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Either for health reasons or as a philosophy of life, vegetarianism has many followers. In a world in which animal fats and proteins rule our diets, consuming fruits and vegetables can be a breath of fresh air. But not all that glitters is gold. Diets based solely on these foods can be lacking in vitamins such as B12 and oligo-elements like iron, zinc and calcium. They can also be scant on a macro-nutrient that is essential for the organism - protein - unlike what is the norm with today's diets, which tend to be saturated with proteins.�

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A balanced diet
Proteins are organic compounds made up of amino acids, and they are present in all living things. They are fundamental because they make up the nucleus of cells, intervene in the digestion of food we eat, help build up the organism's defences and participate in transport of calcium. The body cannot build proteins. It must receive them from outside, although it can transform some amino acids into others, depending on its needs. Still, there
is one group of amino acids that it cannot synthesise and which must be present in the diet: the so-called essential amino acids. They are all found in the right proportions in animal-based foods. This is not the case with vegetables, which have some essential amino acids but lack others. Therefore, if a vegetarian diet is not properly designed and the combinations of foods are not right, there will be a deficit of essential amino acids.�

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The vegetable kingdom features some species which are particularly rich in proteins. This is so with germinated products, which have proteins with a high biological value. They come from several kinds of seeds, such as lentils, soy, wheat, rice, etc. The same applies to quinoa. This was believed to be a grain but actually belonged to the beet family. It was the basis of the Inca diet because of its wealth of proteins. Quinoa is good for making flour, and also comes as the form of wheat and with a texture like muesli. Better known is soy, which, with similar nutritional characteristics, can be eaten as a legume, tofu, milk, etc.

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Ovo-lacteo vegetarians
Vegetarians who eat eggs take in a proper amount of proteins and essential amino acids because these foods come from animals and they can be considered complete. Fermentation is a process�which raises by up to 30 % the amount of amino acids present in vegetable products and makes the iron in them easier to digest. All of this makes fermented foods a good option for vegetarians.

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Another way to take in all the essential amino acids is by mixing vegetable products properly so that some contribute some amino acids and others the ones missing from the former. Thus, legumes with rice - a traditional dish is some kinds of cuisine - contributes methionine and tryptophan, two amino acids missing from legumes but abundant in grains. These combinations can also be done with vegetables and legumes or vegetables and grains. Two examples: seeds contain no lysine, and tubers and legumes lack methionine. Adding the foods together makes up for these missing pieces.� It is also a good idea to take milk with grains (a custom which is widespread even among non-vegetarians), pasta with cheese, milk with soy and also nuts with soy.

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Besides being short on complete proteins, a vegetarian diet can be lacking in iron because the kind of iron that comes from vegetables is not digested as well as that which comes from animal products. Therefore it is a good idea to boost consumption of leafy vegetables, dried fruits and nuts - all rich in iron - with products rich in vitamin C (citrus fruits, kiwis) and thus improve absorption of this mineral. And to round out a balanced vegetarian diet, it is good to raise levels of B12 and calcium by eating algae and dark vegetables such as broccoli.