Vegetarian Diet Plan

Vegetarians do not eat meat products.

There are, however, different types of vegetarians e.g. some do / don't eat eggs or dairy products.

A vegetarian diet plan meets two criteria, it is:

  1. A meal plan (sometimes called a diet plan), and it is
  2. Vegetarian

A meal plan can be as simple as a list of foods to be eaten at each stage of the day, e.g. for breakfast, lunch and evening meal, usually over a series of days but from as little as a single day to a plan for several weeks or months. A vegetarian meal plan (or 'diet plan') includes only vegetarian foods. A vegetarian diet plan can be either general or designed for a particular person or circumstance e.g. an elderly lady who is moderately overweight.

The following vegetarian diet plan is a general example of a vegetarian meal plan for moderately active adult ovolactovegetarians i.e. people who do not eat meat or fish products but do eat both eggs and dairy products.

Example of a vegetarian meal plan:

This is for ovolactovegetarian adults who don't have food allergies or other specific dietary constraints e.g. for medical reasons.

Breakfast

Example of specific meal:

  • Fresh (unsweetened) orange juice
  • Bowl of muesli with soya milk
  • Slice of wholemeal toast with little margarine and strawberry jam.
  • Mug of green tea

General considerations:

  • Unsweetened fruit juice e.g. orange juice or fresh fruit e.g. grapefruit
  • Wholegrain breakfast cereal with milk (e.g. full, skimmed, semi-skimmed or soya or other dairy-milk subsitute) and/or
  • Wholemeal bread or toast with spread e.g. butter, polyunsaturated margarine, peanut butter, etc.

with drink e.g. green tea, fruit tea, other.

Mid-Morning

Example of specific meal:

  • Large apple
  • Mixed berries fruit tea

General considerations:

Optional mid-morning snack, possibility may depend on lifestyle, e.g.

  • Fresh fruit, dried fruit or cereal bar

with drink if required e.g. mineral water, green tea, fruit tea, other.

Lunch (midday meal, e.g. noon - 2pm)

Example of specific meal:

  • Baked potato filled with cheese and served with fresh salad incl. lettuce, tomatoes, spring onions, peppers, radishes and light dressing
  • Small yoghurt
  • Mineral water

General considerations:

Ideally to include:

  • A serving of carbohydrates e.g. potatoes, pasta, bread or rice
  • Source of protein e.g. egg, cheese or beans
  • Sources of fibre and vitamins and minerals e.g. salad or vegetables (raw or cooked)

May be followed by a sweet dessert of e.g. yoghurt, fresh raw fruit or, if the midday meal is the main meal of the day, a larger dessert e.g. cooked fruit pudding esp. for very active people or in winter.

with drink e.g. mineral water, unsweetened fruit juice, green tea, fruit tea, other.

Mid-Afternoon

Example of specific meal:

  • Small slice of fruitcake
  • Coffee or tea

General considerations:

Optional mid-afternoon snack, e.g.

  • Fresh fruit, dried fruit & nuts, or
  • Fruitcake, carrot cake or similar

with drink if required e.g. mineral water, green tea, fruit tea, other.

Evening Meal (e.g. around 6pm)

Example of specific meal:

  • Curried lentils with boiled rice
  • with water, fruit juice or glass of *beer or small *wine
  • Rhubarb pie and custard
    or fruit and ice-cream
  • possibly followed by e.g. coffee, tea, green tea, other

General considerations:

Include either eggs or dairy or beans or legumes (if eggs & dairy products are not eaten also ensure that some grains/corn products are included elsewhere in diet - i.e. in the other meals such as wholegrain toast as part of breakfast)

  • Bean stew with rice and / or vegetables
  • Bean casserole (ideally include various different types of beans and perhaps also some nuts) with potato and vegetables
  • Curried lentils with boiled rice
  • Mushroom lasagne (made with egg pasta) with salad / vegetables

May be followed by a sweet dessert of e.g. a pudding or pie, optionally with e.g. cream, ice-cream or custard or, if the midday meal is the main meal of the day, a smaller dessert such as fresh fruit, ice-cream or small sweet biscuits.

with drink e.g. mineral water, unsweetened fruit juice, green tea, fruit tea, or other such as beer or small wine (not an excessive quantity of alcohol*).

Late Evening

Example of specific meal:

  • Mug of mint tea

General considerations:

Optional late snack, preferably only a small amount within hours of bedtime:

  • Drink e.g. green tea, fruit tea, milky drink e.g. hot chocolate
  • Biscuit or small sandwich

* Although 'vegetarian' does not mean 'no alcohol, not all alcoholic drinks are vegetarian. Other considerations such as the person's age, religion and local laws and customs also apply.

The vegetarian diet plan outlined above could be adjusted for someone who has specific needs or medical conditions and so would benefit from attention to ensuring a particular minimum daily supply of a specific mineral or minerals e.g. calcium, iron, etc.. It could also be adjusted to take the person's weight and activity level into account e.g. by managing portion sizes and snacks. Additional considerations would apply for vegetarian children (and, of course, vegan children).

Further discussion:

A more detailed individual vegetarian diet plan could include guideline / estimated figures associated with each meal and optional snack. For example, it could include suggested overall calorie intake per meal and / or minimum / maximum suggested quantities of certain types of foods depending on the needs of the individual person. The example vegetarian meal plan shown above includes a range of foods and may suit a moderately active vegetarian man but require adjustment for an elderly inactive but overweight vegetarian woman.

Fluid intake:

It is important to drink enough water. This could be in the form of ordinary drinking water or as other drinks such as teas and / or as fluids included in meals e.g. as soups or sauces. A more detailed diet plan could include mention of suggested amounts of water / fluid spaced appropriately throughout the day.

What considerations are needed to ensure that a vegetarian diet is healthy ?

A balanced diet includes the correct proportions of the following:

The purpose of a vegetarian diet is the same as that of any other diet: To keep the person healthy by supplying his or her body with appropriate amounts of all necessary nutrients, together with enough energy, to support the functions of his or her body and mind.

Human dietary needs change as life progresses (from birth to old age) and according to other circumstances such as gender, pregnancy, lactation, activity level, and any medical conditions.

As applies to all types of diet, in order to be considered 'healthy' a vegetarian diet should be 'balanced'. That means it should include appropriate amounts of each of the seven dietary components listed on the right.

Vegetarian diets and vegan diets differ from other diets because they include the additional constraint that all foods must meet the criteria of the particular type of vegetarian diet, e.g. ovolactovegetarian, lactovegetarian, ovovegetarian, vegan, etc..

More about Vegetarian Diets

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