A vegetarian diet is healthy if it
is carefully planned. If a vegetarian diet is too
restricted, it may be unhealthy. Certain essential
nutrients are harder for vegetarians to find in
plant foods. Vegetarians may need to make a special
effort to get enough calcium, iron, zinc, vitamin D,
and vitamin B-12. It also can be difficult to get an
adequate amount of the healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
This is especially true if NO animal products (not
even dairy products or eggs) are included in the
diet.
Amounts of Some Essential Nutrients Needed Each Day
for Children
Calcium
1 to 3 years..............500
milligrams (mg)
4 to 8 years..............800 mg
9 to 18 years............1300 mg
Iron
1 to 3 years.............. 7
milligrams (mg)
4 to 8 years..............10 mg
9 to 13 years..............8 mg
14 to 18 years............11 mg
(boys), 15 mg (girls)
Zinc
7 months to 3 years........3
milligrams (mg)
4 to 8 years...............5 mg
9 to 13 years..............8 mg
14 to 18 years............11 mg
(boys), 9 mg (girls)
Vitamin D
0 to 13 years..............5
micrograms (mcg)
14 to 18 years.............5 mcg
Vitamin B-12
1 to 3 years...............0.9 mcg
4 to 8 years...............1.2 mcg
9 to 13 years..............1.8 mcg
14 to 18 years.............2.4 mcg
Sources of Some Nutrients for Vegetarians
CALCIUM mg per serving
------------------------------------------------------
Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)
Navy beans 60
Black beans 46
Vegetarian baked beans 64
Soy foods (1/2 cup)
Cultured soy yogurt, fortified 367
Tofu 120 to 430
Soy milk, calcium fortified 100 to 159
Soy nuts 120
Nuts and seeds
Almonds, 1/4 cup 88
Almond butter, 2 tablespoons 86
Vegetables (1 cup cooked)
Broccoli 79
Collard greens 239
Turnip greens 208
Fruits
Dried figs, 5 137
Calcium-fortified orange juice, 1 cup 300
Dairy
Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 137 to 158
Cheddar cheese, 1/4 oz 153
Yogurt, plain 1/2 cup 137 to 230
IRON mg per serving
------------------------------------------------------
Breads, cereals, and grains
Whole wheat bread, 1 slice 0.9
Cereal, fortified, 1 cup 2.1 to 18
Oatmeal, instant, 1/2 cup 1.6
Vegetables (1/2 cup)
Broccoli 0.9
Bok choy 0.7
Tomato juice, 1 cup 0.7
Turnip greens 0.6
Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)
Baked beans, vegetarian 1.7
Black beans 1.8
Navy beans 2.3
Soy foods (1/2 cup)
Soybeans, cooked 4.4
Tofu 6.6
Soy milk 0.4 to 1.0
Nuts/seeds (1/4 cup)
Cashews 1.5
Pumpkin seeds 5.2
Sunflower seeds 2.3
Other foods
Blackstrap molasses, 1 tablespoon 3.5
ZINC mg per serving
------------------------------------------------------
Breads, grains, and cereals
Cereal, fortified 1 oz 0.7 to 15
Wheat germ, 2 tablespoons 1.8
Legumes (1/2 cup cooked)
Adzuki beans 2.0
Baked beans, canned 1.8
Lima beans 0.9
Lentils 1.2
Soy foods (1/2 cup cooked)
Soybeans 1.0
Tofu 1.0
Veggie meats, 1 oz 1.2 to 2.3
Vegetables (1/2 cup cooked)
Peas 1.0
Mushrooms 0.7
VITAMIN D mcg per serving
--------------------------------------------------------
Cereals, fortified, 1 oz 0.5 to 1
Egg yolk, large, 1 0.6
Cow's milk, fortified 1.2 to 1.3
Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.5 to 1.5
RIBOFLAVIN mg per serving
--------------------------------------------------------
Almonds, 1/4 cup 0.3
Cereal, fortified, 1 oz 0.2 to 1.7
Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 0.2
Yogurt, 1/2 cup 0.3
Egg, large, 1 0.6
Mushrooms, cooked, 1/2 cup 0.2
Nutritional yeast miniflakes, 1 tablespoon 1.9
Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.2
VITAMIN B-12 mcg per serving
---------------------------------------------------------
Cereals, fortified, 1 oz 0.6 to 6.0
Cow's milk, 1/2 cup 0.4 to 0.5
Egg, large, 1 0.5
Nutritional yeast miniflakes, 1 tablespoon 1.5
Soy milk, fortified, 1/2 cup 0.4 to 1.6
Veggie "meats," fortified, 1 oz 0.5 to 1.2
LINOLENIC ACID (OMEGA-3 FATTY-ACIDS) grams per serving
-----------------------------------------------------------
Canola oil, 1 tablespoon 1.3 to 1.6
Flaxseed, ground, 1 tablespoon 1.9 to 2.2
Flaxseed oil, 1 teaspoon 2.7
Soybean oil, 1 tablespoon 0.9
Soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup 1.0
Tofu, 1/2 cup 0.7
Walnuts, 1/4 cup 2.7
Walnut oil, 1 tablespoon 1.4 to 1.7
