Healthy Diet for Vegetarians

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Currently, a healthy vegetarian diet is a trend that many people aim to implement. However, those who follow a vegetarian diet still need to ensure that they have enough nutrients for the body to have a durable and supple health.

1. What is a healthy vegetarian?

A healthy vegetarian is a diet that does not eat meat, poultry, shellfish, fish, or any other processed food. Vegetarians tend to opt for a predominantly plant-based diet, however semi-vegetarians may still occasionally eat meat or poultry.
Here are some common types of vegetarians, including:
Lacto-ovo vegetarians: This is the most common type of vegetarians. They mainly eat dairy products and eggs. Lacto Vegetarians: Eat only dairy products, no eggs. Ovo Vegetarians: Eat eggs but don't eat dairy products. Vegans: Do not eat any foods of animal origin, so they also do not eat milk, eggs or honey. People who decide to follow a healthy vegetarian diet are often inspired by a variety of reasons, such as their own preferences, parents, health reasons, religious beliefs, culture, or concerns about their health. animal rights and the environment.

2. What is a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet?

When following a healthy vegetarian diet, you need to have a specific eating plan to ensure that you provide all the nutrients your body needs.
Choose a healthy and balanced vegetarian diet: Sometimes, a vegetarian diet can also be quite high in saturated fat, sugar, and salt. Therefore, you should try to eat more fruits and vegetables, reduce salt and sugar, limit alcohol abuse, maintain a healthy body weight and actively lead a more active lifestyle. . In addition, you can apply the EatWell (Eatwell Guide) guidelines to make the right choices for a varied and balanced vegetarian diet.
Choosing the right food for vegetarians and vegans: Healthy vegetarians or vegans should choose to eat the following foods to ensure adequate nutrition for the body, including:
Bread, potatoes, pasta, rice and starchy carbohydrates Vegetables and fruits Milk or milk substitutes Beans, eggs and other proteins Cake oils or spreads Full name of the food group This product in the Eatwell Guide is “Beans, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins”. However, meat and fish were omitted because they were not suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets.

3. Important nutrients for healthy vegans

Protein: This is one of the essential substances for many important functions of the body. Adequate protein intake can help the body function more efficiently. Some people think that when you don't eat fish or meat, you won't consume protein. However, a balanced vegetarian diet can still provide you with this nutrient. Normally, protein will be made up of amino acids that are produced naturally in the body, or come from the daily diet. Consuming plant-based protein sources will help you get all the essential amino acids. Foods that provide rich protein, such as eggs, beans, tofu or curd, nuts. Iron: An essential nutrient for the transport of oxygen throughout the body. It also helps keep your brain and immune system healthy. Iron is usually found in plants, but it is less absorbed by the body than iron from animals. As a result, vegetarians often have lower iron stores than others, and they should add more sources of iron to their diet. Some good sources of iron for vegetarians include beans, lentils, peas, green vegetables, wholemeal breads, brown breads, iron-fortified breakfast cereals, dried fruit, and other foods. seed type. In addition, vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron better. Therefore, you should add some foods rich in vitamin C to your daily diet to enhance the body's absorption of iron. Calcium: This is a very important nutrient for the health of bones and teeth. It also helps in proper muscle and nerve function. Vegetarians can choose from dairy foods, cheese and yogurt to add calcium to the body. In addition to dairy products, you can also add other calcium-rich foods, including noodles, green vegetables, tofu, soybeans, oats, and calcium-fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin B12: Essential for the body's nervous and immune systems. Vegetarians can get more vitamin B12 through foods like vitamin B12-fortified breakfast cereals, yeast extracts, and vitamin B12-fortified dairy-free alternatives. Omega-3 fatty acids: This nutrient helps protect and improve your heart, brain, and vision health. It is mainly found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel. If you don't eat fish, you can get your omega-3 fatty acids from other foods, including chia seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, walnut oil, soybeans, soybean oil, and rapeseed.

4. Nutritional Tips for Vegetarians and Vegans

Here are some tips on how to make healthy nutritional choices for vegetarians and vegans.
Carbohydrates: For example, potatoes, pasta, and other starchy carbohydrates. Vegetarians should choose whole grains or high-fiber foods, such as brown rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, whole-wheat pasta, quinoa, and potatoes without the skins. . You should avoid eating too much fat, like butter or spaghetti with cream sauce because they can significantly increase the calorie and saturated fat content of the dish. In addition, you should also carefully check nutrition labels and choose foods that are low in fat, sugar and salt. Fruits and vegetables: Vegetarians should eat at least five different servings of fruit each day. All fruits and vegetables, including fresh, canned (no brine or syrup), frozen or dried (no added sugar). Fruit juices or smoothies can also count as one serving, but you should only consume them up to 150ml a day. In addition, you should include more vegetables in your main meal, such as adding mushrooms, grated carrots or chili peppers. You can also have a portion of fruit ready in the fridge to use as a healthy and convenient snack. Milk and milk substitutes: In addition to dairy foods, such as milk, cheese and yogurt ; Vegetarians can opt for calcium-fortified alternatives such as oats, soy water or nut drinks. These substitutes are great for vegans and those who don't consume dairy. Cheese is a food that is high in salt and saturated fat, so you should try to reduce your fat intake and use healthier fats or lower-fat cheeses instead. In addition, you should also use low-fat plain yogurt in place of cream or mayonnaise. Beans, eggs and other proteins: Vegetarians can choose from foods high in protein such as Quorn TM (mycoprotein), tofu, soy products, kidney beans, lentils and peas, or eggs. Oils and spreads: You should choose oils that are low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fat. Some oils like coconut oil, palm oil and buffalo milk are often high in saturated fat, so you should limit their use. Foods vegans should limit: Some foods vegans should limit or eat in small amounts, such as cookies, cakes, cakes, chocolate, ice cream, potatoes crisps and sugary drinks. If you have a habit of adding sugar to your food or drink, try to gradually cut back on the amount of sugar you add until you can eliminate it completely. In short, to protect health and balance nutrition in the body, vegetarians should learn to choose for themselves the healthiest diet.

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Reference source: nutrition.org.uk