How to Eat Healthily On A Vegetarian Or Vegan Diet

So, some of you will know that I am a vegetarian/vegan when practicably possible. Although I haven’t made it the core message or mission of this blog, I do mention it once in a while. I have written a few articles on it. But today, we will explore someone else’s article, which we have been given permission to republish. Here goes:

“The vegetarian way of eating can be a very healthy style of eating. The rules still apply with healthy eating, although you should add variety, balance, and moderation.

A vegetarian is someone who avoids all types of meat, whether it be hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken, or even fish. Vegetarians are also sometimes classified by the type of food they are or aren’t willing to eat.  For example, Lacto-ovo vegetarians will avoid animal flesh yet they will eat eggs and most dairy products.  A Vegan on the other hand, will avoid all food that has any trace of animal origin.

Because they don’t eat meet, vegetarians will often wonder how they’ll get enough protein.  Although you may not realize it, the average American actually consumes more protein than he actually needs.  For the lacto-ovo vegetarian, dairy products are an excellent source of protein.  Vegans on the other hand, get their protein from nuts, seeds, and soy products.

Along the lines of beans, there are several to choose from, including green or red lentils, peanuts, split peas, pinto, soy, kidney, and many more.  Some of them you are already familiar, such as kidney beans in chili, refried beans in Mexican dishes, red beans and rice, and pinto beans.

Although some beans taste good as they are, others are available with different flavours to help enhance their taste.  Nuts are high in protein, although they deliver a lot more fat than beans, which means you should enjoy them in moderation.  By having one cup of cooked beans, you’ll get the same amount of protein as eating two ounces of meat!

The nutrients of concern for vegans, who avoid all types of animal food, are vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. In the average North American diet, the primary source for B12 is animals. To have an adequate intake of B12, vegans should regularly consume vitamin B12 supplements or foods, which contain vitamin B12, such as soy products or milk. For calcium, vegans can rely on orange juice or soy milk, as they are fortified with calcium.  Beans and leafy green vegetables will also contain some calcium as well.

Although all types of vegetarians rely on simple food groups, controlling your vitamins and calcium intake is something you should always do.  This is very important for eating healthy, as well as staying healthy.  If you control what you eat, you’ll have many years of healthy eating ahead of you.”

Good article, isn’t it? That being said, I don’t totally agree with everything. To my understanding, B12 was originally found in our water supply, but now because of sanitisation, it is made from bacteria which is more available in meat. And some non-vegans have issues with B12 too.

Anyways, I digress. Hope you enjoyed this article, and perhaps you can explore vegetarianism. It can be good for your health and the planet, and of course for the animals. Have a good day, and here are some links for all of you lovely people, both veg and non-veg, to check out: