great article....we need more on nutrition especially relating to vegetarian options.

Since almost a year, i stopped eating or drinking dairy products. I started to treat my allergies and generally my health concerns with Homotoxicology, and i was recomended no to intake dairy products. I replaced milk for soy milk (or juice) but as i read in its pack, it contains much less protein than regular milk (or fat free milk). There is also a myth that soy may increase your estrogen levels, wich in males, its not a desirable effect. ¿Is it really significant the less protein proportion of soy milk? ¿And is it true this myth about soy and estrogens?

Since almost a year, i stopped eating or drinking dairy products. I started to treat my allergies and generally my health concerns with Homotoxicology, and i was recomended no to intake dairy products. I replaced milk for soy milk (or juice) but as i read in its pack, it contains much less protein than regular milk (or fat free milk). There is also a myth that soy may increase your estrogen levels, wich in males, its not a desirable effect. ¿Is it really significant the less protein proportion of soy milk? ¿And is it true this myth about soy and estrogens?

Another great food to eat that has all the essential amino acids (the article is incorrect in listing soy as the only one) is Quinoa (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa). It also has the benefit of being gluten-free as well.

I am not an expert, but I know that there are plenty of sources of proteni from vegetable and fruit. Players will get better performance if they don't eat meat. That is my firm belief.
I suggest that everyone does their own research. You can start here:
http://michaelbluejay.com/veg/natural.html

Rubbish. Vegetarian athletes should eat enough calories from a variety of whole, unprocessed foods, and the protein takes care of itself. Soy should not be overdone, and there are plenty of other legumes, not to mention nuts, seeds, and green, leafy vegetables which deliver plenty of protein and nutrition as part of a balanced, healthy diet. Vegetarians and vegans need not worry about nutrition anymore than omnivores do; everyone should take a multivitamin.

I echo Brian- the essential amino acid line is rubbish. Here's what the American Dietetic Association said way back in 1993:

Plant sources of protein alone can provide adequate amounts of essential and nonessential amino acids assuming that dietary protein sources from plants are reasonably varied and that caloric intake is sufficient to meet energy needs. Whole grains, legumes, vegetables, seeds, and nuts all contain essential and nonessential amino acids. Conscious combining of these foods within a given, as the complementary protein dictum suggests, is unnecessary.

I've been a vegetarian for 20 years, and I've never given a thought to where my protein was coming from, and I've been just fine, run marathons, played lots of tennis, had healthy vegetarian children, etc.

Since the latest years it is not a problem to be a vegetarian or vegan. Lots of complements are in the market and lots of information around the internet about how to keep your healthy values by being a vegetarian or vegan. Your daughter will have no problems if she follows a balanced diet and will not be handicapped by not eating meat.

The Article is inaccurate and makes way too many generalizations. Offlate lot of people are getting on the SOY bandwagon.

There are countries like India where people have been following strict vegetarian diet for Eons and they are doing just fine.

As long as one has enough variety of vegetables, fruits, lentils,nuts , diary products, they will do just fine.

As few posters indicated , i am also one of those strict vegetarians (ie No Egg, No Meat) and i still play loads and loads of sports and work out a lot and doing just fine.

I heard/read some where that Roger Federer was a vegetarian for some period of time in his career-- he did just fine as well.