. Vegetarian Food Guide Vegetarian diets rely mainly on plant foods: grain, vegetables, legumes, fruits, seeds, and nuts. Some vegetarian diets include eggs, milk products, or both. People who do not eat meats or milk products can still use the daily food guide to create an adequate diet.
The food groups are similar and the number of servings remains the same. Vegetarians can select alternatives to meat such as legumes, seeds, nuts, tofu and for those who eat them, eggs. Legumes, and at least one cup of dark leafy greens, help to supply the iron that meats usually provide. Vegetarians who do not drink cow’s milk can use soy ‘milk’ – a product made from soyabeans that provides similar nutrients if it has been fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and Vitamin B12 (i.e., these nutrients are added).
The food guide pyramid emphasises foods from the five food groups shown in the three lower sections of the pyramid. Each of these food groups provides some, but not all of the nutrients you need. Foods in one group cannot replace those in another. No one food group is more important than another – for good health you need all of them.
The pyramid is an outline of what to eat each day. It is not a right prescription, but a general guide that lets you choose a healthful diet that is right for you. The pyramid calls for eating a variety of foods to get the nutrients you need, and at the same time, the right amount of Calories to maintain a healthy weight.