and 1992) and Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eat-
ing (CFGHE; originated 1942, modified in 1992)
intended for vegetarians. While the 1992 food guides
were the first to consider overnutrition as a serious
health problem, and emphasized the importance of
plant foods in the diet, they did not include guidelines
for planning vegetarian diets. The 2003 food guide
borrowed the general concept of food groups from
the older guides, but reclassified foods into five
plant-based groups:
Grains: The foundation of the vegetarian diet. Whole
grains are best, but enriched refined grains are also
acceptable.
Vegetables and fruits: The ADA and DC recommend
that vegetarians choose both vegetables and fruits
rather than using only one or the other.
Legumes, nuts, and other protein-rich foods: Legumes
include soy milk and tofu. Dairy products used by ovo-
and lactovegetarians also fall into this category, as do
meat substitutes.
Fats: Vegetarians who do not eat fish require plant-
based sources of n-3 fats.
Calcium-rich foods: Adult vegetarians require eight
servings from this category each day. Each serving,
however, counts toward one of the other food
choices, as calcium-rich foods can be found across
the other food groups.
The minimum number of servings per food group in
this diet would provide about 1400 or 1500 calories per
day. Nonsedentary adults can meet higher energy needs
by choosing more servings from any of the basic five
groups. Sweets and alcohol should be used only sparingly.
Dietary supplementsare recommended for vege-
tarians over 50 and for vegans, based on studies con-
ducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). These
guidelines are described more fully under Risks below.Some specific vegetarian diets
Vegetarian diets can accommodate a wide variety
of regional and ethnic cuisines as well as different
philosophical or religious approaches. The following
are only a few of the possible choices:
MEDITERRANEAN DIET.In its origin, theMediter-
ranean dietwas not a purely vegetarian diet. It is,
however, sparing in its use of red meat and eggs, and
low in its use of fish and poultry. It can thus be easily
adapted to a vegetarian or pesce/pollo vegetarian diet.
The Mediterranean diet is high in its use of whole
grains, fruits, nuts, and high-fiber vegetables; it
appeals to many people because of its wide choice of
flavorful foods.MACROBIOTIC DIET.Themacrobiotic diet, which
was brought to Europe and North America from
Japan in the 1960s, is associated with the Eastern
concepts of yin and yang as well as with the elimina-
tion of animal products from the diet. This diet also
involves such changes in eating habits as chewing each
mouthful of food at least 50 times, drinking liquids
only when thirsty, avoiding the use of aluminum cook-
ware, and cooking foods on a wood stove rather than
using electrical appliances.
ORNISH DIET.Developed by a medical doctor to
reverse the signs of heart disease, the Ornish diet has
also been popularized as a weight-loss program. It is a
strict low-fat,high-fiber dietthat excludes red meat,
poultry, and fish, although persons following this diet
may use limited amounts of egg whites, fat-free milk,
and other fat-free dairy products.
SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST DIET.Seventh-day
Adventists (SDAs) have followed vegetarian dietary
regimens since the denomination was first organized in- The diet recommended by the church’s General
Conference Nutrition Council (GCNC) in the early
2000s is an ovolactovegetarian diet high in whole-
grain breads and pastas, fresh vegetables and fruits;
moderate use of nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy prod-
ucts; and limited use of eggs. Some SDAs prefer a
vegan diet. The church has its own professional organ-
ization for dietitians, which is affiliated with the ADA,
and encourages all its members to follow the ADA
guidelines for vegetarians.
Tips for starting a vegetarian diet
The ADA offers the following suggestions for
persons considering vegetarianism:
List all the meatless dishes that you already like to
eat. Pizza, chili, vegetable soups, salads, bean casser-
oles, Oriental stir-fried vegetables, and pasta dishes
are common favorites.
Look through some vegetarian cookbooks and copy
the recipes that appeal to you.
Check out natural food stores and try some of their
products.
Visit ethnic restaurants—Chinese, Japanese, Thai,
Indian, Vietnamese, or Middle Eastern are good
choices—and sample some of their meatless dishes.
Try meat substitutes (sometimes called meat ana-
logues or ‘‘mock meat’’) made from textured vegetable
protein (TVP) or tofu (bean curd). Veggie burgers,
veggie hot dogs, and imitation sausage are popular
items of this type.Vegetarianism