Vegetarian diet is richer in nuts than the omnivore diet. In populations where people are mostly vegetarian, such as in India, nuts are a staple food. Indian recipes always include a nut in their dishes: soup, daal, pulses... Nut oils are also well-used in the vegetarian diet.
Vegetarians who do not replace meat by dairy products but by nuts, seeds, cereals and legumes have a diet poorer in saturated fatty acids than omnivores or vegetarians who eat large amount of dairy.
No wonder that vegetarians are healthier concerning cardiovascular diseases!
The last issue of the Journal of Nutrition just released a new food guide pyramid for vegetarians. Nuts which were before included in the legumes group are now a group by themselves. Scientists recommend that vegetarians eat 1 to 2 servings of nuts per day.
The Mediterranean food pyramid did not wait for this recommendation to place nuts at its bottom. Nuts have already been largely used in this diet and this population as long been an example where cholesterol and coronary heart diseases are concerned.
| Type of diet | Amount | Energy | Total energy |
| g | kcal | % | |
| Lactoovovegetarian | 33-42 | 200-250 | 6-9 |
| Vegan | 50-71 | 300-425 | 12-13 |
| Fruitarian | 88 | 525 | 42 |
Realized by Laurence LIVERNAIS-SAETTEL, dietitian
© Copyright L. Livernais-Saettel 2002
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