And avoid calcium supplements with meals, since high doses of calcium interfere with absorption. Vegetarian diets tend to be adequate in zinc, but absorption of this nutrient is not as efficient from plant foods as from animal foods, so vegetarians must give some extra attention to it. Do identify several good sources of zinc that you enjoy and that you can include in your diet frequently. Watch for a feature article on zinc in VNHL in 1999. Given the risks associated with red meat and the fact that it doesn't have any unique nutritional value, meat doesn't seem to offer anything that justifies its consumption.
Vegetarian diets offer protection against chronic disease in a number of ways.
A plant-based menu is higher in fiber, nutrients like folate and vitamin E, and in phytochemicals, including many antioxidants. But what vegetarians don't eat counts, too. Vegetarian diets are typically lower in saturated fat and cholesterol. These kinds of observations have led some experts to suggest that a prudent omnivore diet that includes lean meats can reap the benefits of a vegetarian diet, as long as the omnivore diet is rich in fiber, fruits and vegetables, and avoids more fatty animal foods. Whether or not this is true remains to be seen.