Just a very small percentage of vegetarians (vegans) follow a strict regimen of only plant products. Others eat some animal products - usually dairy products, eggs, or even fish or chicken - at least occasionally. Different types of vegetarians include: lacto-ovovegetarians who eat dairy products and eggs, but exclude animal flesh, lacto-vegetarians who consume dairy products but no eggs or animal flesh, and semi-vegetarians who exclude only red meat. Whichever approach you choose, it's crucial to develop eating habits that will support your performance and your nutritional needs.

BENEFITS OF A VEGETARIAN DIET
The benefits of vegetarian diets are numerous. Overall, vegetarians tend to have lower rates of obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, adult onset diabetes, osteoporosis, and some forms of cancer - particularly lung cancer and colon cancer. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fats and cholesterol, and higher in fiber, vitamins, antioxidants and phytochemicals (plant chemicals). The American Dietetic Association states that adequately planned vegetarian diets are healthy, nutritionally adequate, may prevent certain diseases.

ENOUGH PROTEIN?
Can you really be a vegetarian athlete and get enough protein? Absolutely. While most vegetarian diets include some sources of animal protein, strict vegan diets need to be planned a little more carefully.

Protein is required for building and maintaining muscles, as well as repairing the muscle damage that occurs during training. Protein is also needed to make red blood cells, produce hormones, and boost your immune system. The body’s need for protein can be met by eating either animal or plant-based sources of protein from a wide variety of foods. If your diet includes fish, chicken, eggs, milk or dairy products, 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, plant sources of protein (grains, beans, nuts and seeds) have insufficient amounts of one or more of the essential amino acids. That's where combining proteins comes in.

To get enough essential amino acids from a vegan diet, you simply have to mix and match food during the day so that foods low in one amino acid are balanced by foods higher in that same amino acid. It is not necessary to combine foods in the same meal. Examples of complete proteins include lentils and rice, peanut butter and whole grain bread, beans and rice, corn tortillas and refried beans, or pea soup and whole grain crackers.

THE JOY OF SOY
Surprisingly, there is one plant that contains complete protein: soybeans. Gram for gram, 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. Soy is a high-quality plant protein that contains all essential amino acids.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED, ANYWAY?
Most active adults need about 0.5 to 0.75 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. An serious competitive adult athlete or serious strength trainer requires between 0.6 to 0.9 grams/lb per day. While a dieting athlete requires between 0.7 to 1.0 grams/lb per day. This equals 90 to 125 grams of protein per day for the 140-pound strength trainer and, 120 to 180 grams for the 200-pounder.

ANIMAL-BASED PROTEIN (Grams):
Meat, Chicken or Fish (3 Oz) 26
Milk, Buttermilk (1 cup) 8-12
Yogurt, Fat Free (1 cup) 9
Cheddar Cheese (1 oz, 1 slice) 7
1 Egg, Whole 5
1 Egg White 3.5

PLANT-BASED PROTEIN (Grams):
Green Giant Harvest Burger 18
Boca Burger 14
Tofu, raw (½ cup) 10
Peanut Butter (2 Tbsp) 9
½ cup beans (cooked) 7
Soy Milk (1 cup) 6
Bagel (1 whole) 6
Pasta (1 cup) 6
Nuts (1 oz) 6
Peas, green 4

ARE VEGETARIAN DIETS ALWAYS HEALTHY?
There's no question that vegetarian diets loaded with vegetables and fruits are as healthy as you can get. Yet, it’s certainly possible to choose an unhealthy vegetarian diet. Vegetarians who eat cheese, whole milk, cake, cookies, chips, ice cream and lots of other high-fat snacks may be getting large quantities of fat, sugar, and processed grains. The key to any healthy diet is to eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans.

DO VEGETARIANS NEED SPECIAL VITAMINS AND SUPPLEMENTS?
A vegetarian diet, especially one which includes dairy products or eggs, can meet the nutritional needs of athletes. However, as the diet excludes more food sources, it becomes more difficult to get all the nutrients needed for good health and peak performance.

Vitamins: Riboflavin, vitamin B-12, and vitamin D are of concern. Riboflavin is found primarily in meat, eggs and dairy products. Alternate sources include broccoli, asparagus, almonds and fortified cereals. Vitamin B-12 and D are found only in animal products. If you’re not eating meat, dairy products or eggs, you’ll have to get your B-12 from fortified products such as soy milk or from a supplement. Vit D can be obtained from supplements or fortified soy milk and cereal.

Minerals: Calcium, iron, and zinc are the major concerns. Calcium won’t be a problem if you consume dairy products. Otherwise, broccoli, bok choy, kale, collard and mustard greens, fortified tofu, calcium fortified orange juice or soy milk, beans, dried figs, and black strap molasses, also contain calcium.

Vegetarians can get iron and zinc from plant sources, but in smaller amounts and a less absorbable form. Still, you can get a good dose of iron from beans, tofu, green leafy vegetables, lentils, dried fruit and iron-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 whole grains, wheat germ, beans, nuts and fortified cereals.

AREN’T VEGETARIANS FRAIL AND WEAK?
Check out all the vegetarian athletes! Former Mr. Universe, Bill Pearl is a vegetarian. So is the legendary 6'8, 320 pound wrestler, Killer Kowalski; fitness guru, Jack LaLanne; world tennis champion Martina Navratilova; world-class sprinter Carl Lewis; Olympic gold medalist, Edwin Moses; and 6-time Ironman Triathlon winner, Dave Scott, just to name a few.

With a little care, being a vegetarian will not diminish athletic performance or natural talent. An athlete or active person will thrive on a vegetarian diet provided the time and effort is taken to obtain the proper nutrients and amounts of food necessary. So here’s to your health and your performance!