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Comparison of vegetarian and non‐vegetarian diets to 2010 Dietary Guidelines
Author(s) -
Farmer Bonnie,
Larson Brian,
Keast Debra R,
Fulgoni Victor L
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.635.7
Subject(s) - calorie , food science , national health and nutrition examination survey , medicine , dietary reference intake , whole grains , added sugar , food group , food intake , sugar , zoology , nutrient , environmental health , chemistry , biology , population , organic chemistry
The 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans increase vegetable and whole grain intake, minimize intake of added sugars and solid fats, and control calorie intake. Typical American diets fall short of goals for healthy eating patterns, but vegetarian diets are thought to be more consistent with dietary guidelines. Dietary intake from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2001 – 2008) was used to determine usual intake of foods, as MyPyramid equivalents, for vegetarians (V) and non‐vegetarians (NV), using the National Cancer Institute method. Vegetarians were defined as those who did not report consuming meat, poultry, or fish on day one of the survey, representing a lacto‐ovo vegetarian dietary pattern. In subjects 19 years and greater (N=18,954), calorie intake was 1697±41 kcal for V (n=1,138) and 2213±10 kcal for NV (n=17,816). Total vegetable intake was higher for NV; however, intake of white potatoes was twice as high for NV than for V (p<0.001). When compared on a calorie adjusted basis (per 1000 kcal), total vegetable intake for V was 0.77 cup equivalents vs 0.75 for NV. Whole grain and legume consumption was higher for V than for NV (p<0.001), and was twice as high per 1000 kcal. Added sugar, discretionary solid fat, and discretionary oil intakes were higher for NV than for V, although per 1000 kcal, added sugar for V was 9.5 tsp equivalents vs 8.8 for NV, and discretionary oil for V was 9.3g vs 8.7g for NV. While deficits exist for both V and NV, the V diet pattern is more advantageous in terms of 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommendations.