Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: If You Plan to Become a Vegetarian
• Part 2 of 3: Consider Your Body's Needs
• Part 3 of 3: Follow a vegetarian lifestyle
• Tips
• Warnings

People become vegetarians for many reasons. You may decide to eliminate meat, seafood, dairy and / or eggs from your diet in order to improve your health; for ethical or religious reasons; to cut costs; or just experiment and try something new. Vegetarianism reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cancer. However, it should be understood that a vegetarian diet is not only about eliminating meat from your diet. If you decide to become a vegetarian, you will have to completely change your lifestyle. With an improperly planned diet, vegetarians may be deficient in iron, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, calcium, zinc and riboflavin. In this article, you will learn how to make up for nutritional deficiencies as a vegetarian.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: If You Plan to Become a Vegetarian

1. 1 Think about the need to change your lifestyle. What attracts you to a vegetarian diet? Do you want to improve your health? Do you feel sorry for the animals? Is your desire dictated by religious beliefs? The first step on the road to change is to identify and understand the reasons why you want the change. This will give you the right motivation.
2. 2 Decide what kind of vegetarian you want to be. Not everyone knows that there are actually different types of vegetarianism. Vegetarian diets can vary greatly. The main types of vegetarianism are listed below. Read this information carefully and decide for yourself what kind of vegetarian you want to become. So, the main types of vegetarianism:
   • Veganism... This is the strictest way to eat. Vegans eliminate animal products from their diet entirely. They do not consume meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, eggs and gelatin. Many also do not eat honey. In addition, adherents of this lifestyle refuse to wear fur, leather, wool and silk, and also avoid certain cosmetics.
   • Lacto vegetarianism... Representatives of this lifestyle consume dairy products, but do not eat meat, poultry, fish and eggs.
   • Ovo vegetarianism... This is a type of vegetarianism that allows you to include eggs and honey in your diet, but at the same time prohibits all types of dairy products, meat and fish.
   • Lacto-ovo vegetarianism... Lacto-ovo vegetarians eliminate meat, poultry and fish from their diet, but do not give up dairy products and eggs. Lacto-ovo vegetarianism is one of the most popular vegetarian diets.
   • Vegetarian sand... vegetarianism allows fish, eggs and dairy products to be consumed, but prohibits the consumption of meat and poultry.
   • Flexitarianism Representatives of this species try not to eat animal products, but sometimes they still eat meat, poultry and fish.
3. 3 Find a support group. Discuss your intentions with friends and family, and ask them to support you. This will make it easier for you to stick to your chosen nutritional system. Also, join the vegetarian community, participate in online forums and read magazines or blogs on the subject.

Part 2 of 3: Consider Your Body's Needs

1. 1 Learn about the needs of your body. If you talk to vegetarians, chances are you will get a lot of advice on how to balance your diet. To stay healthy and get everything you need, you must understand your body's needs. The daily amount of calories and nutrients that the body must receive differs depending on age, gender (nutritional needs differ not only for men and women, but also for pregnant women) and lifestyle (for example, if you lead an active lifestyle, your needs will be higher).
   • Therefore, select information that relates to your age group, gender, health status and your lifestyle.
   • Use a vegetarian food pyramid. The vegetarian food pyramid includes various food groups that form the foundation of a healthy vegetarian diet.
   • Talk to your doctor or dietitian. Be sure to consult with a qualified doctor or dietitian.
2. 2 Include a variety of foods in your diet. Regardless of your dietary plan, variety is the key to a healthy, well-balanced diet. Regardless of the type of vegetarian diet you choose to follow, remember to get all the nutrients you need on a daily basis. Otherwise, you are putting your health in great danger. Vegans who have a more limited diet than other vegetarians put their health at great risk.
3. 3 Include enough protein in your diet. Protein is the main building block for the body. Therefore, it is essential for the growth and maintenance of healthy organs, bones and muscles.
   • The recommended daily amount of protein differs depending on age, gender, and physical activity. For example, a girl aged 9 to 13 who devotes no more than half an hour of her time to exercise should consume 140g of protein daily; between the ages of 19 and 30, with the same amount of physical activity, you should consume at least 180 g of protein per day.
   • Eggs and dairy products are good sources of protein. In addition, protein is found in many plant foods. You can include legumes in your diet, such as beans, lentils, seeds, nuts, and whole grains.
4. 4 Include calcium-rich foods in your diet. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones.
   • The need for calcium in children and adolescents is higher than in adults. In addition, older women need to get enough calcium to prevent osteoporosis. A calcium calculator can help you determine if you are getting enough calcium.
   • Dairy products are the most common calcium-containing food group. In addition, dark leafy vegetables such as cabbage, broccoli, and greens are sources of calcium. You can also include plant-based milk, yogurt, juices and cereals in your diet to meet your calcium needs.
5. 5 Include foods rich in vitamin B-12 in your diet. This vitamin is essential for the production of red blood cells and the prevention of anemia.
   • Unfortunately, vitamin B-12 is found exclusively in animal products. Vegetarians can include dairy products, eggs, vitamin-fortified foods including breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, and soy foods, and vitamin supplements in their diets.
   • Because a vegetarian diet is rich in folate, it successfully masks vitamin B12 deficiency, thereby making it difficult to diagnose. Therefore, especially vegans need to take this danger seriously.
6. 6 Include foods that contain riboflavin in your diet. Riboflavin is essential for the formation of red blood cells and antibodies, for cell respiration and cell growth. Because riboflavin is a water-soluble vitamin, the body cannot store it; therefore, you should get enough vitamin B12 from your diet every day.
   • The amount of vitamin B12 that the body needs depends on age and gender. In addition, pregnant and lactating women should get more vitamin B12.
   • Sources of riboflavin for vegetarians include dairy products, eggs, dark leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fortified breads and cereals.
7. 7 Include enough iron in your diet. Iron is the main component of hemoglobin, a substance found in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all tissues in the body.
   • Iron deficiency anemia occurs when the body does not have enough iron to produce hemoglobin. Also, there may be another extreme when a person is getting too much iron. Find out how much iron should be received by the body of an adult and a child.
   • Sources of iron for vegetarians include legumes, lentils, fortified breakfast cereals, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, dried apricots, prunes, and raisins.
   • Since iron is not readily absorbed from plant sources, it is recommended for vegetarians to consume almost twice as much iron as for non-vegetarians. Consuming foods rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, strawberries and tomatoes, improves the absorption of iron.
8. 8 Include zinc-rich foods in your diet. Zinc strengthens the immune system, participates in cell division, growth and repair.
   • Find out how much zinc your body needs to get on a daily basis.
   • Zinc is absorbed best from animal products, so dairy products are a good source of zinc for vegetarians. Zinc is found in whole grains, soybeans, beans, nuts, wheat germ, and fortified cereals.
9. 9 Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Their function is vital and, without exaggeration, exceptional. They support heart health and help reduce cardiovascular disease. Unlike other fats, the body obtains omega-3 fatty acids from the foods we eat.
   • Adequate intake of omega-3 fatty acids helps fight a variety of diseases, from allergies and asthma to cancer and bipolar disorder.
   • Fish and eggs are good sources of omega-3s. In addition, rapeseed and soybean oils, walnuts, flaxseeds, and soybeans also contain omega-3 fatty acids. If you are using purely plant-based sources of omega-3s in your diet, fortified foods or supplements can help you get enough omega-3s.
10. 10 Take vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is an important determinant of calcium absorption. We get our vitamin D from certain foods and sunlight.
    • Fatty fish such as herring and mackerel are good sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D is found in dairy products, soy and rice milk, breakfast cereals, and margarine. Pay attention to the composition of the product you choose.
    • If you rarely get out in the sun or do not eat enough foods containing vitamin D, you can take supplements containing this vitamin.
11. 11 Pay attention to your portion sizes. To get the required amount of nutrients, you need to include a variety of foods in your diet. However, just because you don't eat meat doesn't mean you can eat a huge portion of fries and a large pizza.
    • The Vegetarian Food Pyramid provides helpful information on serving sizes so you can have an idea of ​​how many calories your body needs.
    • Your serving size should not exceed the size of a tennis ball.

Part 3 of 3: Follow a vegetarian lifestyle

1. 1 Act gradually. You will not only have to give up certain foods, but radically change your life. You should not rush into the pool headlong and immediately give up all prohibited products. Do this gradually, such as following a vegetarian menu one day a week.
2. 2 Find out how you can replace foods that you will need to eliminate from your diet. If you are cooking yourself, try cooking your favorite foods without adding meat to them. For example, you can make meatless spaghetti sauce or use vegetarian meat substitutes. Make an almond or soy milk shake instead of cow milk. If you dine at a restaurant, order a burrito with grilled beans and vegetables instead of a beef and cheese burrito. Use herbal products as an alternative to prohibited foods:
   • Replace meat and poultry with beans, tofu, tempeh, soy protein, and Quorn, which contains a microprotein.
   • Milk can be substituted for soy, rice, coconut, flaxseed, hemp, almond and sunflower milk.
   • Dairy products such as cheese and sour cream can be substituted for products made from herbal ingredients.
   • You can replace eggs with foods such as soft tofu, flaxseed flour, banana or apple fruit puree, buttermilk or kefir, and so on.
3. 3 Diversify your diet. If you decide to become a vegetarian, do not assume that you have to eat salad at every meal. A varied diet allows a person to receive the required amount of nutrients. It will also make it easier for you to stick to your new eating habits.
   • Subscribe to a vegetarian culinary magazine.
   • Pick up a vegetarian cookbook from the library.
   • Shop at the market. Check with the vendors if they know any vegetarian recipes.
   • Visit the restaurant serving delicious vegetarian food.
   • Buy groceries from a health food store, or just walk around for inspiration.
4. 4 Follow these general guidelines to help you stay healthy. Vegetarian or not, avoid processed foods and drinks; drink enough water; pay attention to portion sizes and what you eat.

Tips

• When buying fresh vegetables, take as much as you need to minimize food waste.
• Take a multivitamin.
• Buy food from farmers in the market. Also, try to buy seasonal vegetables. Also buy products that are made in your area. Thanks to this, they will retain all the nutrients the body needs.
• Gelatin is made from animal bones. If you do not eat gelatin, pay attention to the composition of the product.

Warnings

• Don't assume that vegetarianism makes you immune to foodborne illness. Plants can cause foodborne illnesses like meat. Therefore, make sure that the products you use are clean and safe.