Overview - Vegetarian Menu

Meets 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans at 2,200-Calorie Level

By Laura DeWitt, Dietetic Intern

This 7-day menu for vegetarians is designed to meet the calorie needs of moderately active females ages 19-30, providing 2,200 calories per day. Males of the same age group and activity level should increase calories by 400-600 by adding additional servings of grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, lentils, eggs and dairy products. Generally, calorie needs decrease with age and activity level. To determine your own calorie needs, visit the USDA’s reference for estimated calorie requirements for all ages at: http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/pdf/Chapter2.pdf

The menu is based upon the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which suggests at least five servings of vegetables, four servings of fruits, at least three servings of whole grains, three cups of fat-free milk or equivalent milk products, and that sodium intake is not to exceed 2,300 mg in one day.

While eggs and dairy products are included in this selection of vegetarian foods, fluid cow’s milk has been substituted with soy milk. Vegetarians who avoid all milk products should choose rich sources of nutrients provided by milk, including protein, vitamin A, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iron, potassium and magnesium.

Check out the bar graph displaying the 7-day average of nutrients provided by this menu. You will find that in addition to the 13 nutrients listed on the nutrition facts label, zinc, vitamin B12, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat values have been included.

This menu slightly exceeds recommendations for total fat, but is proportionately higher in the “good” monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in nuts and vegetable oils.

Iron, zinc and vitamin B12 can be deficient in a vegetarian diet as these nutrients are supplied largely through animal products. This menu exemplifies that a properly-planned vegetarian diet can be as nutritionally complete as a diet containing meat products.

Finally, the included recipes provide a sampling of world cuisines. Recipes yield one serving unless otherwise noted.