Vegetarian Nutrition

Most vegetarians do not have more nutritional problems than non-vegetarians concludes the current issue of the Tufts University Diet & Nutrition Letter. About 10 million Americans now call themselves vegetarians, according to the Vegetarian Information Service in Bethesda, Md.

Some are what the newsletter terms vegans , those who eschew animal flesh, dairy products and eggs. Others are lacto-ovo vegetarians, who continue to eat dairy products and eggs, or semi-vegetarians , who cut down on eating flesh foods.

Here are some nutritional pitfalls vegetarians should avoid, according to the newsletter:

--Reducing or eliminating flesh foods “will not remove enough fat to eliminate the need to pay attention to the fat content of other items (such as cheese, whole milk and butter).”

--If removed, the skins of vegetables and fruits should be peeled as thinly as possible to maintain maximum vitamins and flavor.

--Minimize the amount of water used for cooking to preserve nutrients.