Risky Vegetarian Food Mistakes
The foods you eat every day can be associated with the word ‘risky’. This is, especially if you choose to take on a new dietary regimen without doing some research first. You may ask yourself, how risky can food be?
The health benefits associated with a healthy, balanced vegetarian diet are indisputable. There have been countless studies that have shown that a well planned, well researched, nutritious, plant based diet is associated with a lower incidence of obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
It is important however, in order to reap the rewards of a plant based diet, it is important to focus on the replacement of meat and/or dairy with foods such as fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, soy (preferably organic), grains, fish (if you are including this) and eggs (if this is included in your regime).
Vitamin Deficiencies
Vitamin deficiencies can easily arise in an ill planned vegetarian diet, especially vitamin B12 and/or iron. A long term deficiency of vitamin B12 can result in nerve damage. Iron deficiencies can lead to anaemia. It is important to consult a nutritionist in order to learn the best food sources for these vitamins and minerals.
Snack-aholic
It is easy to become a snack-aholic when you become a vegetarian. You have dropped the meat from your diet and now fill up with the likes of potato chips, pretzels and cookies. The secret is to include protein in every meal. The protein will fill you up and provide satiety deterring you from those unwholesome quick fixes.
Variety is the Key
Imagine waking up every morning and donning the same outfit day in day out. Now image waking up and eating the same meals day in day out. The harm in consuming the same meals day in day out is that you may not get the variety of nutrients you need to maintain health.
Getting variety in your diet is the key when it comes to wellbeing. It is important to focus on getting enough:
- protein (tofu, legumes, nuts and seeds, protein powder);
- calcium (dark green leafy veges, broccoli);
- iron (dried fruits especially apricots, legumes and lentils, soybeans);
- vitamin B12 (fatty fish, eggs, soy milk);
- vitamin D (sunlight).
Protein
Believe it or not, you actually don’t need as much protein in your diet as you may think. Most healthy people need approximately 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day.
Great sources of protein include lentils, whole soy, quinoa, peanut butter, nuts and seeds, beans, chickpeas and peas.
