Staying Healthy on Certain Diets

A few tweaks can help ensure any diet meets nutritional needs.

Gluten-free — A necessary plan for people with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet involves eliminating certain foods containing grains. While you can get a balanced diet from many gluten-free products, you may miss out on the added B vitamins and iron found in fortified bread, cereal and pasta. Talk with your doctor about taking a vitamin supplement, and eat a healthy amount of fish, nuts and green vegetables to increase your intake of calcium and folate.

Vegetarian — A diet without fish or meat could lack essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, protein and vitamin B12. But there are other ways to consume these health essentials. Dark leafy greens, orange juice and tofu are rich in calcium to strengthen bones and teeth. Avocados, bananas, lentils, fortified breakfast cereal and whole-wheat bread are filled with iron to deliver oxygen through the blood. Beans, nuts and peas are great sources of protein, and eggs, milk and nutritional yeast are packed with vitamin B12.

Vegan — Those who have taken the meat-free diet one step further by also forgoing dairy products face an added nutritional challenge, but there are many options available to supplement a vegan diet. Cruciferous vegetables (such as cauliflower or broccoli), soybeans and sweet potatoes contain iodine to support the thyroid, which helps regulate metabolism. Rice and soymilk are filled with vitamin D for bone health.

To get the most bang for your buck the next time you shop for groceries, choose fruits, veggies and proteins brimming with nutrients. A few foods to add to your list:

• Berries. Eating a handful of blueberries, raspberries or strawberries is a yummy way to get a hearty helping of fiber, folic acid, potassium, and vitamins A and C.
• Kale. This leafy green cabbage is loaded with calcium, potassium, and vitamins A and C.
• Sweet potatoes. These orange-fleshed potatoes are filled with potassium to regulate blood pressure, calcium to strengthen bones, and magnesium to boost metabolism and help heal wounds. Sweet potatoes are also a great source of fiber, which encourages regularity and may help prevent colorectal cancer.
• Tuna. A solid source of lean protein, this fish also boasts healthy servings of calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins B12 and D.

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