Vegetarian Health Tips
Ranked #7,494 in Food & Cooking, #127,619 overall
How vegetarians can get the nutrition they need
My collection of health tips for vegetarians. There is a lot of news about healthy foods these days and some of it just doesn't fit the vegetarian diet. This is my attempt at keeping it all straight and simple (and with as few pills as possible).
I've focused on the myths and facts about vegetarian nutrition. What issues should you watch out for, and risks need you not be afraid of?
I've focused on the myths and facts about vegetarian nutrition. What issues should you watch out for, and risks need you not be afraid of?
Linda Mccartney's (Vegetarian) Home Cooking
Linda Mccartney's Home Cooking
Amazon Price: $4.99 (as of 02/13/2012)
A great introduction to vegetarian cooking.
Simple doable recipes that taste great.
Types of vegetarians
Vegetarian: Anyone who doesn't eat meat. Vegetarians don't eat fish either. Many vegetarians in the West do consume dairy products and eggs.
Vegan: people who don't eat meat, or consume animal products (like milk, cheese, eggs). Vegans will often try to avoid using animal products like leather as well.
Indian vegetarian: vegetarian but avoiding eggs as well as meat and fish products. The idea is that eggs might be fertilized and that means they might be alive.
Vegan: people who don't eat meat, or consume animal products (like milk, cheese, eggs). Vegans will often try to avoid using animal products like leather as well.
Indian vegetarian: vegetarian but avoiding eggs as well as meat and fish products. The idea is that eggs might be fertilized and that means they might be alive.
Change takes time
I always feel changes like this should be done slowly.
Don't quit eating meat cold turkey one day. Instead experiment with eating meet only half the days first (or just one day a week). That gives you time to get used to vegetarian cooking and learn about alternatives, great recipes etc.
If you've done that for a month or so, THEN you can go totally vegetarian. Your body will have gotten used to things like beans in the meantime. It will know how to respond to not getting meat daily.
Becoming Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Vegetarian Diet
by Versanto Melina (Author), Brenda Davis (Author), Victoria Harrison (Author), Suzanne Havala (Foreword)
The New Becoming Vegetarian: The Essential Guide To A Healthy Vegetarian Diet
Amazon Price: $8.49 (as of 02/13/2012)
A complete guide to the pitfalls of a vegetarian diet. Lists of foods and things to look out for. A book I really, really want to have...
The customer reviews of this book are excellent: people say that all their questions have been answered. All the topics discussed in this lens are covered, and a whole lot more.
Omega 3 and 6 - healthy oils
This is the topic that got me started on this lens. The Dutch government is putting up a major campaign that people should eat fish, or take fish-oil pills.
This has obvious environmental disadvantages: most edible fish species are at risk of extinction if things go on the way they are going.
Taking pills isn't going to help: they still contain Fish-oil.
So, my question was: where do we vegetarians get our omega-3 and omega-6 oils? It turns out most vegetarians aren't at risk of getting too little omega-6 oils. Those are present in salad dressing, peanut butter etc.
The issue is the omega-3 oils. So here are some sources:
Pregnant mothers should probably take direct sources of omega-3 oils because they are very important in brain development for the unborn child.
My source
This has obvious environmental disadvantages: most edible fish species are at risk of extinction if things go on the way they are going.
Taking pills isn't going to help: they still contain Fish-oil.
So, my question was: where do we vegetarians get our omega-3 and omega-6 oils? It turns out most vegetarians aren't at risk of getting too little omega-6 oils. Those are present in salad dressing, peanut butter etc.
The issue is the omega-3 oils. So here are some sources:
- flax oil (or ground flax seeds)
- olive oil (contains a good ratio of omega-3 and omega-6)
- rape seed oil (contains a good ratio of omega-3 and omega-6)
- broccoli (a little bit)
- cabbage (a little bit)
- walnuts (a bit high on the Omega 6)
- tofu (a bit high on Omega 6)
Pregnant mothers should probably take direct sources of omega-3 oils because they are very important in brain development for the unborn child.
My source
Flax seed oil supplements
Tips from readers
- Juicing
- Ground Flaxseed will add omega 3 oils to the diet - it can be added to grains.
Vegetarian Cooking for Dummies
by Suzanne Havala
Healthy living starts with healthy cooking. These recipes guide your way into the world of vegetarian cooking, while also explaining about the different types of vegetarians out there (and vegans to boot).
Vegetarian Cooking For Dummies
Amazon Price: $6.71 (as of 02/13/2012)
The for dummies series is always good. This one contains great recipes and covers all the bases.
Important!
Vegetarian food is not automatically healthier, or unhealthy
Vegetarians need to watch what they eat just as much as ordinary folks do.
Some things we are less prone to (too much animal fat).
Other things we are more prone to (not getting enough vitamin B).
Some things we are less prone to (too much animal fat).
Other things we are more prone to (not getting enough vitamin B).
Nutritional Yeast - a tasty way to get vitamin B12, while avoiding animal foods
Staying vegetarian, yet getting that vitamin B12
I learn something every day on squidoo :)
You can avoid those pesky pills (and who likes pills?) - and yet get your vitamin B12 on a vegetarian diet with Nutritional Yeast. No longer active (or alive as it is when you want to make dough rise from yeast), it still has a great taste and provides those vitamins we all need.
You can avoid those pesky pills (and who likes pills?) - and yet get your vitamin B12 on a vegetarian diet with Nutritional Yeast. No longer active (or alive as it is when you want to make dough rise from yeast), it still has a great taste and provides those vitamins we all need.
Vitamin B supplements
Sublingual Vitamin B12 (1000 mcg), B6 (5mg), Folic Acid(400 mcg) & Biotin (25mcg) - 250 Sublingual Tablets - Formulated with methylcobalamin Vitamin B-12.
You may have heard it over your years, Doctors giv more...1 point
B-12 Vitamin (Energy Plus Sublingual) (250 small sublingual lozenges)
B-12 functions in many key processes. Its main rol more...0 points
The risks of a vegetarian diet
The best known risk of a vegetarian diet is really overrated:
Protein deficiency is just hard to come by in this part of the world. Since vegetarians can consume milk, cheese, yogurt etc. we can easily get our protein from animal products. For those with more principles the protein in legumes and especially soy is a decent replacement.
We don't need a lot of vitamin B, and the body stores it. I think I did 12 years on the vitamin B I had stored in the first 20 odd years of my life. But now, finally, my vegetarian lifestyle has caught up with me and I'm on vitamin B supplement pills.
The B vitamins (there are several) are formed from either bacteria, yeast's, fungi, or molds. This means that the vitamin B supplement pills are usually vegetarian. After all it's much cheaper to just grow bacteria than it is to extract the vitamin from meat.
The specific vitamins vegetarians will have trouble with are Vitamin B12 (not found in any vegetable source) and B3 (mostly found in Fish and chicken but also in nuts).
Vitamin B is contained in a number of vegetarian foods like (again) milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese etc.
Tell tale signs: having trouble keeping your hands steady? Go to the doctor or just buy the pills.
Generally speaking the B vitamins are often found in wholegrain products and nuts. Nowadays there are many products for sale that have been fortified with these vitamins.
This is one I worry about sometimes. Yet research shows that vegetarians are just as likely (or unlikely) to get enough iron in their diet.
The reason that it isn't a problem is that iron gets absorbed in the body best when it's combined with vitamin C. Eating spinach would work for that.
Iron is contained in the following vegetable sources:
Personally I eat spinach a lot, but also put apple spread on my wholewheat bread. The Dutch recipe for apple spread contains iron in large quantities (not from the apples obviously).
Protein
Protein deficiency is just hard to come by in this part of the world. Since vegetarians can consume milk, cheese, yogurt etc. we can easily get our protein from animal products. For those with more principles the protein in legumes and especially soy is a decent replacement.
B Vitamins
We don't need a lot of vitamin B, and the body stores it. I think I did 12 years on the vitamin B I had stored in the first 20 odd years of my life. But now, finally, my vegetarian lifestyle has caught up with me and I'm on vitamin B supplement pills.
The B vitamins (there are several) are formed from either bacteria, yeast's, fungi, or molds. This means that the vitamin B supplement pills are usually vegetarian. After all it's much cheaper to just grow bacteria than it is to extract the vitamin from meat.
The specific vitamins vegetarians will have trouble with are Vitamin B12 (not found in any vegetable source) and B3 (mostly found in Fish and chicken but also in nuts).
Vitamin B is contained in a number of vegetarian foods like (again) milk, eggs, yogurt, cheese etc.
Tell tale signs: having trouble keeping your hands steady? Go to the doctor or just buy the pills.
Generally speaking the B vitamins are often found in wholegrain products and nuts. Nowadays there are many products for sale that have been fortified with these vitamins.
Iron
This is one I worry about sometimes. Yet research shows that vegetarians are just as likely (or unlikely) to get enough iron in their diet.
The reason that it isn't a problem is that iron gets absorbed in the body best when it's combined with vitamin C. Eating spinach would work for that.
Iron is contained in the following vegetable sources:
- spinach
- (Dried) beans
- Chick peas (one of my favorites)
- Leafy vegetables
- Lentils
- Broccoli
Personally I eat spinach a lot, but also put apple spread on my wholewheat bread. The Dutch recipe for apple spread contains iron in large quantities (not from the apples obviously).
Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
by Brenda Davis, Vesanto Melina
Vegans don't eat any animal products. That means they don't eat things based on milk or eggs, don't eat fish etc. This means that they have to watch out even more than vegetarians do. They will need to take care to get enough Calcium, Vitamin B12 and protein.
Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet
Amazon Price: $8.87 (as of 02/13/2012)
Answers all questions you might have about becoming a vegan and staying healthy. Exactly what you would want to know.
More vegetarian diet tips?
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coolhiptrendy
Nov 4, 2011 @ 6:07 pm | delete
- If you want to avoid milk products and eggs, don't forget that as well as soy, nuts, mycoprotein AND WHEAT are all first class proteins.
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spirituality
Nov 5, 2011 @ 3:56 am | delete
- Don't forget about beans - beans + rice have all the KINDS of protein we need together.
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AnneVis
Jun 28, 2011 @ 3:34 am | delete
- Great information, thanks for sharing. Couple of things I did not know. I have to inject B12 myself, as my body does not take it up from supplements nor food, seems to be the case for many vegetarians ...
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charlottecat
Jun 8, 2011 @ 5:28 pm | delete
- Did you know they even make vegan protein shakes? (Tip: don't do the mixed berry Vega kind. That was gross... Try something chocolate flavored...)
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exposure
Apr 4, 2011 @ 3:38 pm | delete
- Very informative.
Vegetarians may be at lower diabetes, heart risk. A new study finds that a meat-free diet seems to lower a person's likelihood of having certain risk factors for diabetes or heart disease -- and therefore may lower the risk of one day developing those illnesses. (Source Affective.com)
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