examples):
1/2 cup hot cereal, rice, millet, etc.
1 ounce dry cereal
1 slice bread or 1/2 bagel or pita
1 cup cooked pasta
2 cups popcorn
1 small muffin
2 rice cakes
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Legumes
2 or more servings

Lentils are good sources of protein, fibre, complex carbohydrates, iron, calcium, zinc and B-vitamins.

This group includes all beans, peas and lentils.

Legumes can be consumed in many forms: cooked as a main course or side dish, as soy milk, tofu, tempeh, TVP (textured vegetable protein) and sprouted beans.

Serving Size (Examples): 1/2 cup cooked beans, lentils, peas, or chickpeas 4 ounces tofu or tempeh 8 ounces soy milk 1 cup sprouted lentils or beans
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Vegetables
4 or more servings are recommended.
I eat probably 6-8 servings per day.

Vegetables are loaded with nutrients like Vitamin C, betacarotene, riboflavin, iron, calcium, magnesium, fibre and more.

Anything that grows in or from the earth that is not a legume, a fruit or a nut is a vegetable. The number of vegetables is seemingly endless. Try to eat a variety every day. There is no reason to eat the same ones all the time. Try new vegetables whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Serving Size (Examples):
1 cup raw vegetables
1/2 cup cooked vegetables
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Fruits

2 to 4 servings

Fruits are rich in fibre, vitamin C and betacarotene (orange coloured fruit). Commercial fruit juices are not very rich in vitamins and do not contain much fibre.

The fruit category also includes berries.

Again, there is a wide variety of fruits available. Try new ones whenever you can.

Serving size (Examples):
1 medium piece of fruit
1 cup of berries
1/2 cantaloupe
1/2 grapefruit
1/2 cup cooked fruit
4 ounces fresh juice
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Seeds, Nuts and Oils

1 serving is recommended.
However, I like nuts and include them whenever possible - eg. in salads, stir frys, sprinkled on cereal, in baking.

This group includes raw nuts, seeds, nut/seed butters, and cold-pressed vegetable oils.

Serving size (Examples):
2 tbsp nut butter
1 handful nuts/seeds
1 tbsp cold-pressed oil
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Dairy

2 to 4 servings
Dairy is an optional group for a vegetarian. However if you do not yet feel comfortable that you are getting a balance diet from the other food groups - eg. sufficient calcium, Vitamin D, protein - then dairy is an easy way to boost the levels of those nutrients until you have learned to replace it with other things.

Dairy can be replaced with servings from the legume, nuts/seeds and/or vegetable groups. Seaweeds are also excellent sources of most minerals including calcium.
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