[QUOTE=Baby_Socks;1366561]and we all need to eat much more fish! [QUOTE]

Sorry to disagree with this one but as a vegetarian you can have a very well balanced diet (probably better than most meat eaters) without eating animal proteins. As Krysalys said flaxseed is an excellent alternative for those not wanting to eat animal products.

My diet is very heavy on locally produced and in-season fresh fruit & veg, whole grains and legumes/pulses. I am actually quite a lazy cook but manage to whip up healthy foods pretty easily with this as a base.

I am also a blood donor (when not preg or BF) and my iron, B12, folate, clacium etc has been measured to be better than most people so my diet is obviously doing what it should. I have done Olympic distance triathlons, have been pregnant (now twice) and breastfed for 14 months on a vegetarian diet and I rarely get sick.

Personally I think it is possible to have a balanced diet these days if you just take a bit of extra time selecting the foods you buy (and where you buy them - I would never buy fruit and veg from a stupormarket). Menu planning is a great tool to help in this regard so that you get what you need and can balance your diet across the week.