Cooking for Vegetarian Diets Chapter 26

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Types of Vegetarian Diets A vegetarian diet is one consisting entirely or mostly of foods derived from plants. Vegans eat plant products only. Lacto-vegetarians eat dairy products in addition to plant products but will not eat other animal products. Ovo-vegetarians eat eggs in addition to plant products.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Types of Vegetarian Diets (cont’d) Lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat dairy and egg products as well as plant products. Pesco-vegetarians eat fish and plant products but not meat or poultry. They may or may not eat dairy and egg products. Vegetarianism may be based on strong ethical or moral beliefs or on health concerns.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Protein The major nutritional concern of a vegetarian diet is getting enough protein. Some plant products, such as grains, nuts, and dried beans, contain proteins. Proteins are long chains of smaller compounds called amino acids. There are, in all, 20 amino acids that, when joined in various combinations, make up over 100,000 proteins in the human body.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Protein (cont’d) Eleven of these amino acids can be made in the body, so it is not necessary to include them in the diet. All remaining nine amino acids must be included in the diet in order for the body to make all the proteins it needs. These nine are called essential amino acids.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Protein (cont’d) Incomplete proteins means that one or more of the essential amino acids is either missing or is not present in high enough concentration. The key to getting enough protein in a plants-only diet is to eat a balance of foods. Amino acids missing from one of these foods is supplied by another one of them. Such proteins are called complementary proteins.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Including Complementary Proteins in the Diet The following pairings of food categories are the most useful complementary proteins for planning vegetarian diets: Dried legumes plus grains Dried legumes plus seeds and nuts Grains plus milk products The first two of these pairings are important in vegan diets. The third pairing can be included in the diet of lacto-vegetarians.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Other Nutrients Vitamin B12 Found only in animal foods, including milk and eggs. Vegans must obtain it from: Grain foods, such as breakfast cereals, that have been fortified with this vitamin Vitamin supplements Vegetarians who eat sufficient dairy products and eggs usually can get enough vitamin B12.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Other Nutrients (cont’d) Vitamin D This vitamin is found in vitamin D-fortified milk. It is created in the skin on exposure to sunlight. A vegan or other vegetarian who doesn’t get enough exposure to sunlight can get this nutrient from vitamin-fortified cereals or some soy beverages.

Understanding Vegetarian Diets Nutritional Considerations (cont’d) Other Nutrients (cont’d) Calcium Dairy products are rich in calcium, but vegans and other vegetarians who don’t consume dairy products must get calcium from other sources: Green leafy vegetables Dried legumes Calcium supplements Calcium-fortified beverages

Menus for Vegetarian Diets INGREDIENTS Dried Legumes Legumes are some of the most important sources of protein for vegans and other vegetarians. Grains Are sources of complementary protein when eaten with legumes or dairy products. Nuts and Seeds Nuts and seeds are rich in protein.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Ingredients (cont’d) Soy Products Soy milk is made by soaking dried soybeans, draining them, grinding them, combining them with water, boiling, and then straining the resulting milky liquid. Tofu, or bean curd, is made by curdling soy milk, just as cheese is made by curdling dairy milk. Tempeh is a fermented soybean product sold in cakes and has a dense, meaty texture.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Ingredients (cont’d) Soy Products Miso, also called bean paste, is a paste made of fermented soybeans. Sometimes with the addition of wheat, rice, or barley, depending on the variety. Textured vegetable protein (TVP) Made from defatted soy flour, processed and dried. TVP has a sponge-like texture. It is available unflavored or flavored to resemble various meats.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Ingredients (cont’d) Dairy and Eggs For lacto-ovo vegetarians, milk products and eggs are valuable sources of protein, vitamin D, calcium, and other nutrients.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets MODIFYING RECIPES Always read the list of ingredients to make sure they are all permitted. If any of the ingredients is a packaged or manufactured food, read the list of ingredients on the package as well. No animal product of any kind may be used as an ingredient in a recipe intended for vegans.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Modifying Recipes (cont’d) Dairy products (such as milk, cream, butter, and cheese) and eggs may be included as ingredients in recipes for lacto-ovo vegetarians. They may be labeled as vegetarian. However, they will not be eaten by vegans. Service staff must be adequately trained to accurately answer patrons’questions about the menu.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Modifying Recipes (cont’d) The following methods can be used to modify existing recipes to adapt them for vegetarian menus: Remove meat, poultry, and fish stocks from recipes. Substitute an equal quantity of water or vegetable stock. Omit sauces based on meat, poultry, or fish stocks. For vegans, omit sauces using dairy products or eggs. For vegans, substitute oil for butter. Substitute soy milk or other soy products for dairy products.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Modifying Recipes (cont’d) Sugar in Vegetarian Recipes If you use any of these recipes on a vegetarian menu, make sure to use sugar from a purely vegetarian source, such as beet sugar or unbleached sugar. Refineries that process sugar from cane often use charcoal made from animal bones as a filter.

Menus for Vegetarian Diets Developing Appealing Menus Center of the Plate One of the problems in developing vegetarian menu choices is constructing a plate that is satisfying as a main course. Appetizers or first courses are less of a problem. A succession of four to six small courses in a tasting menu can be pleasing and satisfying. A main course must feel like a complete meal.

Recipe Pronunciations Yellow Split Pea and Vegetable Curry with Spiced Rice and Cucumber Raita Zucchini and Eggplant Lasagne Falafel