A vegetarian is considered to be at lower risk for several diseases including many types of cancer and heart disease. One reason for this is that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and legumes tends to replace more fat foods in one’s diet. But, many vegetarians often do not eat enough of certain important nutritional components such as protein, which are found in meat, egg, and fish.

There are several types of vegetarian diets. Vegan is the most restrictive form and includes only foods of plant origin. Lactovegetarians eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, and milk products. These two types of vegetarian diets tend to offer the greatest risk of not getting enough supply of protein. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, on the contrary, include in their diets eggs, which are good sources of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

The most accurate way to know how much protein a person needs is to consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist who can provide specific answers to questions about recommended daily allowances for all minerals, vitamins, etc. However, there are a few simple foods that will help insure that vegetarians eat sufficient protein.

One of the best sources of vegetarian protein is a soy protein isolate, which contains ninety percent of protein. This is a source of protein equal to that found in meats and certain dairy products. And, with the growing number of vegetarians, food manufacturers are now including soy protein isolates in regular foods such as pasta, breads, soups, and cereals.

Today, the regular supermarket offers a fairly varied selection of foods which contains sufficient amount of protein. Not only that, but also the taste and texture of many have improved dramatically. Some suggestions for including these foods into a diet are:

1. Stir-fry cubes of tofu and diced vegetables in a teriyaki or ginger sauce and serve over with rice.
2. Pour soymilk over cereal instead of regular milk.
3. Substitute veggie ground “meat” in pasta and rice mixes calling for hamburger or turkey
4. Visit a health food store or whole foods market to check out their selection of vegetarian entrees.

Protein can still be a part of a vegetarian diet through two to three servings daily of cooked dried peas and beans, nuts and seeds, or eggs if you don’t prepare tofu and other soy products. But take note, whole egg intake should be limited to two to four each week. Furthermore, many nutritionists now agree that eating complementary proteins such as rice or pasta isn’t necessary at each meal as long as vegetarians eat a variety of nutrient-packed foods daily.

Having a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to involve complicated recipes or other difficulties as long as an individual follows a few simple steps to eat adequate protein every day. In the long run, learning these steps will pave the way to greater health and less risk of contracting many diseases.

Understanding Vegetarian Diet

A vegetarian is considered to be at lower risk for several diseases including many types of cancer and heart disease. One reason for this is that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, and legumes tends to replace more fat foods in one’s diet. But, many vegetarians often do not eat enough of certain important nutritional components such as protein, which are found in meat, egg, and fish.

There are several types of vegetarian diets. Vegan is the most restrictive form and includes only foods of plant origin. Lactovegetarians eat fruits, vegetables, legumes, and milk products. These two types of vegetarian diets tend to offer the greatest risk of not getting enough supply of protein. Lacto-ovo vegetarians, on the contrary, include in their diets eggs, which are good sources of Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.

The most accurate way to know how much protein a person needs is to consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist who can provide specific answers to questions about recommended daily allowances for all minerals, vitamins, etc. However, there are a few simple foods that will help insure that vegetarians eat sufficient protein.

One of the best sources of vegetarian protein is a soy protein isolate, which contains ninety percent of protein. This is a source of protein equal to that found in meats and certain dairy products. And, with the growing number of vegetarians, food manufacturers are now including soy protein isolates in regular foods such as pasta, breads, soups, and cereals.

Today, the regular supermarket offers a fairly varied selection of foods which contains sufficient amount of protein. Not only that, but also the taste and texture of many have improved dramatically. Some suggestions for including these foods into a diet are:

1. Stir-fry cubes of tofu and diced vegetables in a teriyaki or ginger sauce and serve over with rice.
2. Pour soymilk over cereal instead of regular milk.
3. Substitute veggie ground “meat” in pasta and rice mixes calling for hamburger or turkey
4. Visit a health food store or whole foods market to check out their selection of vegetarian entrees.

Protein can still be a part of a vegetarian diet through two to three servings daily of cooked dried peas and beans, nuts and seeds, or eggs if you don’t prepare tofu and other soy products. But take note, whole egg intake should be limited to two to four each week. Furthermore, many nutritionists now agree that eating complementary proteins such as rice or pasta isn’t necessary at each meal as long as vegetarians eat a variety of nutrient-packed foods daily.

Having a vegetarian diet doesn’t have to involve complicated recipes or other difficulties as long as an individual follows a few simple steps to eat adequate protein every day. In the long run, learning these steps will pave the way to greater health and less risk of contracting many diseases.