VEGETARIAN DIET HOW DO YOU DO THAT IN A HEALTHY WAY?

Vegetarian or vegan food is becoming increasingly popular. The main reasons for this? Animal welfare, health and the environment. Do you want to eat healthy vegetarian food? Replace meat with vegetable products such as nuts, legumes, soy products such as tofu, tempé ... And supplement with milk and eggs. Healthy vegan food - all vegetarian, that is - is also possible if you take a number of points into account.

Healthy vegetarian food

As a vegetarian, you will find a foothold and sufficient vegetable alternatives in the food triangle. If you want to eat healthy vegetarian food, it is possible to build in alternatives for the essential nutrients you would otherwise get from fish and meat. Such as high-quality proteins, vitamins (B12) and minerals (iron) that ensure growth, construction and repair of tissue. In this way you avoid the chance that you will run into shortages.

Replacing meat in a vegetarian diet

Are you an unconditional vegetarian? Then it is important that you replace meat in a full-fledged way. You get a lot of protein from other foods: milk products, cheese and eggs and vegetable sources such as grains, legumes (including soy), nuts and seeds. Because vegetable proteins are generally (with the exception of soya) of lower quality than animal proteins, the needs of vegetarians and vegans are somewhat higher. The Dutch Health Council of the Netherlands states that the protein requirement of vegetarians is 1.2 times higher than that of people with a mixed diet. That of vegans is 1.3 times higher.

Vegetarian food: with green leaves

Provide sufficient iron-rich products in a vegetarian diet. Good sources of vegetable iron are whole grain cereals, legumes, seeds, dark green leafy vegetables ... Animal foods contain heme iron (Fe2+), vegetable food mainly non-heme iron (Fe3+). Your body absorbs the latter less well: you have to eat more of it.

Vegetarian Food: Don't forget your vitamins!

Vitamin C helps your body to absorb non-iron from plant-based foods. That's why we recommend that you eat vitamin C-rich products with your meal, such as potatoes or, for example, a kiwi or citrus fruit for dessert. Certain foods inhibit the absorption of iron: coffee, tea, red wine, oxalic acid rich vegetables (such as spinach and rhubarb) and phytic acid rich foods (seeds, vegetables, nuts and legumes). As a vegetarian, it is better not to combine these with iron-rich vegetable foods. Vitamin B12 only occurs in animal products. That is why it is important that you eat enough milk, cheese, yoghurt and eggs to get enough of it.

Vitamin B12 only occurs in animal products. That's why it's important to eat enough milk, cheese, yoghurt and eggs to get enough of it. In a vegetarian diet without fish, you get relatively little omega 3 fatty acids. That's why we recommend eating walnuts, soy products, oils such as linseed, nut and rapeseed oil, green leafy vegetables (such as purslane, lamb's lettuce and spinach) and sea vegetables (such as nori and sea lavender). Another alternative are eggs enriched with omega 3 fatty acids (from chickens that received enriched food).

Vegetarian food: food substitutes

Replace meat and fish in your hot meal? You can do that with eggs and:

• Legumes such as split and chickpeas, brown, red and white beans and lentils. Legumes are often confused with vegetables, but - unlike vegetables - they can replace meat if you combine them with another source of protein, such as eggs. Princesses, string beans and young peas are vegetables.
• Tempé and tofu (or tofu) are substitute products based on soy beans. Soy is also a legume. They are rich in calcium, vitamins and iron. Seitan is a meat substitute based on wheat proteins. It contains little fat and no cholesterol.
• Mycoprotein (fungi) such as quorn and mushrooms contains little iron. So always put plenty of fresh vegetables on your menu when you eat mycoprotein. Quorn quickly gives a satiated feeling. Mushrooms contain relatively little protein and no vitamin B12. Alternate sufficiently with other substitute products.

Vegetarian food: what about ready-made meat substitutes?

Do you buy vegetable burgers and other ready-made meat substitutes pre-packed and pre-baked in the shop? The nutritional value of these products is very variable and often not as good as that of other meat substitutes. They are also often breaded, so they absorb a lot of fat during frying. They therefore replace neither meat nor vegetables. Therefore, choose legumes or soy-based meat substitutes such as tofu and tempé.

The development of new meat substitutes is progressing rapidly. There are certainly also products with a good composition. So how do you find them in the shop? Consult the label (especially the content of protein, saturated fat, salt) or the Nutri-Score to make a better choice of ready-made meat substitutes.

Vegetarian diet: various forms

Not every vegetarian follows the same diet. What type you are, often depends on the reason why you choose a vegetarian diet:

• The pescotarian does not eat meat, but fish, shellfish, milk products and eggs.
• The lacto-ovovegetarian does not eat meat, fish and shellfish, but dairy products and eggs.
• The lacto-ovovovengetarian does not eat meat, fish, crustaceans and shellfish, but dairy products and eggs.
• The flexitarian or semi-vegetarian does not eat meat several days a week, but does not delete it completely.

Vegan food: How do you do it healthily?

Vegans eat absolutely no animal products: including eggs, milk and milk products. Many also delete honey. Because they do not eat animal products, it is more difficult for vegans to absorb sufficient vitamin B12, iron and calcium. That's why they have to pay attention to good protein combinations, take in enough energy and make sure they get enough vitamins and minerals. A dietician can help you with your vegan diet. In addition to the points of attention that apply to a vegetarian diet, a vegan diet requires extra attention for the intake of, among other things, vitamin B12 and calcium.

Fully-fledged vegan diet? Need vitamin B12!

For an adequate vegan diet, you should supplement your diet with vitamin B12: either as a supplement or via fortified foods. A vegan diet is not recommended for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women due to the increased risk of nutritional deficiencies.

How can you replace milk in a vegan diet?

Replace milk products with vegetable-based alternatives based on soy. Vegetable-based drinks based on cereals, nuts and seeds are not full-fledged milk substitutes.

From: https://healthnewsrss.blogspot.com/