VEGETABLE MATTER
Fact is, you can fix simple, great-tasting vegetarian meals in minutes.
By Liz Applegate Ph.D.
PUBLISHED 10/04/2001
Many runners tell me they'd like to try a vegetarian diet, but they think it's hard to do. Vegetarian food costs more, it takes longer to prepare, you need to use specialty cookbooks, you're always worried about getting complete proteins, and so on. At least, that's the perception. None of these drawbacks is necessarily true, however. Fact is, you can fix simple, great-tasting vegetarian meals in minutes. Do it right, and they'll be loaded with protein, too, not to mention energizing carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Which is good news, as we've known for years that vegetarians live longer than meat eaters. This has something to do with lifestyle, of course, as vegetarians are more likely to exercise and less likely to smoke and abuse alcohol than non-vegetarians. Nevertheless, your typical vegetarian fare also happens to be high in fiber, low in fat and chockful of antioxidants and phytochemicals-a diet that will lower your risk of heart disease, cancer and other chronic ailments.
So take it from me: If you've contemplated becoming a vegetarian-or if you simply want to add more vegetarian dishes to your repertoire-it isn't difficult. Here are some tips for getting started.
Vegetarianism 101
All of us require approximately 40 different nutrients. When you go meatless, you must make up for the nutrients you normally would've gotten from meat. Most can be obtained easily enough, but the one you really need to keep track of is protein. If you continue to eat dairy products and eggs, getting adequate protein won't be a problem. These animal sources provide all the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) you need to make new proteins for the body. However, vegetable sources of protein do not contain all the essential amino acids. That's where combining proteins comes in. The easiest way to do this is to combine grains such as wheat, barley or rice with legumes such as chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans or lentils. It is not necessary to create these combinations at each meal. As long as you do so each day, and as long as you also get between 60 to 100 total grams of protein daily (depending on your body size), you'll be fine. To put this in perspective, the standard 3-ounce serving of lean beef or chicken contains about 21 grams of protein. The vegetable equivalent of this would be a generous cup of cooked beans along with a cup of cooked grain. That is, you'll get those 20-plus grams of protein with a cup of curried chickpeas over a cup of saffron-flavored rice.
The joy of soy
Now that I've said you should combine grains and beans for complete protein, I'm going to make one exception: soybeans. Technically a legume, soybeans are in a class of their own. Ounce for ounce, soybean protein is just as good as milk or meat when it comes to both protein quality and amino-acid profile. In other words, no combining required; soybeans offer complete protein. There's another big reason to start making soybeans a regular part of your eating plan. Several recent studies have shown that soybeans help protect against age-related diseases such as cancer and heart disease. (They even curtail certain menopausal symptoms.) Many of these chronic ailments aren't nearly as prevalent in Asian countries as they are here, and many experts believe the soybean-rich Asian diet is the reason why. Researchers believe the phytochemicals in soybeans (especially one called genistein) act as antioxidants. As such, they may slow the progression of certain age-related processes in the body.
Vegetarianism 102
Although protein is the main nutrient to monitor, vegetarians need to be vigilant about several others that are harder to come by in a meatless diet: iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12. Meats contain a more absorbable form (and a greater quantity) of iron than vegetables do. Still, you can get a good dose of iron from lentils, kale, collard greens, dried fruit and fortified breakfast cereals. Hint: Include a vitamin C source when you eat these foods, as this improves iron absorption. As for zinc, good vegetable sources include wheat germ, beans (miso is especially good), nuts and fortified cereals.
Calcium won't be any problem if you consume dairy products. (Two to three servings of milk or low-fat yogurt daily will do the trick.) If you don't eat dairy foods, you'll have to work a little harder to meet your calcium needs. Consider calcium-fortified soy milk (one more way to get this "superfood") and use it the same way you would milk. Calcium- fortified soy products normally contain about 30 percent of the RDA for calcium. More options: bok choy, broccoli and other leafy greens. If you eat no animal products-no meat, milk or eggs-you may have trouble getting enough vitamin B12. This essential vitamin keeps blood cells healthy and maintains the covering around nerve fibers. Fermented vegetable products, such as miso and tempeh, contain some B12 because of the fermenting bacteria. Still, they probably don't provide enough of this vitamin. My recommendation to strict vegetarians ("vegans") is to get in the habit of eating fortified breakfast cereals or taking a vitamin supplement.
