General diet - vegetarian including milk but not eggs

Aim

To provide a nutritionally adequate diet for people who do not eat any animal flesh foods or eggs.

Characteristics

A diet strictly eliminating foods and beverages containing any meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and gelatine foods and products.

Indications

Lacto-vegetarians.

Nutritional adequacy

May not be nutritionally adequate unless fortified foods (e.g. cereals) are used to provide adequate iron and zinc. High-protein plant foods should be available at each meal.

Precautions

Care should be taken to read all product ingredients to look for ingredients of animal origin, e.g. gelatine, albumin, globulin and egg mayonnaise. Food items which are compliant to a vegetarian including milk but not eggs diet but which include a ‘may contain’ allergen statement, are allowed to be provided on the diet.

Paediatrics

Suitable for use in paediatrics when combined with an age-appropriate diet.

Specific menu planning guidelines

	Allowed	Not allowed
Hot main dishes	Dishes specially prepared for vegetarians based on beans, peas, tofu, textured vegetable protein (TVP), lentils, nuts, milk and cheese (At least one Band 1 choice per day, providing at least 15g protein per serve; others Band 2)	Any dishes containing meat, poultry, fish, milk or eggs
Sauces, gravies	Sauces without meat fats or juices; butter acceptable	Stocks and gravies made with meat or animal products
Starchy vegetables / pasta / rice	All prepared without lard, but including vegetables in white sauce with cheese	Vegetables prepared with lard
Vegetables	All	Vegetables prepared with lard
Soups	Vegetable soups made without animal-based stocks	Soups made with meat, eggs, poultry or fish
Sandwiches	Peanut butter, cheese, baked beans, hummus, falafel, salad (All Band 1, providing at least 10g protein per serve)	Sandwiches with meat, poultry, fish or eggs
Salads, dressings	Beans (chickpeas, kidney beans etc), pasta, potato, rice, plus other vegetables (Band 2, providing at least 10g protein per serve)	Egg-based mayonnaise
Breads, cereals	All breads, cereals, oats, corn or wheat flour Pasta and noodles made without egg	Breads and cereals containing egg
Spreads	Jam, peanut butter, Vegemite™, margarine, butter, honey	Meat or fish spreads
Hot breakfast choices	Baked beans in tomato sauce, mushrooms, tomatoes, spaghetti in tomato or cheese sauce, creamed corn	Eggs, meat Baked beans in ham sauce
Fruit	All fruits, fresh and canned	Jellied fruit (if made with gelatine)
Yoghurt	All yoghurts without gelatine	Yoghurts containing gelatine
Desserts	Fresh and canned fruit Jellied fruit made with agar or other vegetable gums Custard without egg, ice-cream	Desserts containing eggs or gelatine (e.g. trifle with sponge cake, milk jelly) or rennet
Milk and cheese	Cow’s milk, soy milk, cheese	-
Beverages	Milk, juices, soft drinks, cordial, tea, coffee	-
Biscuits	Biscuits made without eggs	Biscuits made with eggs
Miscellaneous	Nuts and seeds Cream Egg replacer	-

References

1. Dietitians Association of Australia. Nutrition manual. 8th ed. Canberra: DAA; 2009.
2. Craig WJ, Mangels AR, American Dietetic Association. Position of the American Dietetic Association: vegetarian diets. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:1266-82.
3. Marsh K, Zeuschner C, Saunders A, Reid M. Meeting nutritional needs on a vegetarian diet. Aust Fam Phys 2009;38(8):600-2.
4. Australian Vegetarian Society.

Change log

July 2019

Section updated	Change
Precautions	Added Food items which are compliant with a vegetarian including milk but not eggs diet but which include a ‘may contain’ allergen statement, are allowed to be provided on the diet.