This letter is in regards to the Feb. 10 article by Tameka L. Hicks titled Vegetarian week promotes learning. As a registered dietitian I was first drawn to the article because of the subject and continued to read because of the differences in eating preferences of some of the people interviewed. The American Dietetic Association’s Complete Food and Nutrition Guide has a chapter discussing vegetarian diets and I wanted to share with readers some information from this resource. The question is asked can vegetarian eating supply your body with enough nutrients? The answer Yes. As with any eating style, you need to choose foods carefully and consume enough calories. If you’re a vegetarian who consumes diary products and perhaps eggs, the nutrition issues you need to address do not differ much from those of non-vegetarians. One still needs to be cautious of eating too much fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol and even too many calories. If you choose mostly lower fat dairy products, along with plenty of grains, fruits and vegetables, a typical lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet can be high in fiber, and low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. This is a nutrition lifestyle goal for all healthy people. Adding lean cuts of meat, fish, and poultry in moderate amounts can also fit into a person’s eating style. Vegans need to address somewhat different issues. Without any foods of animal origin, eating enough calories to maintain a healthy weight can be a challenge, especially for growing children and teens. Nutrients that may come up short include vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, iron, and zinc. Nonetheless, all eating preferences and styles need to be planned wisely to provide enough of the nutrients everyone needs to help ensure overall good health. March is National Nutrition Month, sponsored by the American Dietetic Association, which offers many key messages to help consumers make informed food choices. One key message from this year’s campaign is to Make healthy choices that fit your lifestyle so you can do the things that you want to do. Other messages can be found on the ADA web page at www.eatright.org.

Rick Parks, registered dietitian

Illinois Dietetic Association representative

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