“Can vegetarians get enough nutrition?”

Dear Dr. Lynne Kavulich,

My daughter has decided she wants to be a vegetarian. While I respect her reasons, I worry she won’t get the nutrition she needs in this diet. Can vegetarians get enough nutrition?

Michelle - Syracuse NY

Dear Michelle,

Yes, definitely. If you consider the first humans as described in the Christian Bible, they were created to be vegetarians and ate nothing but fruits and vegetables while in the Garden of Eden. Your daughter can get most all the vitamins and minerals she needs through a vegetarian diet, she just needs to be sure she’s eating lots of healthy fruits and vegetables. The greatest malnutrition risk for vegetarians is not getting enough protein and vitamin B12, which they would generally get by eating meat. However, this protein can be supplemented by eating foods such as tofu, nuts and seeds.

Sincerely,

Dr. Lynne Kavulich