Winter Diet Precautions: Eight Major Misconceptions About a Vegetarian Diet
As winter arrives, people's appetite tends to increase, making winter dietary health very important. In our daily lives, a diet that combines meat and vegetables is ideal. However, for vegetarians, improper搭配 (combination) can lead to nutritional imbalances. So, what are the key things to note for a healthy vegetarian diet in winter? Let's take a look below.
Misconception One: No Limit on the Amount of Processed Foods
Many vegetarians believe that as long as a food doesn't contain animal-derived ingredients, it is highly nutritious. In reality, many processed foods are made from plant-based ingredients, but they are often made with refined white rice and refined white flour, which removes dietary fiber, and large amounts of oil, sugar, or salt are added. They cannot replace the health benefits of fresh, natural foods.
In response to the popularity of vegetarianism and plant-based foods, some products even use "vegetable cream" or "vegetable shortening" as a selling point. However, in terms of their impact on blood lipids, these "vegetable oils" are even worse than animal fats. Multiple studies have confirmed that the "hydrogenated vegetable oil" in these products introduces "trans fatty acids," which significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes and may also harm brain health.
Misconception Two: Not Controlling the Amount of Oil, Sugar, and Salt in Cooking
Both fats and refined sugar are plant-based, so they also appear prominently in vegetarian recipes. Because the natural flavor of vegetarian food is relatively light, some people add large amounts of oil, sugar, salt, and other seasonings for cooking.
For example, frequently eating pastries and biscuits with added oil, often eating fried rice and noodles, adding large amounts of oil when stir-frying vegetables, adding large amounts of sugar when mixing drinks, and adding large amounts of salt and MSG when seasoning. These practices add excessive energy to the vegetarian diet and increase its simple sugars and sodium content.
Many people have a serious misconception that animal fat makes you fat, but you can eat as much vegetable oil as you want. Little do they know that vegetable oil, white sugar, and animal fat all raise blood lipids, promote obesity, and induce fatty liver. When it comes to weight gain, there is almost no difference between animal fat and vegetable oil.
Misconception Three: Eating Too Much Fruit Without Reducing Staple Foods
Many vegetarian lovers love fruits and eat a lot of them in addition to their three daily meals. However, they often find that despite fruits' reputation for being healthy, they don't lead to a slimmer figure. This is because fruits contain more than 8% sugar, and their energy content is not negligible. If you eat more than half a jin (250g) of fruit, you should reduce the amount of your main meals or staple foods accordingly to maintain energy balance for the day. Otherwise, adding an extra two hundred kilocalories a day will inevitably lead to weight gain over time.
In addition to fruit, the same issue applies when drinking milk or yogurt daily. Many lacto-ovo vegetarians like cheese and add large amounts of cheese powder for seasoning, which also increases the calories in the diet.
Misconception Four: Believing All Vegetables Are Equally Good
For strict vegetarians, the nutritional importance of vegetables is even greater. They are not only responsible for supplying vitamin C and carotene but also need to contribute to iron, calcium, folic acid, vitamin B2, and more. Therefore, you should try to choose vegetable varieties rich in these nutrients. Leafy green vegetables are among the best, such as kale, broccoli, amaranth, spinach, bok choy, and crown daisy.
To increase protein intake, mushroom vegetables and fresh legume vegetables are excellent choices, such as various mushrooms, edamame, and fresh peas. If you only prefer a few so-called "weight-loss vegetables" like cucumbers, tomatoes, winter melon, or bitter melon, it will be difficult to get enough nutrients.
Misconception Five: Vegetarianism Must Be Based on Raw and Cold Foods
Some vegetarians believe that vegetables only have health value when eaten raw, so they rarely eat cooked dishes and favor cold salads and raw preparations. In fact, many nutrients in vegetables need the addition of oil to be well absorbed, and heating breaks down the cell walls, significantly increasing absorption rates.
For example, vitamin K, carotene, and lycopene are nutrients that are more easily absorbed after cooking. Vitamin K is essential for bone health, carotene is a precursor to vitamin A, and lycopene is an important antioxidant and cancer-preventing component. It's also important to note that salad dressings contain over 60% fat, so using them for cold salads doesn't make them lower in calories than cooking with oil.
Also, raw and cold foods can often weaken the body's digestive and absorption functions, which is not suitable for people who already have poor digestion. For example, some people who are prone to bloating or diarrhea when exposed to cold should not eat too many raw and cold foods. They can consider cooking their food before eating it when on a vegetarian diet.
General vegetarians not only need to get calcium from dairy products but also to supplement protein, B vitamins, and vitamins A and D. Strict vegetarians need to get calcium from tofu and obtain protein and B vitamins from staple foods fortified with legumes. Many women, when starting a vegetarian diet, are enthusiastic about fruits and vegetables but often overlook protein sources and forget that a vegetarian diet also needs to ensure adequate nutrition.