A vegetarian diet is good for your he alth when used wisely. Rationally arranged, it reduces the risk of developing many civilization diseases. Therefore, before switching to vegetarianism, you need to know what to eat and how to compose a menu so as not to harm yourself.

Is the menu of a vegetarian diet he althy and sufficient?

More and more people stop eatingmeat . The reasons for switching to a vegetarian diet vary: ethical, ecological, religious, philosophical, but most often we eliminate meat fromdietbecause we believe that it is unhe althy. Vegetarian supporters argue that all the nutrients contained in meat can be successfully obtained from plant products.

It's true. A rationally balanced plant-based diet not only does not harm your he alth, but also reduces the risk of many civilization diseases. What should be avegetarian dietso that it can only benefit from it, and can everyone use it.

Should a vegetarian diet be individually selected?

For the body to function properly, it needs many nutrients:

  • proteins,
  • fat,
  • carbohydrates,
  • vitamins,
  • minerals,
  • water.

Their quantity, proportions and quality are important. The need for food depends to a large extent on:

  • ages,
  • anatomical structure,
  • lifestyle,
  • metabolism,
  • taste preferences.

More energy is needed by a person who regularly exercises in the gym, and less by one who works while sitting at a desk. The developing organism of a child has a different need for vitamins and elements than that of an adult. There is no universal diet. What is good for one, may not be good for the other. Therefore, a vegetarian diet should be selected individually, so that the body does not run out of anything.

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Author: Time S.A

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Protein in a vegetarian diet

For years there has been a belief that only animal protein is wholesome. This may suggest that the meat contains some other, better type of protein. Meanwhile, nutritionists point out that all proteins are made of amino acids, only they come in countless combinations. Therefore, one protein is different from another.

Important

More than diet

Vegetarianism is commonly understood as not eating meat, in fact it means more. It is a specific lifestyle combined with a special diet. Although the motives for breaking with traditional diets can vary, whether the decision not to eat meat is based on the belief that humans should not kill animals, out of snobbery, or a fascination with Buddhism, switching to a vegetarian diet should always involve a change of mindset. , departing from social stereotypes and replacing them with new patterns. Vegetarians consciously and carefully compose their diets, because they know what to eat to stay he althy and in good shape. They do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, and limit coffee and tea. They lead an active lifestyle and play sports. Many of them work on personality improvement. Thanks to this, they are calm, friendly to people and the world.

Vegetarian diet - what to eat?

Every tissue in a human, animal or plant organism is made of a slightly different type of substance. But the amino acids that make up proteins are basically the same. We believe that meat has greater nutritional value because the body gets a ready-made protein that it no longer needs to synthesize. But that's not true.

The digestive system must first break down each protein into individual amino acids, and then reassemble, giving the structure appropriate for a given organism. The problem is thatof the 22 amino acids that are needed for protein production, 8 the body cannot synthesize itself, so we have to provide them with food.

Where to find them? In eggs! It is a model protein - it contains all the amino acids, and in the right amounts. Therefore, the World He alth Organization has recognized them as a model for measuring the proportion of amino acids in other products.

Even meat protein, which is considered the most complete food in this respect, is deficient in methionine, tryptophan and valine. Legumes are rich in lysine but have too little methionine, and grains have lysine and tryptophan.

Most plant-based foods, however, contain a certain amount of protein. So if we eatvaried plant products, we have as much of it as we need. The simplest combination is cereal products with milk, eggs, cheese or legumes. Eat vegetables with groats, nuts, grains, rice and eggs.

Will a well-composed vegetarian diet cover the body's protein needs?

The value of the protein we eat depends on how the body absorbs it. In addition to the best egg protein in this respect, the body well integrates protein from meat (96%) and other animal products (e.g. from milk, 90.5%) into the tissues. But remember that they also contain large amounts of saturated fatty acids, which we should limit.

Therefore, let's choose skim milk and its products (0.5%) - they have the same amount of protein as their full-fat counterparts, but they contain less fat and calories. Soybean protein (90%) is well absorbed, and lentils (85%) and white beans (73%) are not well absorbed. In general, however, vegetable protein is less digested than meat protein. But plants also provide vitamins, minerals and fiber.

The ability to assimilate can be increased by properly combining food products. By combining rice with milk, you get 29 percent. more proteins than if you eat each one separately. When rice and beans are combined, the increase is 43 percent. Protein is only a backup source of energy, so we need little of it. How much? It depends on age, gender, weight, and lifestyle. It is assumed that 1 g of protein per 1 kg of weight per day is enough. A thoughtful vegetarian diet will cover it easily.

Iron and vitamin B in a vegetarian diet

The opponents of vegetarianism argue that the lack of meat poses a risk of iron and vitamin B12 deficiency. But just eating meat is not enough to avoid it. Non-vegetarians also suffer from shortages in this respect, e.g. eating fast food or processed foods. Iron from plant products (non-heme) is less assimilated than from animal products (heme iron), so more iron must be supplied.

Absorption is improved by vitamin C. Therefore, combine vegetables and fruits (source of vitamin C) with products containing iron, such as muesli, on the plate. Vitamin B12 is actually only found in animal products (a small amount is found in some seaweed, such as nori, and food yeast). But eating dairy and foods fortified with this vitamin (such as soy drinks) should meet the need.

Joanna Lotkowska and Marcin Tischner from ProVeg Polska were the guests of Michał Poklękowski in the Drogowskazy broadcast on Eski Rock. In the conversation, they debunked all the myths about veganism. Can being veg change the world? FROMit certainly does a lot of good! Listen for yourself:

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Diets