Vegetarian? Make Sure You Get the Nutrients You Need

Are you thinking of becoming a vegetarian? Or maybe you’re already on the path of a meatless diet, but aren’t exactly sure if you’re getting enough of the nutrients you need to fuel your body and stay healthy. I know I would be unsure of how to get the proper nutrition. So, how can you make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need? Luckily there are many options available to vegetarians these days. Keep reading for a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the foods you do eat.

Are you thinking of becoming a vegetarian? Or maybe you’re already on the path of a meatless diet, but aren’t exactly sure if you’re getting enough of the nutrients you need to fuel your body and stay healthy. I know I would be unsure of how to get the proper nutrition – I’m so used to eating chicken, turkey, eggs, etc. that I wouldn’t know where to start!

So, how can you make sure you’re getting all the nutrients you need, especially when you are removing a vital part of the suggested food pyramid? Well, there are many options available to both vegetarians and vegans these days. Keep reading for a few suggestions on how to get the most out of the foods you do eat.

What exactly is a Vegetarian Diet?
Different people have different reasons for choosing a vegetarian diet, whether the decision is based on morality, religion, culture, ethics, aesthetics, environment, society, economy, politics, taste, or health.  Most vegetarians’ diets consist of natural foods that are not a part of the animal area.  There are several variants of the diet however, some of which also exclude eggs and/or some products produced from animal labor such as dairy products and honey. Veganism, for example, excludes all animal products from the diet. A generic term for both vegetarianism and veganism, as well as for similar diets, is "plant-based diets."

Getting Enough Nutrients
If you decide to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can still get proper nutrients with a very wide range of foods.  A small and simple list of possible “replacement” food includes the following:

• Nuts (almonds, peanuts, etc.). Nuts have a high amount of protein that can help you stay healthy and feel active without eating any meat products.

• Beans (kidney, lima, etc). Beans have lots of iron in them and are easy to cook and eat.  The best way to eat them is as natural as possible so that you get as many nutrients as you can (so, try not to just eat the ones in the can).

• Leafy Greens. If you’re a strict vegetarian or vegan, you may not be getting enough calcium if you don’t eat dairy products (cheese, milk, yogurt, etc.). But calcium can be found in such leafy greens as broccoli, kale and spinach, so make sure you get some of each from time to time.

• Soy. Soy products contain adequate amounts of Vitamin D, a vital nutrient. You can find soy in tofu as well as soy milk and cereal grains like oats and barley.

• Hempseed or Flaxseed. Hempseed and Flaxseed contain high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids that you are missing out on by not eating fish. Other sources of Omega-3’s include soy, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and canola oil.

• Fruits.  Fruits, such as blueberries, are a great way to incorporate antioxidants into your diet as well as vitamins that you need to thrive.

• Eggs. This option is one that you may or may not choose depending on your degree of vegetarianism, but eggs also contain lots of protein. Many people will eat a limited amount of egg products when they are a vegetarian.

If you’re finding that you can’t get enough nutrients from food sources such as those listed above, you can always add vitamins and other nutritional supplements to your daily diet regimen.

By making sure that you have a good balanced diet, you are also ensuring that you are healthy without compromising your beliefs or your reasons for becoming a vegetarian in the first place.

How Can You Stay True to It?
When you are turning to a vegetarian life, you need to make sure that you are following what you want with your diet.  Many people will not stick with a diet because it wears on them and they don’t want to deal with it anymore.  If you are certain that you want to become a vegetarian, you should make sure that you are keeping on the same track as when you started out. 

Staying healthy while on a vegetarian diet is not that hard if you get all the nutrients you need. And that’s easy these days! The grocery store is full of foods that will help you get the vitamins and nutrients you need as well as at the prices that you can afford.  There are even some grocery stores that cater to a vegetarian kind of diet.  These stores have food ideas as well as ways to keep healthy while staying true to your vegetarian choice.

While a vegetarian diet isn’t for me (I don’t think I could give up chicken!), it may be for you. So good luck and more power to you!