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Being healthy as a vegetarian
More and more people are opting for a vegetarian diet. Vegetarians do not eat meat or fish. In some cases, they also avoid other animal products. Many vegetarians want a healthy and balanced diet. Animal welfare often also plays a role in the decision to stop eating meat and become vegetarian. Vegetarians eat primarily plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, which provides an excellent foundation for maintaining their health. 1
A healthy vegetarian diet can also include nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and protein, which are typically provided by meat.
What are the different types of vegetarian diets?
A meat-free diet can be interpreted in many ways. In addition to the classic vegetarian diet, there are also lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescetarian, vegan, and flexitarian diets. All of these diets involve avoiding meat to a greater or lesser extent and filling your cupboards with a variety of other foods instead. Eating vegetarian doesn't necessarily mean cutting out anything, but rather embracing flexibility and a wide variety of foods. The right choices for a healthy diet, Ultimately, it's up to you to make them. Experiment with different dietary adjustments until you find the diet that makes you feel good.
Lacto-vegetarian and ovo-lacto-vegetarian diets
These two types of vegetarian diets are relatively similar. While lacto-vegetarians supplement their plant-based diet with honey, milk, and other dairy products, including cheese, lacto-ovo vegetarians eat eggs in addition to all the foods already listed. Lacto-vegetarian and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets are intermediate steps between vegan and vegetarian diets. Since they do not include meat or fish, both diets should be part of a balanced diet.
The pescetarian diet
Pescetarians don't eat meat, but they do eat fish. Like flexitarians, pescetarians enjoy flexibility in their diet, which includes fish and seafood in addition to plant-based foods. By following a vegetarian diet supplemented with fish, pescetarians also ensure they get enough protein. 2 If you want to be vegetarian while still having a balanced diet, the pescetarian diet may be a good choice.
The vegan diet
The vegan diet is characterized by the complete elimination of all animal products. It bans not only meat, but also dairy products, eggs, and fish. Other ingredients such as animal fats are also banned from the vegan diet.
The strictest form of veganism is called fruitarianism. A fruitarian eats exclusively berries, nuts, seeds, and fruits that can be harvested without killing the plant.
If you're a vegan, you should be aware that this diet can lead to nutrient deficiencies, as some animal sources are banned, such as protein sources. To provide their bodies with the protein they need, vegans can consume nuts, legumes, grains, and other nutritious foods. 2 Dietary supplements can also be added to a vegan diet.
The flexitarian diet
THE Flexitarians , also known as flexible vegetarians or semi-vegetarians, consume more vegetarian foods, without completely eliminating animal products such as meat, fish, or dairy. This diet involves being flexible in food choices. Whether reducing meat consumption or completely banning certain animal products such as milk or cheese, each flexitarian can find their own way of eat healthy .
The benefits of a vegetarian diet
Vegetarians can benefit from their diet and maintain their body and health. Studies have shown that a vegetarian diet 3 could have effects on blood pressure and reduce the risk of being overweight or developing diabetes 4 . Vegetarians are also less affected by heart disease than people who eat a conventional diet. 4
Since they eat mostly plant-based foods, vegetarians also consume more secondary metabolites of plants , which participate in various metabolic processes within the body. 5 These metabolites are also believed to have neurological, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial effects. 6
What foods are part of a healthy vegetarian diet?
We know how to properly meet our nutrient needs with a meat-free diet. We advise those who want to adopt a healthy vegetarian diet and reap the benefits of this diet to listen to their bodies. This helps quickly counteract any potential nutrient deficiencies and the symptoms associated with these deficiencies. A vegetarian diet must always be balanced to provide important nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and protein. 7
Vitamin B12 intake
Vitamin B12 is found in a form available to humans almost exclusively in foods of animal origin. Vegetarians should also consume vitamin B12, which contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism, as well as to the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems. It is found in:
• eggs and dairy products, which therefore perfectly complement a vegetarian diet. 8
• fish and seafood, which pescetarians can also eat. 8
Iron intake
Iron contributes to the maintenance of cognitive function, normal energy-yielding metabolism, and normal oxygen transport in the body. This is why a balanced vegetarian diet must include iron.
Many vegetarian foods contain iron, for example 9 :
• whole wheat bread, cereals, pasta, quinoa and oat flakes
• lawyers
• cooked spinach and boiled mushrooms
• potatoes
• legumes, such as bean sprouts and lentils
• tofu
Foods containing zinc
Zinc contributes to the proper metabolism of fatty acids and macronutrients, as well as to the health of bones, hair, nails, and skin. To benefit from the health benefits of zinc, vegetarians can turn to a variety of foods . :
• Plant-based sources of zinc: nuts such as cashews and pecans, wheat or rye germ
• Sources of zinc from animal sources: cheese, milk and eggs
Compensate for a lack of protein
Protein helps build and maintain muscle mass and strong bones. Since a vegetarian diet bans animal protein sources, it's even more important to ensure vegetarian foods provide enough protein.
Here are some vegetarian foods that are particularly rich in protein:
• dairy products and eggs
• legumes: soybeans, lentils and peas
• cereal products: bread
What You Need to Know If You Want to Become a Vegetarian
Vegetarian, flexitarian, or pescetarian? — If you decide to become a vegetarian, you must ensure that your diet is always healthy and balanced, and that you are getting all the nutrients your body needs. Try our various recipes featuring nutritious vegetarian foods and determine which approach is best for you and your family.
- https://www.rki.de/DE/Content/Gesundheitsmonitoring/Gesundheitsberichterstattung/GBEDownloadsJ/Focus/JoHM_2016_02_ernaehrung1a.pdf [ ↩ ]
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/faqs/protein/ [ ↩ ] [ ↩ ]
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466938/ [ ↩ ]
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/long-term-health-of-vegetarians-and-vegans/263822873377096A7BAC4F887D42A4CA [ ↩ ] [ ↩ ]
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/fachinformationen/sekundaere-pflanzenstoffe-und-ihre-wirkung/ [ ↩ ]
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/fachinformationen/sekundaere-pflanzenstoffe-und-ihre-wirkung / [ ↩ ]
- https://www.assmann-stiftung.de/vegetarische-ernaehrung/ [ ↩ ]
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/faqs/vitaminb12/ [ ↩ ] [ ↩ ]
- https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2017/10/06/ways-to-boost-blood-iron-levels-while-eating-a-vegan-or-vegetarian-diet/ [ ↩ ]
- https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/weitere-publikationen/faqs/zink/ [ ↩ ]