Sample Menu
Here’s a day of meals for a vegetarian on a 2,000-calorie diet, adapted from a sample menu from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Breakfast
3 buckwheat pancakes with 2 tsp. soft margarine and drizzled with 3 tbsp. maple syrup
½ cup strawberries
¾ cup honeydew melon
½ cup fat-free milk
Lunch
Soup—
1¼ cup chunky vegetable soup with ½ cup white beans
2 oz. breadstick
8 baby carrots
1 cup fat-free milk
Dinner
Vegetable stir fry—
4 oz. firm tofu
¼ cup green and red bell peppers
½ cup bok choy
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup brown rice
1 cup lemon-flavored iced tea
Snacks
1 oz. sunflower seeds
1 large banana
1 cup low-fat fruit yogurt
Nutrition
Here’s a breakdown of the nutritional content of a day’s meals on a 2,000-calorie lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, alongside recommendations from the government’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Because this diet is highly individualized, your actual intake will vary. Diet figures come from a committee’s report advising the government on its 2010 Dietary Guidelines. They show one way to eat a healthful vegetarian diet.
| Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diet | Recommended | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2,005 | Women | Men |
|
21-25: 2,000 26-50: 1,800 51+: 1,600 |
21-40: 2,400 41-60: 2,200 61+: 2,000 |
||
| Total Fat | 31% | 20%-35% | |
| Saturated | 8% | Less than 10% | |
| Trans | 0% | N/A | |
| Total Carbohydrates | 57% | 45%-65% | |
|
Sugars (total except as noted) |
N/A | N/A | |
| Fiber | 39 g. | Women | Men |
|
19-30: 28 g. 31-50: 25 g. 51+: 22 g. |
19-30: 34 g. 31-50: 31 g. 51+: 28 g. |
||
| Protein | 15% | 10%-35% | |
| Sodium | 1,595 mg. | Under 2,300 mg., under 1,500 mg. for 51+ | |
| Potassium | 3,610 mg. | At least 4,700 mg. | |
| Calcium | 1,345 mg. |
19-50: 1,000 mg. 51+: 1,200 mg. |
|
| Vitamin B-12 | 4.9 mcg. | 2.4 mcg. | |
| Vitamin D | 5.75 mcg. | 15 mcg. | |
Recommendations apply to adults 19 and older except as noted. Recommended calories assume a sedentary lifestyle. g.: grams. mg.: milligrams. mcg.: micrograms. Because of rounding, protein, fat, and carbohydrate content may not add up to 100 percent.
Last updated by Kurtis Hiatt | January 02, 2013
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The Mediterranean diet plan is highly sensible, emphasizing fruits and vegetables, olive oil, fish, and other healthy fare.
The Mayo Clinic diet plan focuses on lifelong healthy eating. It's rated high in nutrition, safety, and diabetes, but only moderately effective for weight loss.
