Because vegetarian diets are often light in flavor, some people add large amounts of oil, sugar, salt, and other seasonings when cooking. Unbeknownst to them, these practices can lead to excessive energy intake. Refined sugar, just like animal fat, can easily raise blood lipids and induce fatty liver, while sodium can elevate blood pressure. Many people also overlook an important fact: plant oils and animal oils contain the same amount of energy, and consuming too much of either can lead to obesity.
Misconception 2: Eating Excessive Fruit Without Reducing Main Meals
Many vegetarian enthusiasts eat a lot of fruit in addition to their three daily meals, but it doesn't make them slimmer. This is because fruit contains more than 8% sugar, making its energy intake not negligible. If you eat more than half a jin (250g) of fruit, you should correspondingly reduce the amount of your main meals to maintain a daily energy balance. In addition to fruit, the same principle applies when consuming extra milk or yogurt daily.
Misconception 3: Raw Vegetables Are the Only Healthy Option
Some vegetarians are keen on eating vegetables raw in salads or cold dishes, believing this is the only way to fully absorb their nutritional value. In reality, many nutrients in vegetables require the addition of oil for proper absorption. For example, Vitamin K, carotene, and lycopene are nutrients that are more easily absorbed after cooking. It's also important to note that salad dressings can be over 60% fat, so using them for cold dishes isn't necessarily lower in calories than cooking with oil.
Misconception 4: Only Recognizing a Few "Weight-Loss Vegetables"
Vegetables should not only provide vegetarians with Vitamin C and carotene but also contribute to their intake of iron, calcium, folic acid, and Vitamin B2. Therefore, it's best to choose a variety of green leafy vegetables such as kale, broccoli, amaranth, spinach, bok choy, and crown daisy. To increase protein intake, mushrooms and fresh legumes are excellent choices, such as various types of mushrooms, edamame, and fresh peas. If you only favor a few so-called "weight-loss vegetables" like cucumbers, tomatoes, winter melon, or bitter gourd, it will be difficult to obtain sufficient nutrients.
Misconception 5: Not Supplementing with Multivitamins When Necessary
In some developed countries, foods are commonly fortified with nutrients, and there is a wide variety of specially formulated nutritional products for vegetarians, reducing their risk of micronutrient deficiency. However, in our country, the food industry gives little consideration to vegetarians, and nutrient fortification is not widespread. Therefore, vegetarians should consider supplementing with multivitamins, especially formulas containing iron, zinc, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin D, to prevent potential nutritional deficiencies.