You have come to the right place if you are a vegetarian. The article is a guide on diet for vegetarians. Let’s start with the basics. A vegetarian is the one who doesn’t eat seafood or meat. Health benefits, ethical reasons, religious beliefs and diet are some of the reasons to become vegetarian.
You can become a vegetarian as well. There are 3 types of vegetarian people.
- Vegans: Individuals who only eat plant foods.
- Lacto Vegans: Individuals who consume plant and dairy foods. Eggs and milk are also avoided.
- Lacto Ova Vegans: Individuals who eat all foods except seafood and meat.
These days “weight loss” is the most common reason for people to opt for Vegetarian Diet. Several studies have proved that this diet is effective for weight loss. Studies have shown that vegetarians have 3% to 20% lesser weight as compared to meat eaters.
Calorie intake is lower in this diet. Veggies contain lesser amount of calories than meat. Vegetables possess high volume of fiber that helps to reduce hunger. Studies have also revealed that humans can eat unlimited amount of high fiber foods such as fruits, veggies and whole grains in order to maintain or reach ideal weight without starving. Plants are used in a more efficient manner by the human body as compared to meat.
Benefits of Vegetarian Diet
- Weight loss
- Lesser chances of obesity
- Ideal weight gain
- Better immune system
- Proper digestion
If you are not following the diet plan strictly then you may not be able to achieve desired results. Consuming lesser calories than you burn is the key to weight loss. Vegetarians usually consume 500 calories a day.
Foods on Vegetarian Diet
Being a vegetarian means you are not consuming protein rich foods such as fish and meat. You must maintain a healthy protein intake. For this purpose, you can include legumes, nuts and soy products in your diet plan. Drinking lots of water is essential in this diet. You must limit the intake of carbs in vegetarian diet.
Iron deficiency is a common problem faced by vegetarians. You need to include iron rich sources in your diet plan to avoid this problem. For this purpose, you can depend on green spelled, raspberries, potatoes, carrots, whole grain bread and oats. All kinds of vegetables can be included in this diet.
Things You Must Know
It is preferred to eat fresh vegetables and fruits. You can use vegetables to prepare different meals, salads, soups and juices. You must keep a good balance between these foods. Drink a glass of juice daily in breakfast to keep yourself perfectly healthy. You may opt for carrot to make the juice. Lemonade is a good option as it cleanses the internal system.
Dieticians recommend vegetarians to consume only farm fresh veggies. Don’t go for processed, refined or canned veggies. These vegetables contain additional elements such as salt, potassium and several other preservatives. These elements take away the natural nutrition from vegetables while making them lesser effective for the consumer.
Use least amount of oil to prepare vegetable meals. It is better to grill the veggies.