is eaten. Although the earlier levels of the diet may be
sufficiently varied to permit a nutritionally complete
status this is unlikely in the final stages.
The above classification system has developed
over the years to help reflect the differing degrees of
adoption ofvegetarianism. It is lacto-vegetarianism,
which is discussed here.
Origins
Vegetarianism has been practised throughout his-
tory for a variety of religious, cultural, philosophical,
social and economic reasons. Similarly, for centuries,
people have expressed concerns about animal welfare,
environmental, ethical and proposed health benefits
associated with the consumption of animals and ani-
mal-based products. Consequently, many individuals
over the years have chosen to either exclude or reduce
their consumption of animal meats and associated
products. Many followers of religions faiths have sim-
ilarly adopted differing degrees of vegetarian-type eat-
ing patterns including Buddhism, Jainism and Hindus.
Vegetarian eating patterns are not a recent phe-
nomenon, but rather date back over hundreds of
years. Interestingly, famous vegetarians include,
Plato, Socrates, Pythagoras plus writers Pope and
Shelley. The following of the vegetarian movement
over the years has lead to the creation of many differ-
ent societies. The majority of these societies aim to
provide forums for people to increase their knowledge
and make informed choice in terms of commencing or
maintaining vegetarian eating patterns.
In the earlier stages of the vegetarian movement
there was a scarcity of evidence and knowledge to help
support people making the decision to adopt vegeta-
rian eating patterns. Over the years, however, a wealth
of evidence-based research has provided the public
with information about how to go about ensuring
that dietary intake is balanced despite the exclusion
of animal products. Research has also suggested
health benefits associated with vegetarianism.
Description
A varied lacto-vegetarian diet aims to provide all
of the essential nutrients that the body requires in
suitable amounts to help ensure nutritional adequacy
and minimise the risk of deficiencies of nutrients.
As with any pattern of eating, it is difficult to
make generalisations about the pros and cons of veg-
etarianism as the diet adopted by each individual will
vary considerably depending on the reasons for adopt-
ing vegetarianism and consequently the restrictions
practised. Whether or not a vegetarian diet is nutri-
tionally balanced is dependent on the range and
amounts of foods selected.
The general dietary recommendations are that the
general healthy eating guidelines as applied to the
general meat-eating population also apply to vegeta-
rians. As with all diets, care needs to be taken to ensure
that foods are selected with a view to ensuring a nutri-
tionally balanced mix. Consequently, for lacto-vege-
tarians the principles of healthy eating as illustrated by
the food pyramid can be adapted to reflect the dietary
needs of this cohort of individuals. Ensuring that sub-
stitute foods of similar nutritional value are intro-
duced helps achieve an adequate dietary intake. The
principles of healthy diet suggest:
Eating regular meals (and snacks if required)
throughout the day based on starchy carbohydrates
(bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, cereals) at each
mealtime.
Large intake of fruit and vegetables to help ensure
micronutrient (vitamins and minerals) intake is
adequate to help reduce the risk of cancer and heart
disease. This includes fresh, dried, frozen and juiced
fruit and vegetables.
Moderate portions of protein sources such as soy, a
high quality protein (instead of meat, fish and eggs)
and dairy produce (cheese, milk and yogurts).
Beans, pulses, legumes, and nuts—low quality proteins
that need to be combined with other sources of protein
to ensure adequate intakes of essential amino acids.
Inclusion of small portions of foods high in refined
sugar and fat as large intakes of these foods can
increase risk of obesity, cancer and heart disease.
In summary, eating a broad range of foods on a
daily basis can help ensure that lacto-vegetarians
achieve their full nutritional requirements daily.
Therefore, discussing each of the shelves individually
as applied to the lacto-vegetarians will help translate
and apply the information from the food pyramid.The Starchy Carbohydrate shelfThe bottom shelf, which is the largest shelf con-
tains starchycarbohydratesand is relatively similar
for both meat eaters and lacto-vegetarians. Foods on
this shelf include, bread, cereals, rice, potatoes, yams,
oats, corn, rye, millet, rye, barley, quinoa, buckwheat
and cous cous. Foods including pasta made with egg
are not an option for lacto-vegetarians but are for
meat eaters. However, egg-free pasta is now readily
available as a suitable substitute.Lacto-vegetarianism