More and more people are trying to live the vegetarian lifestyle as it makes waves across the United States and Canada. Some people immediately judge this diet even if they still know very little about it. There are a few who passionately oppose the idea of the vegetarian diet even without complete knowledge about the vegetarian lifestyle. Very few health professionals are advocates of vegetarianism because most believe that it cannot provide the right combination of nutrients that the body needs for optimum function.

In order to get the right amount of nutrition for every meal, vegetarian recipes, just like any other diet, should be carefully planned. The body has daily dietary requirement so that the body can function at its optimum level. Eating a variety of foods is essential in meeting this requirement because various foods contain various levels of the needed protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. The same food everyday will result in nutritional deficiency because no matter how healthy that food is, it still does not address the requirements of the body. For instance, consider the lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. This is a vegetarian diet that also allows foods like dairy products and eggs. It can meet majority of the recommended dietary nutrients except perhaps for protein. However, this can be solved by adding nuts, seeds, tofu, and legumes to the meal so that there will be enough protein.

It is important to remember that the vegetarian diet, as well as any other diet, will provide you with the right amount of nutrition if you have planned your meals well. Vegetarianism calls for a certain degree of health-consciousness, thus vices such as excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs, and nicotine are avoided. Those who live the vegetarian lifestyle not only have a healthy diet, but a healthy body as well. In general, there are three types of vegetarian diets. Meat is not consumed in any of these variants, but there are still variations in terms of content and meal plans. The vegetarian diet commonly includes green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, legumes, root crops, and whole grains. Salads and vegetable dishes are staples in any vegetarian diet.

Variations of the vegetarian diet occur when people choose to include eggs, fish, or dairy products into their meal plans. The first variant, the “far vegetarian diet,” only excludes red meat. Semi-vegetarian diets allow foods that are derived from animals, such as dairy products and eggs. Fish can also be included in their meal plan. Finally, the strict vegan diet requires a total ban on all animal-derived foods like milk and eggs. Some small variations also occur within the semi-vegetarian category. Lacto-vegetarian diet allows dairy products only, while ovo-vegetarian diets only permit eggs and not dairy products. Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets can include both eggs and dairy products.

The macrobiotic diet, on the other hand, straddles the line between strict vegan and semi-vegetarian diets. This diet emphasizes the consumption of locally grown organic foods. These include vegetables, brown rice, and whole grains. Still others may include fish, fruits, spices, and dried beans in their meals. Foods allowed in the macrobiotic diet are classified as yin or yang, depending on the effect that these foods can have on emotion and the body’s condition. Yin foods, so called because they are believed to be dark and cold, are fruits, nuts, corn, and seeds. Yang foods represent warmth and light. This category includes eggs, fish, and cereal grains.

In ovo-vegetarian diets, or those that prohibit dairy products by allow the consumption of eggs, nutrients that are found in milk can be replaced by those found in soy milk. Protein substitutes like nuts, seeds, legumes, and tofu can also compliment the diet. Essential minerals like zinc and iron are provided for by legumes and green leafy vegetables. The vegetarian diet has a specialized food pyramid. This will serve as a guide in meal planning and food choices so that there will be no deficiency in nutrition. Food groups are also ranked, but there is a difference in terms of the emphasis of subgroups. Green leafy vegetables figure prominently in the vegetable food group because they contain 5 times more calcium than other types of vegetables. In the same way, fruit groups always contain a healthy serving of dried fruits because these can provide up to 6 times more iron as compared to other fruits.

The food group containing fats and oil are normally placed on top of every food pyramid, and the vegetarian food pyramid is no exception. However, instead of using any other oil, vegetable oils that contain large amounts of omega-3-fatty acids and unsaturated fats should be utilized as oil. The vegetarian food pyramid is understandable to anyone, even those who are just beginning their transition from a regular diet to a vegetarian one.

Some of the guidelines that the ADA (American Dietetic Association) released are as follows:

1. Choose a variety of foods.
2. Avoid processed foods.
3. Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits.
4. Buy only low-fat or no fat variants of eggs and dairy products.
5. Vitamin B-12 and vitamin D are very important. Make sure to include these in your diet plan.
6. For young children, do not restrict dietary fat. For older children, increase their intake of foods with large amounts of unsaturated fat.

These are helpful tips and guidelines so that you can plan your meals accordingly and be on the way to healthier lifestyle.

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