People across the globe are going gaga over the new vegetarian diet trend and it is also getting widely popular among some of the famous Hollywood celebs as well.
Well if we take a sneak peek into the whole vegetarian diet concept, it comes with loads of health benefits alongside.
This could very well be the reason why everyone from a fitness enthusiast to a common person is looking forward to it without any fuss.
There are random benefits of getting into a vegetarian diet but weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers are the most common ones.
What is a vegetarian diet?
Generally, a vegetarian diet is something that doesn’t include meat, poultry or fish. Still, there are lots of people who get into processed foods even whilst being on a vegetarian diet.
All this processed stuff brings unwanted calories, sugar, sodium and fat to their body in the process and even whilst being on a vegetarian diet, they stay deprived of all the health benefits.
This is where a vegetarian diet plan requires a lot of planning and then it can bring up the required benefits to people from all age groups.
It’s all about keeping the nutrition intact and eventually, the diet will start showing its positive impact on your body.
What to eat on a vegetarian diet?
What to eat on a vegetarian diet – Dairy products
If you are someone who is confused about the “what to eat” aspect of the vegetarian diet, you got to study it quite deeply.
Vegetarian diet comes in a lot of varieties and you can choose one which fits your requirements perfectly. Well, you got to be a bit careful in the process as all of the vegetarian diets come with their respective “Dos and Don’ts”.
Lacto-vegetarian diet
This type of vegetarian diet doesn’t include meat, poultry, fish and eggs along with all the foods which contain the elements of these food items.
On the other side, dairy items like cheese, milk, butter and yogurt can be included in the Lacto-vegetarian diet.
Ovo-vegetarian diet
On the other side, the ovo vegetarian diet excludes foodstuff like fish, meat, seafood, dairy and poultry.
Still, this diet includes eggs which makes it different from lacto-vegetarian diet.
Pescatarian diet
Just like the name suggests, the pescatarian diet includes only fish from the above-mentioned food items whilst excluding poultry, dairy, meat and eggs.
Vegan diet
This comes as the most popular version of a vegetarian diet where people don’t consume any sort of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, or any other food item which contains them.
This diet is largely followed by several fitness enthusiasts and athletes across the globe.
Semi -vegetarian diet
There are few around which follow a semi-vegetarian diet (also known as a flexitarian diet). This diet is mostly plant-based but includes meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, and seafood in smaller quantities.
How to plan a perfect vegetarian diet on daily basis?
Planning a perfect vegetarian diet requires a lot of discipline and enthusiasm. If you want to make the best out of your vegetarian diet, you must choose to form a big variety of plant-based foods like fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts, legumes, and lentils.
On the other side, you have to stay away from unhealthy stuff like processed food items, sugary beverages, juices, or junk food.
While you can take the help of a dietitian in the same regard, let us bring you a simple example of a perfect vegetarian diet for a day.
| Food items | Daily consumption |
| Fresh vegetables | 2 ½ cups |
| Fresh fruits | 2 cups |
| Whole grains | 6 ½ oz |
| Dairy | 3 cups |
| Protein-rich food | 3 ½ oz |
| Oils | 27gms |
Note: This is based on a daily 2000 calorie diet and all the food items have to be in their lean forms without any extra fat, sugars, or salt.
You must keep in mind that the more restricted the diet, the more challenges you will be facing to feed your daily nutritional requirements.
Let’s say whilst on a Vegan diet, you have to avoid certain foods which may contain nutrients like calcium, vitamins, and minerals.
To ensure that your body gets all that it needs. To get the same done with proper care, you got to take care of the below-mentioned nutrients.
Vitamin D and Calcium
Vitamin D plays a key role in the strengthening of bones and you can get the same from food sources like cow milk, soy milk along with some cereals and margarine. Sunlight also comes as a rich source of vitamins.
On the other side, Calcium is highly required for maintaining strong teeth and bones. You can get calcium from dairy foods like milk, butter, curd, and yogurt.
Apart from the dairy products, you can also get calcium from certain vegetables like kale, broccoli, turnips, and collard greens.
Still, you need to ensure the consumption of these veggies in good quantities to feed the daily calcium requirements.
Proteins
Proteins help in maintaining healthy skin, bones, organs, and muscles, and this is why it has been called a building block of the human body.
You can get it from eggs and dairy products and don’t need to rely on meat for the same reasons. Getting into the plant sources, it’s largely present in soy, lentils, legumes, beans, seeds, and nuts.
Omega3 fatty acids
Your body requires omega 3 fatty acids to keep your heart healthy and fine. Whilst being on a vegetarian diet, you might face a bit of shortage for the omega-3 fatty acids and thus go for options like walnuts, soy oil, and flax seeds.
Zinc and Iron
You may not find enough zinc in plant-based food options and you got to include dairy items like cheese and butter to get the same requirement fulfilled.
Also, a reasonable amount of zinc is found in legumes, nuts, soy products, and wheat germ.
Just like Zinc, iron also supports better healthy functioning of the body and is largely found in sources like lentils, beans, peas, and dark leafy veggies (spinach and kale).
Whilst the human body isn’t that adaptable to feed itself with iron from plant-based foods, you need to consume food rich in Vitamin C to support its absorption by the body.
When it comes to Vitamin C, you can get it in abundance in food items like Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons) and strawberries.
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