When
you’re planning a healthy vegetarian diet, you’re only limited by your
imagination. It’s important to incorporate a wide variety of whole grains,
legumes, vegetables and fruits in different meals, including seeds and nuts. Variety is the spice of life, and it will help ensure your
vegetarian diet is nutrient-dense, interesting, and fun! Aim for variety, even when you serve
favorite entrees over and over again, by serving different side dishes, snacks
and desserts.
Be creative in planning meals. Boost your consumption of beans and vegetables by eating
these foods at lunch time rather than just for dinner. Make it a goal to serve
a vegetable every day for lunch and two for dinner. Plan a
meal around a vegetable. A baked potato can be a hearty entree; serve it
with baked beans, a sauce of stewed tomatoes or a few tablespoons of salsa. Or
make a simple meal of sautéed vegetables and pasta.
Try new foods often. Experiment with a variety of grains such as quinoa,
couscous, bulgur, barley, and wheat berries. Try fruits and vegetables that are
popular in different international cuisines, such as bok choy. Accentuate
the positive. Focus more on healthy foods that fit into a vegetarian
plan instead of foods to avoid. If you’re unsure how to include a new food into
your vegetarian diet, ask the produce manager at your local grocer or health
food store for ideas on how to prepare it. The internet can be a great resource
for new recipe and preparation ideas.
But be sure that you’re building your menu on a strong plant food
base. Make them the core of your diet.
Don’t stress about getting
enough protein. As long as calories are
sufficient and the diet is varied, vegetarians easily meet protein needs. Grains,
beans, vegetables, and nuts all provide protein. Vegetarians do not need to eat
special combinations of foods to meet protein needs. However, it is important
to be aware of fat. Even
vegetarians can get too much fat if the diet contains large amounts of nuts,
oils, processed foods, or sweets.
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