With careful planning, you can follow a vegetarian diet that provides all the vitamins, minerals, calories, and protein your body needs. If you don't carefully plan your meals, you can compromise some nutrients.

Listed below are the nutrients that are more likely to be at risk in vegetarian diets, along with the sources for obtaining these nutrients:

Iron (delivers oxygen throughout the body)---found in fish and poultry, but also in dark, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, and soy products

Zinc (needed for growth/repair of tissues)---found in fish and poultry, nuts and seeds, hard cheeses, whole grains, and soy products

Calcium (needed for healthy bones and teeth)---found in milk, cheese, broccoli, almonds, legumes, and soy products

Vitamin D (needed for healthy bones)---found in milk. With adequate sun exposure, the body can produce its own vitamin D.

Vitamin B12 (needed for cell growth)---found in milk products and eggs. For strict vegetarians, this nutrient must be supplemented.