Thinking of going vegetarian? In general, eating vegetables and plant-based protein is much healthier than an all-meat diet. However, being vegetarian doesn’t have to be a restrictive diet. You just need to know the types of vegetarianism that are the healthiest and how to adopt a plant-based diet without feeling hungry or deprived.
Whether you’re interested in a pescetarian diet (a type of vegetarianism where you only eat fish but no other meat or animal products), or go vegan and give up all animal products including eggs, there are many benefits from eating less meat or even excluding it completely from your diet.
Why Go Vegetarian?
There are many reasons to consider minimizing or eliminating meat from your diet. Here are a few:
You’re Eating More Healthily: Studies show that vegetarians are generally healthier than meat eaters. Eating less meat or no meat at all can lead to a healthier diet and lifestyle. For example, vegetarians are less likely to have high blood pressure or cholesterol compared to people who eat meat daily.
You’re Eating For the Planet: Eating vegetarian is one way to help the environment. Raising animals for food produces large amounts of harmful gases that contribute to climate change. Producing one pound of meat creates 15 times more CO2 than producing a pound of vegetables.
You Want to Eat Less Processed Food: Meat is often preserved with sodium and chemicals. If you eat a lot of meat, you may be getting too much sodium and preservatives — and too little vegetable fiber. You can improve your diet by replacing some of that meat with vegetables and whole grains.
You’re Eating Less Meat to Save Money: Meat can be expensive, so eating vegetarian can help you save money. You can get lots of nutrients without spending as much on meat. If you already eat a vegetarian diet, you may be able to cut back on meat even more and save even more money.
Nutritional Benefits of a Vegetarian Diet
The key to eating a healthy vegetarian diet is variety: you want to eat a wide variety of plant-based foods, and a mix of different types of carbs, fats, and proteins. The same could be said for eating any diet, but it is especially important for vegetarians. To get the proper amount of nutrition from your diet, you can follow these five key rules:
Eat a variety of foods: Eat a wide variety of foods to make sure you get the right amount of nutrients. Try to include legumes, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy products. Include foods rich in iron, zinc, calcium, and vitamin B12, which are particularly important for vegetarians.
Get Enough Calories: If you’re worried that you’ll eat too little and not get enough calories, remember that you can get enough calories by eating less food, not more. Vegetarians need to be careful to eat a sufficient amount of calories and protein. Make sure you eat enough calories, even if you eat less food.
Get Enough Protein: When people think of vegetarian diets, they often worry about getting enough protein. But you don’t need to eat meat, fish, or eggs to get all the protein you need. A variety of plant-based foods, including legumes, nuts, seeds, and grains, can provide more than enough protein.
Get Enough Iron: Iron is important for a healthy body, especially for women and people who are menstruating. If you are not getting enough iron from your diet, you can become anemic. Anemia can cause feelings of weakness and fatigue.
Get Enough Calcium: Getting enough calcium is important for healthy bones. Although people often assume that dairy products are the best source of calcium, it is possible to get enough calcium without eating dairy.
Vegetarian Diet during Recovery
A Recovery diet can be very helpful during alcohol or drug recovery. As we’ve discussed, vegetarians have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. Therefore, recovering addicts have a lower chance of relapsing due to metabolic issues.
As vegetarians, your diet should consist of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and nuts. These foods will help you feel full for longer, and avoid those blood sugar spikes that occur in moments of stress. These foods also contain vitamins and minerals that will aid in your recovery from drug or alcohol abuse.
For example, eating high-fiber foods can help reduce cravings. Nuts, beans, and grains are high in fiber, so they can help you avoid addictive foods. And vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants can help your body recover from the abuse it has suffered.
Types of Vegetarianism and the Benefits
Vegan: Vegans do not eat any animal products. They often avoid all foods that come from animals, including eggs and dairy products. Vegans often eat a large variety of plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes.
Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian: Lacto-Ovo vegetarians avoid meat, but they eat eggs and dairy products. This diet is the most common type of vegetarian diet.
Pescetarian: Pescetarians eat fish and all other types of seafood but do not eat meat or eggs.
Fruitarian: Fruitarians eat only fruit.
Raw Vegan: Raw vegans eat a diet that is mostly uncooked and unprocessed. This diet is very restrictive and most nutritionists do not recommend it.
Health Risks of Going Vegetarian
While the health benefits of a vegetarian diet are well documented, there are also some health risks that come with this lifestyle.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Vitamin B12 is found in animal sources such as fish, meat, dairy, and eggs. Vegans who do not supplement their diet with B12 can become deficient, which can lead to serious health problems.
Low Calcium: Just like iron, calcium is essential for a healthy body. Vegans are at risk of having low levels of this important mineral due to their diet.
Iron Deficiency: Although vegetarians might have higher iron levels than meat eaters, they are still at risk of iron deficiency. Vegans are at particular risk of low iron levels because they don’t eat eggs, which are rich in iron.
How to Stay Healthy While Eating Vegetarian
Eat a variety of foods: Make sure you eat a variety of healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and low-fat dairy products.
Eat enough calories: Eating a variety of foods is important, but eating too many calories can lead to weight gain. Make sure you eat enough calories to avoid malnutrition.
Eat enough protein: Protein is essential for many bodily functions, including tissue repair and neurotransmitter production. Vegans should eat enough protein to avoid protein deficiency.
Eat iron-rich foods: You can get iron from fruits and vegetables like broccoli, pumpkin seeds, and spinach.
Eat calcium-rich foods: Calcium helps keep your bones strong and can even prevent osteoporosis. Good sources of calcium include dairy products, nuts, and leafy greens.
Avoid iron-blocking foods: Some foods prevent the body from absorbing iron. Avoid eating a diet high in fiber on the same day as iron-rich foods.
Eat vitamin B-12-rich foods: While B12 is normally found in animal products, you can get vitamin B12 from certain foods like nutritional yeast.
Final Words
A vegetarian diet can be a healthy and nutritious way to eat. However, it’s important to make sure you are eating a wide variety of healthy foods to get the right amount of nutrients. It’s also important to make sure you are getting enough calories and protein, as well as vitamins and minerals.
If you are thinking about going vegetarian or are already vegetarian, make sure you are eating a wide variety of healthy foods to get all the nutrients you need.