Here is a list of foods with protein: Vegetarian Foods With Protein: Many of our vegetarian clients find it easier to obtain the grains/starches and vegetable and/or fruit but struggle with options for protein. While it is important to consider nutrients of concern such as protein, iron, calcium, vitamin B12 and more, the best way to make sure you are a healthy vegetarian is to examine your daily menu planning.Īs a start, plan your breakfast, lunch and supper with three things: Focus on balanced meals not just nutrients Instead improve this meal by adding chickpeas and nuts to the green salad for needed protein and iron (or alternatively enjoy a veggie burger made primarily from legumes). For example a meal that includes a mushroom veggie burger on a bun with a green salad isn’t sufficient. There are plenty of vegetarians who eliminate meat, poultry and seafood from their diet and subsist on supper meals with grains and veggies alone. Replacing meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy with legumes, tofu, nuts, seeds and calcium-fortified beverages is what you need to think about when you are planning a healthy vegetarian diet Simply removing animal foods does not provide nutritional adequacy. The art of achieving a healthy vegetarian diet is not about what you are removing, it is actually about what you are replacing. Start off with simply “Meatless Monday” meals and progress to a flexitarian diet (a.k.a. mostly vegetarian but not all the time) before considering more strict plans.īe less concerned about boasting a label such as vegan or vegetarian and be more concerned with healthy meal planning and achieving good health. If you are considering moving toward a vegetarian diet, shift your intake gradually since the types of foods and cooking methods can be significantly different.
One thing is for certain, though, a diet high in vegetables and fruits consistently show health benefits. Scientific research supports the idea that there are many ways to achieve good health from high-carbohydrate, low-protein vegan diets to the opposite, which is a diet that is higher in protein from animal foods with a moderate carbohydrate intake. Anyone that claims there is a so-called “best diet” is misled (and this includes vegetarian diets).
Remember that good health and healthy weight management can be obtained with a wide range of eating styles. Here are three practical considerations when planning a healthy vegetarian diet.Īrticle originally published in Calgary Herald Progress with an open mind The team of dietitians at our practice often see clients who are either considering switching to a vegetarian diet or are currently vegetarian and having difficulty obtaining all the nutrients needed for good health. 3 Registered Dietitian Tips to Healthy Vegetarian Meal Planning