Veg Out

Finding it hard to keep your vegetarian diet balanced? Registered dietitians and authors of Eating For Sport (Struik), Cecily Fuller and Shelly Meltzer, suggest you:
Maintain a high energy intake
Eat six or seven small meals a day to keep energy levels up. 'This will also help prevent hunger – the usual cause of overeating,' says Malinda Lennox, a registered dietitian at the Leipoldt Sport and Wellness Centre in Cape Town.
Combine proteins
'Depending on the kind of vegetarian you are, combine seeds and nuts, such as walnuts, with dairy products, such as cottage cheese, in order to get all the amino acids your body needs,' says Lennox. Vegans can combine legumes with grains or seeds and nuts.
Increase iron absorption
Include foods rich in vitamin C, such as most citrus fruits and juices, with every meal. Tannin and caffeine inhibit iron absorption, so limit your intake of tea and coffee.
Finding it hard to keep your vegetarian diet balanced? Registered dietitians and authors of Eating For Sport (Struik), Cecily Fuller and Shelly Meltzer, suggest you:
Maintain a high energy intake
Eat six or seven small meals a day to keep energy levels up. 'This will also help prevent hunger – the usual cause of overeating,' says Malinda Lennox, a registered dietitian at the Leipoldt Sport and Wellness Centre in Cape Town.
Combine proteins
'Depending on the kind of vegetarian you are, combine seeds and nuts, such as walnuts, with dairy products, such as cottage cheese, in order to get all the amino acids your body needs,' says Lennox. Vegans can combine legumes with grains or seeds and nuts.
Increase iron absorption
Include foods rich in vitamin C, such as most citrus fruits and juices, with every meal. Tannin and caffeine inhibit iron absorption, so limit your intake of tea and coffee.
Take supplements
As vitamin B12 is found mostly in animal products, vegans especially have difficulty getting enough of it and should supplement their diet with fortified foods such as soya milk and breakfast cereals. These also provide other valuable nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. 'Although most vitamin supplements contain B12, getting a vitamin¬-B12 booster from your doctor also helps,' says Lennox.

As vitamin B12 is found mostly in animal products, vegans especially have difficulty getting enough of it and should supplement their diet with fortified foods such as soya milk and breakfast cereals. These also provide other valuable nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D. 'Although most vitamin supplements contain B12, getting a vitamin¬-B12 booster from your doctor also helps,' says Lennox.

Author: Lelethu Lumkwana