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Vegetarian Advisory: 7 Necessary Nutrients

When eating a vegetarian diet, getting key nutrients can be a challenge. Here's how to make healthy choices.— By Anne Cain, M.S., R.D., Senior Food Editor

These Bulgur, Spinach, and Toasted Walnut Pancakes use vitamin-C-rich orange juice in the batter, which helps our bodies absorb iron more easily.

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Iron

Lacto-ovo vegetarians can get iron from eggs, but others should eat plenty of legumes, fortified cereals and breads, spinach, beet greens, seeds, tempeh, prunes, raisins, and blackstrap molasses. Because our bodies don't absorb plant-based iron (nonheme iron) as well as iron from animal products, eat vitamin C-rich food with every meal to help increase absorption of nonheme iron. Also, if you cook in a cast-iron skillet, some of the iron from the pan will pass into the food.

Recipe: Bulgur, Spinach, and Toasted Walnut Pancakes

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