Nutrition experts have always emphasized that a healthy diet involves eating more plant-based foods and fewer animal-based foods, especially those high in fat. In the hustle and bustle of urban life, the vegetarian concept of "green vegetables and radishes ensure peace" is gradually gaining popularity. So, do you know how to eat a vegetarian diet?
Knowing the benefits of vegetarianism, perhaps your only concern is not getting the nutrients found in meat. In fact, as long as you choose a variety of dishes when eating vegetarian and do not favor just a few, you can still get enough nutrients. Additionally, because the cellular structure of meat is closer to that of the human body, the body absorbs it more efficiently. Therefore, vegetarians need to follow several principles in their diet due to reduced meat intake.
Variety. Whether it's staple foods (rice, bread, grains, legumes) or vegetables, fruits, dairy, eggs, and oils, the nutrients they contain are different and cannot replace each other. Therefore, the dishes on the dining table should be frequently changed. Whole wheat bread, germ bread, brown rice, etc., should be used instead of white rice and white flour.
Choose more fresh, unrefined foods. Vegetarians should try to form the habit of choosing fresh beans and grains instead of vegetarian chicken, vegetarian duck, etc. Nutritionists highly recommend a brown rice and soybean mixture in a ratio of about one part soybean to three parts brown rice, as the protein and carbohydrate ratio is just right. Before cooking, the soybeans need to be soaked for 2-3 hours, and the brown rice for 1 hour (in summer, they should be soaked in the refrigerator to prevent souring).
Meat is high in protein, but legumes like soybeans, edamame, mung beans, or processed soy products like tofu and dried tofu are also rich in protein. They can supplement the lack of nutrients from not eating meat, and eating more legumes does not raise the risk of high cholesterol.
Consume more nuts like cashews and almonds. Their rich oils can supplement the calories needed by the body. It's best to have four or five types of green vegetables. The iron in meat can be supplemented by consuming more iron-rich fruits such as tomatoes, kiwis, and grapes. Adhere to the basic dietary principles of less oil, less salt, and less sugar, and consciously supplement vitamins that vegetarians might lack.
If you are new to vegetarianism, you might at first feel that you are eating a lot but get hungry quickly. This is precisely because plants are easier for the digestive system to absorb. Don't worry, you will gradually adapt.
It is worth noting for vegetarians that a vegetarian diet can lead to lower estrogen levels in women. Due to their unique physiological characteristics, women should avoid long-term vegetarianism at least three times in their lives:
1. Girls in the period of sexual maturity and development. Long-term vegetarianism can lead to excessively low estrogen levels, causing a delay in the development of secondary sexual characteristics and hindering the development of female breasts, gonads, and physical beauty.
2. Women of childbearing age. If they often eat vegetarian food, it can lower estrogen levels and lead to fertility problems.
3. Menopausal women. Due to ovarian atrophy, estrogen secretion is already lacking or has "ceased." If they maintain a vegetarian diet during this time, the symptoms of "menopausal syndrome" will be more pronounced.