What nutrients does meat contain that a vegetarian would miss out on?
Red meat is a good source of iron. Meat, fish and poultry in general are good sources of vitamin B-12 and zinc. The other thing that animal products are good for is high quality protein. The protein in meat is better quality than protein found in plant products. What’s so special about protein and what other foods is it found in? Proteins are the body’s building blocks. They help develop muscles and body growth. Dairy foods and eggs are a good source of protein – you can get good quality proteins from them. If you don’t eat dairy foods either you can combine the plant sources. First, there are the pulses – things like baked beans, chick peas and lentils. These could be eaten with grains – things like wholegrain bread or wholemeal pasta. Nuts and seeds are other great sources of protein, so something like peanut butter on wholegrain bread would be a good mix. And where can vegetarians replace lost iron? Green, leafy vegetables are a good source of iron, as are some fortified breakfast c
