Catherine Saxelby's Foodwatch | Q. I have decided to become vegetarian. What should I watch for so I don't miss out on nutrients?

Q. I have decided to become vegetarian. What should I watch for so I don't miss out on nutrients?

A.

If you have recently started eating vegetarian meals, here's how to avoid the 3 most common nutrition pitfalls.

1. Iron is poorly absorbed from vegetables and grains, so add a vitamin-C rich food to your meals such as citrus fruit, tomato juice, a green salad, capsicum or berries. Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron from non-meat sources.

2. Fat can still be as high as from a meat-based diet if you eat deep-fried foods (spring rolls, fried tofu) or choose pasta or vegetable dishes with a creamy or cheese sauce (cheesy lasagne, creamy pasta). Keep those to a minimum especially if you're watching your weight.

3. Protein from meat and chicken should be replaced with protein from lentils, chick peas, tofu, soy beans and other beans. Don't just cook up steamed veggies for dinner! Canned beans are convenient and are nutritionally equivalent to beans you've soaked and cooked yourself.

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