Our food choices define our health. But it is also true that our food choices are personal and should come from a deep space of personal contemplation. So, it is important to remember that our choice of food should add to our good health, no matter what it is. There are lots of people who are turning to vegetarianism for various health and personal reasons. But, it is important to remember that when we eat meat, we get a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals from one single source. So, it is important to know how to fill the gap of these nutrients after becoming a vegetarian. And, there are few more things to know before making the big change. Read on.
1. Stock Up On Healthy Veggies
Meat and other non-vegetarian sources of food generally provide an array of various vitamins and minerals like vitamin B-12, D, calcium and protein. Hence, if you are planning to become a vegetarian, make sure to eat enough vegetables and pulses to fill up that nutrient gap. Nutritionists often recommend people to eat enough diverse food to help their bodies deal with the change.
2. Replace Your Juices With Smoothies
Smoothies have an added advantage of fiber and an extra kick of vitamins and proteins when supplemented with some extra fruits and vegetables. It can make your diet more wholesome without putting any extra effort.
3. Recipes With Healthier Ingredients
Beans and lentils are excellent sources of protein and iron. And there are many wonderful recipes that can help you turn these healthy legumes into delectable dishes. These dishes can provide great health benefits without the cholesterol content that comes with meat.
4. Lots Of Iron
There is a difference between the iron that comes from a plant source and the iron that comes from an animal source. The difference between the two is that the animal source iron gets absorbed more easily into our bodies. Thus, vegetarians need to consume a lot more iron for them to compensate.
5. Add Vitamin C To Your Iron
Iron gets absorbed by the body more effectively when vitamin C is supplemented with it. So, throw in some blueberries to your cereal and some peppers to your quinoa. This will greatly enhance the iron absorption by your body. Since iron absorption is a problem for vegetarians, this little hack can solve that problem easily.
6. Protein Requirement Varies
The amount of protein required by your body depends directly on how physically active you are. If you are moderately active, then you would roughly need one gram of protein for every one kilogram of your weight. If you are physically very active, then you might need to binge on a little more of protein than that. So, you can calculate your protein requirement and eat accordingly for great health.
7. Embrace Eggs If You Haven’t Said Bye Yet
If you are still into eating eggs, then continue to binge on them. Eggs are considered to be a superfood for a reason. They are packed with proteins, vitamins and minerals. So, if you haven’t said bye to eggs yet, don’t hold yourself back from eating them.
8. Find Replacements For Your Eggs
You don’t have to worry too much about giving up eggs, as you can easily replace them with other vegetarian alternatives. Half-mashed ripe banana has the same benefits as one egg. One teaspoon of chia seeds soaked in some water can also provide the same amount of benefits as one egg. Three teaspoons of peanut butter can provide the same amount of nutrition as one boiled egg. So, if you are a vegan and looking for healthy alternatives, there are lots of vegetarian things that can provide you with the same nutrition as an egg.
So, embrace this new change with an open mind and a prepared soul.
