Introduction:
As the name suggests, a vegetarian diet only focuses on gaining nutrients from fruits and vegetables. The people who follow this diet stay away from animal foods like meat, fish, chicken, and other items. It is a misconception among people that only meat or fish fetch important nutrients like vitamins and minerals. A meat or fish-free diet is equally helpful and provides all the nutrients required by the body for metabolic activities and growth.
The vegetarian diet has gained a lot of popularity over the years. Nowadays, many people are turning vegetarian because of health issues, animal rights, and religious reasons. People love to have a vegetarian diet because they get to eat a lot of healthy and fresh plant-based food products. The foods are rich in antioxidants and fibers and help the person deal with cardiovascular diseases. Studies have also shown that a vegetarian diet reduces the risk of obesity and diabetes. However, it is important to know the components of the diet and their right quantities. It is because people consume processed foods that are high in calories, sodium, and sugars. They miss out on important nutrients that could be obtained from fruits and vegetables.
What Is a Vegetarian Diet?
A diet that focuses on plants for food, and these include fruits, vegetables, dried beans, peas, grains, seeds, and nuts is known as a vegetarian diet. People often get confused between a vegetarian diet and a vegan diet. They think that a vegetarian diet means staying away from animal products. However, there are different varieties of vegetarian diets.
They have been described in the table below:
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Lacto-Vegetarian Diet: Dairy products, such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and butter, are included. It does not include meat, fish, eggs, and poultry as well as foods that contain them.
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Ovo-Vegetarian Diet: It allows eggs but not do not contain poultry, meat, seafood, and dairy products.
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Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Diet: It allows dairy products and eggs but do not include fish, meat, and poultry.
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Pescatarian Diet: It allows fish but do not include meat, dairy, poultry, and eggs.
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Vegan Diet: It does not include poultry, meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, as well as foods that contain these products.
How to Begin With a Vegetarian Diet?
Following are the ways by which one can begin with a vegetarian diet:
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Learn about the nutrients included in the diet and the food items that provide them.
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It becomes difficult to change the diet all of a sudden, so start gradually. Try to reduce the consumption of meat and fish by the first week and incorporate fruits and vegetables to replace the nutrients.
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Do not make the diet boring, meaning one must not have to spend entire life eating vegetables. Introduce changes in the diet like a vegetarian diet for a week, followed by a non-vegetarian diet.
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Try to incorporate plant-based substitutes into the diet. For example, a person who used to eat yogurt for breakfast can try coconut milk yogurt or almond milk. Make sure the substitute is healthy and provides the body with plenty of nutrients.
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Seek help from a dietician to know about the vegetarian food options that make the body healthy.
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Potato chips and biscuits are also vegan, but one needs to stay away from them, as they are highly processed and contain sugars and calories in large amounts.
What Are the Nutrient Contents of a Vegetarian Diet?
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Proteins - Proteins are called the building blocks of the body because they are used by the cells to carry out their activities. The sources of proteins in a vegetarian diet are listed below
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Soybeans.
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Lentils.
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Beans.
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Nutritional yeast.
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Ancient grains like barley, sorghum, spelt (gluten-containing wheat), and teff (gluten-free grass).
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Hemp seeds.
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Green peas.
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Sprouted grains.
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Vitamin B12 - Vitamin B12 is required for the formation of red blood cells. If the red blood cells are not present in sufficient numbers, the hemoglobin concentration decreases, resulting in a condition known as anemia. Vitamin B12 is not found in vegan diets as it is found only in animal foods. However, a vegan diet supplies the vitamin folate, so the deficiency of vitamin B12 goes unnoticed. However, vitamin supplements are used to solve the problem of vitamin deficiency.
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Iron - Iron is one of the most essential nutrients required by the body. Iron helps in the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin. A deficiency of iron can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, anemia, and headache. The sources of iron in a vegan diet are listed below:
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Dried beans.
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Lentils.
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Peas.
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Green leafy vegetables.
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Soybeans.
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Tofu.
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Cashew nuts and macadamia nuts.
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Pumpkin seeds.
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Flax seeds.
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Mushrooms.
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Zinc - Zinc is required by the body to fight infections as it activates the immune system. It is required for wound healing and metabolic activities. Zinc is also obtained from animal foods, but plant products like whole grains, legumes, nuts, and soy products contain zinc in small amounts.
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Iodine - It is required by the body to form thyroid hormones. If the body does not get enough iodine, the thyroid gland fails to produce the thyroid hormones. As a result, the growth and metabolic activities of the body are delayed. Iodine is obtained from foods like whole grains, sweet potatoes, spring greens, and kale.
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Vitamin D - Vitamin D also helps to strengthen the bones and allows their growth. The vitamin D sources for vegetarians include the following:
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Natural sunlight.
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Wild mushrooms.
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Cheese.
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Fortified foods like cow’s milk, almond milk, orange juice, yogurt, tofu, oatmeal, and margarine.
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What Are the Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet?
If the body gets the right amount of nutrients through the vegetarian diet, it has a positive impact on the general health of the body. The benefits of a vegetarian diet are listed below:
1. A vegetarian diet helps to reduce weight because the person eats fresh plant-based products. Studies have also indicated that people who switched to a vegetarian diet lost a considerable amount of weight.
2. Cholesterol levels are low in people following a vegetarian diet.
3. The risk of breast, colon, rectum, and stomach cancer is low in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians.
4. A vegetarian diet increases the good cholesterol and reduces the bad cholesterol and triglycerides, so the risk of heart disease decreases.
5. A vegetarian diet stabilizes blood sugar levels and decreases the risk of diabetes.
What Are the Disadvantages of a Vegetarian Diet?
The disadvantages of a vegetarian diet are listed below:
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People who have switched to a vegetarian or vegan diet might be deprived of complete proteins. Legumes, nuts, and tofu do not contain cholesterol, but proteins are present in them in fewer amounts compared to meat.
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The risk of anemia and nutrition deficiency increases because nutrients like vitamin B12, omega-3, and zinc are mainly obtained from animal foods.
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The levels of creatinine are low in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians. Creatinine is required for muscle strength and exercise. Meat and fish are rich sources of creatinine.
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It requires extra effort to switch over to a vegetarian diet.
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As the nutrients are not available in sufficient quantities, calcium, and vitamin need to be taken to maintain a balance.
Conclusion:
A vegetarian diet aims to derive nutrients from plant-based products. There are different types of vegetarian diets, and not all of them require a person to refrain from consuming animal products. However, a vegan diet is a strict one wherein a person is only allowed to have plant-based products and no animal products. It requires time and effort to change from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian one. There are a lot of benefits associated with a vegetarian diet it helps to lose weight, maintain cholesterol and sugar levels, and protect against heart diseases. Certain food items like potato chips and biscuits are vegan, but they should not be considered a part of the diet. It is because they are highly processed and increase calorie and sugar levels. If the person is planning to switch to a vegetarian diet, one must consult the dietician to know about the benefits, risks, and food items to be included in the diet.
