How to Eat Like a Vegetarian (Guide)
Introduction
The vegetarian diet is gaining popularity, as many people are recognizing the enormous benefits of embracing vegetarian diets. How to Eat Like a Vegetarian?
A significant global population (18%) is estimated to be vegetarians, and this has been reviewed from several studies.
On top of environmental and ethical benefits that one gets from cutting down meat consumption from your diets, a person further benefits from risks such as chronic disease reduction, loss of excess weight, and the overall improving the quality of life from such food.
Below is a simple guide for vegetarian diet beginners that you can easily follow to get some of the benefits of being a vegetarian.
Table of Contents
Healthy foods suitable for every vegetarian diet
• Fruits: Avocados, oranges, bananas, apples, berries, pears, melons, peaches.
• Grains: Wheat, quinoa, barley, maize, buckwheat, oats, rice
• Nuts: Walnuts, cashews, almonds, chestnuts
• Vegetables: Tomatoes, carrots, asparagus, Leafy greens, broccoli.
• Seeds: Chia and hemp seeds and flaxseeds
• Legumes: Cowpeas, Lentils, chickpeas, beans, peas.
• Healthy fats: Coconut oil, olive oil, avocados
• Proteins: Tofu, tempeh, nutritional yeast,
What does a vegetarian diet comprise?
It is a diet where an individual refrains from eating meat, poultry, and fish. Instead, a person’s diet comprises lots of fruits and vegetables hence the name vegetarian diet.
There are various reasons why a person can adopt a vegetarian diet. For instance, some people embrace this diet for religious reasons while others consider environmental conservation factors since the livestock contributes to the emission of the greenhouse gases that, in turn, contribute to climate change.
Foods to Eat like a vegetarian
Eating like a vegetarian means having fruits of a diverse mix, grains, healthy proteins, and fats. To supplement the protein found in animal products, then eat plant foods rich in protein such as tempeh, tofu, legumes, seitan, nuts, and seeds.
Whole grains foods have a high nutritional value; thus, you should include them in your meals. They will supply your body with multiple vitamins and minerals, thus making your nutrition complete.
What not to eat.
• Eggs
• Meat: Pork Beef and veal
• Poultry: Turkey and Chicken
• Fish and shellfish
• Meat-based ingredients such as lard, carmine, oleic acid, gelatin isinglass, and suet
• Dairy products: Such as Cheese, milk, yogurt
Forms of vegetarian diet you can eat.
Vegetarianism has several forms with each form having a clear distinction from the rest. They are
Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet: This is a vegetarian diet that accepts the consumption of eggs and dairy products like milk but prohibits the use of meat, poultry or fish
Lacto-vegetarian diet: In this diet, you won’t consume fish, chicken, eggs, turkey, but dairy products are accepted.
Ovo-vegetarian diet: In this diet, you won’t consume fish, meat, dairy products, and poultry, but you can eat eggs.
Pescetarian diet: You won’t consume poultry, meat but allows eggs and sometimes fish and dairy products.
Vegan diet: This diet rejects the consumption of dairy products, meat, fish, eggs, poultry, and honey.
What is the benefit of eating like a vegetarian?
The vegetarian diet has many benefits of exceptionally healthy ones. For instance, vegetarians have a high-quality diet in terms of their body getting essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamin E, vitamin C, and magnesium, which are necessary for body growth.
Weight loss enhancement.
Once you embrace a vegetarian diet, you are on the best strategy to ensure that you are losing that excess weight that can lead to heart diseases. Again it will save you from diabetic conditions.
Reduce cancer risk
Some studies have shown that a vegetarian diet is likely to reduce the risk of colon, breast, and stomach, and rectum cancer although the current reviews are based on results of observation
Blood sugar stabilization.
Better heart health
How to eat like a vegetarian?
To clearly understand how a vegetarian has can a healthy diet to look at the sample diet plan below.
Monday
Morning. Take a breast comprising Fruits, bread, and flaxseeds.
Lunchtime. Sweet potatoes, hummus wrap, and veggie
Dinner and supper. Pickled slaw and tofu bank
Wednesday.
Breakfast. Mushrooms. Tomatoes, and garlic
Lunch. Spiced lentil soup, feta, oatmeal, rice
Dinner. Salad, Chickpea, Vegetable paella.
Friday.
Breakfast. Smoothie of kale, Whole-wheat toast, and nutritional yeast
Lunch. Brown rice, beans, Greek salad.
Dinner a side salad with a Vegetable paella
Sunday
• Breakfast: Kale, bananas sweet potato hash, and berries
• Lunch: Avocado salad, Red lentil with a veggie burger
• Dinner: Grilled garden vegetables, flatbread with pesto.