A well-planned vegetarian diet can meet the needs of people of all ages, including children, teenagers, and pregnant or breast-feeding women. The key is to be aware of your nutritional needs so that you plan a diet that meets them.
Types of vegetarian diets
When people think about a vegetarian diet, they typically think about a diet that doesn't include meat, poultry or fish. But vegetarian diets vary in what foods they include and exclude:
Lacto-vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish, poultry and eggs, as well as foods that contain them. Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt and butter, are included.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian diets exclude meat, fish and poultry, but allow dairy products and eggs.
Ovo-vegetarian diets exclude meat, poultry, seafood and dairy products, but allow eggs.
Vegan diets exclude meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products — and foods that contain these products.
Some people follow a semivegetarian diet — also called a flexitarian diet — which is primarily a plant-based diet but includes meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish on occasion or in small quantities.
Fruit and Vegetable Diet
This diet is not saying never eat meat. The proteins and other nutrients in meat are needed to help our bodies stay healthy. Most people do not eat enough fruits and vegetables and our bodies need other vitamins and nutrients to ensure good health.
Raw fruit is always the best choice for the nutritional value. If you have to change the way the fruit is served, cooked, baked or steamed is best, as boiling lowers the nutritional value. Juice does count as fruit, but it does not contain as much fiber, so eating the fruit itself is better for you.
Like fruits, vegetables are best eaten raw and they tend to have fewer calories than fruits. They also contain complex carbohydrates that our bodies do not convert as easily as sugar so you will feel full longer.
The table below manifests the best fruits and vegetables which can be included in your fruit and vegetable diet.