Pen up your veggie diet

1. Introduce low-fat, high-fiber beans and pulse (such as lentils and chickpeas), which provide essential amino acids.

2. Iron is available from beans, lentils, dried fruit, nuts and fortified breakfast cereal, but is less easily absorbed from plants than from meat. Drinking orange juice or eating vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits or lightly cooked vegetables at meal times helps improve absorption.

3. Vegetarians should eat lower-fat dairy product daily for calcium. Vegan sources include tofu, nuts, grains, white bread, dried fruit and green vegetables.

4. Dairy products, eggs and fortified yeast extracts provide vitamin B12. Vegan can get B12 from vitamin supplements and fortified cereals.

5. Vegetarians usually have ample protein sources, but vegans need to obtain protein from cereals, pulses, nut and seeds.