Veggie Blog

When I first wrote this post I had just found an online tool that analyzed everything I ate in a day: calories, grams, fat, protein, carbs, sodium, cholesterol and fiber. It did all the math, compared my day with the suggested amounts and gave me a nutrition grade. I got a B+ that day and was pleased. The site I linked to in the original post no longer works, so here is what I would use now.

Do you need to count calories?

Not forever. Tracking for a few days is a useful experiment, especially when you are new to vegetarian eating and want to know whether you get enough protein, iron and other nutrients. Once you know your usual pattern, you can stop. If tracking makes you anxious about food, skip it and talk to a dietitian instead.

Which tools can you trust?

USDA FoodData Central is the U.S. government’s food composition database. You search for a food and open its page to see the calories, protein, fat, fiber and many vitamins and minerals. To find out how many calories and nutrients you are aiming for, the USDA’s DRI Calculator asks for your age, sex, height, weight and activity level and returns estimates. Many free food-diary apps are built on similar data, but their entries come from users, so check unusual numbers against FoodData Central.

Which nutrients should vegetarians watch?

Three get the most attention. The NIH says that the requirement for iron is 1.8 times higher for people who follow vegetarian diets, because iron from plants is absorbed less well. Vitamin B12 is found naturally only in animal foods, so vegans need fortified foods or a supplement, and vegetarians who eat few dairy products or eggs may too. Protein is the third, although it is easy to reach on a varied diet; see high-protein vegetarian meals for ideas, and vitamin deficiency and who is at risk for more on iron and B12.

How do you read your results?

Look at the pattern across several days instead of one meal. A grade like my B+ is only a rough guide. If your numbers are always low in one nutrient, look for foods that fix it, and if you feel tired or unwell, see your doctor instead of trying to solve it with an app.