by Reed Mangels, PhD, RD
The Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics (AND), the world’s largest group of meals and vitamin professionals, just lately revealed a place paper about vegetarian dietary patterns for adults. Based on AND, “a place paper is a vital evaluation of present information, information and analysis literature on a particular concern with excessive, or at the very least average, high quality proof.” Place papers from AND are primarily based on systematic critiques of the analysis literature. I used to be one in every of a crew of people that developed and authored this place paper.
The place paper begins with a paragraph summarizing AND’s place. Right here’s what it says:
It’s the place of the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics that, in adults, appropriately deliberate vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns will be nutritionally satisfactory and may supply long-term well being advantages equivalent to bettering a number of well being outcomes related to cardiometabolic illnesses. Vegetarian dietary patterns exclude meat, poultry, and seafood, and vegan dietary patterns exclude all meals of animal origin. Registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) and vitamin and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs) play a pivotal function in offering meal-planning methods and evidence-based vitamin info to shoppers at the moment following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns or who might profit from and categorical curiosity in following vegetarian or vegan dietary patterns. RDNs and NDTRs can work with their shoppers to create tailor-made, lifestyle-oriented, nutritionally balanced, and culturally appropriate vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns that optimize well being advantages whereas decreasing issues about nutrient inadequacies. This place was authorised in January 2025 and can stay in impact till December 31, 2032.
The paper goes on to supply details about the function of vegetarian, together with vegan, diets within the prevention and administration of persistent illnesses, key vitamins for vegetarians, and vegetarian diets for older adults and for these with meals insecurity. It consists of suggestions for dietitians who work with vegetarians and vegans and with shoppers who’re excited about or who may gain advantage from these diets. The paper says that AND “will advocate for insurance policies and laws that assist equitable entry to extra plant-based meals in a wide range of settings (e.g., colleges, childcare vitamin packages, federal help packages) and inside scientific care to satisfy the cultural, customary consuming sample, non secular, and sustainability preferences of people.”
Info from VRG’s ballot of the variety of vegetarian adults is included within the paper and several other of VRG’s assets, equivalent to My Vegan Plate and Vegan Diets in a Nutshell are listed as useful assets for practitioners.
The entire place paper is on the market at https://www.jandonline.org/article/S2212-2672(25)00042-5/pdf
Raj S, Visitor NS, Landry MJ, Mangels AR, Pawlak R, Rozga M. Vegetarian Dietary Patterns for Adults: A Place of the Academy of Vitamin and Dietetics. J Acad Nutr Weight-reduction plan. Revealed on-line February 7, 2025. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2025.02.002
