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Overview:

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A vegetarian diet is a diet where you don’t consume meat, fish and poultry.

There are many reasons why people become vegetarian such as for religion, personal, health, ethical issues, regarding animal rights and environmental reasons as livestock production requires lots of water, energy and natural resources and also increases greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.

 

There are different types of variation such as:

  • Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet: no meat, fish and poultry but eggs and dairy products are allowed

  • Lacto-vegetarian diet: no meat, fish, poultry and eggs but dairy products are allowed

  • Ovo-vegetarians diet: no meat, dish, poultry and dairy products but eggs are allowed

  • Pescetarian diet: no meat and poultry but fish, eggs and dairy products are allowed

  • Vegan diet: no meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products and any other animal-derived products (for example honey)

 

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Health Benefits:

 

Vegetarian diets can have lots of benefits on your health, on the other hand, vegetarians that consume heavily processed foods, don’t consume enough fruit, vegetables, plant-based proteins, healthy fats, grains and etc can miss out on essential nutrients that certain foods provide. This can be easily avoided by having a balanced diet as planning can certainly help people, especially those who have little time, this way everyone can meet a vegetarian diet: children, teenagers, adults, pregnant women, etc.

This is why my project can be very useful to other people as it can help them avoid all the planning when it comes to switching or consuming a vegetarian diet.

According to Healthline, vegetarians “tend to have better diet quality than meat-eaters and a higher intake of important nutrients like fiber, vitamin C, vitamin E and magnesium” as well as other health boosts.

 

Associated health benefits are: 

 

  • Reduction of chronic diseases such as cancers of the colon, stomach, rectum, and breasts and especially diabetes. (in order to prove a cause-and-effect relationship more research and studies are needed)

  • Helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels, a study showed that vegetarianism improved blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes. In addition, according to another study of 2,918 people, switching from a non-vegetarian diet to a vegetarian diet reduced the risk of diabetes by 53% over and an average of 5 years

  • Enhances weight loss, in fact, vegetarians tend to have a lower BMI (a measurement of body fat based on height and weight of a person

  • Promotes good heart health as the vegetarian diet has lower levels of low-density-lipoproteins, triglycerides, and total cholesterol in the body, which increases the risk of heart disease. In fact, a study of 76 people showed that vegetarian diets lower levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, and “bad” LDL cholesterol. Other studies have shown that vegetarian diets lower blood pressure levels, another risk factor for heart disease.

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Downsides:

 

A balanced and well-planned vegetarian diet can be healthy and nutritious but if, and only if, the diet is not well planned and balanced it could lead to deficiencies.

 

This is because animal products are a good source of protein, omega 3-fatty acids, and micronutrients such as zinc, selenium, iron and vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D. 

Therefore, when removing animal products it is important to ensure that you are getting enough of these nutrients from plant-based sources.

Studies show that vegetarians have a higher risk of protein, calcium, iron, iodine, and vitamin B12 deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies can lead to symptoms like fatigue, weakness, anemia, bone loss, and thyroid issues.

On the other hand, as stated before, a balanced and well-planned vegetarian diet can be healthy, nutritious, and avoids any risk of nutritional deficiencies, this is done by including a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, protein sources, and fortified foods ensure you are getting enough nutrients. 

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These are a few foods to make sure to include in your diet:

  • Fruits: Apples, bananas, berries, oranges, melons, pears, peaches

  • Vegetables: Leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, (calcium and iron sources), tomatoes, carrots

  • Whole grains: Quinoa, barley, farro, buckwheat, brown rice, oats (good source of fiber, iron and vitamins)

  • Legumes: Lentils, beans, peas, chickpeas (protein, minerals, and fiber sources)

  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, chestnuts (healthy fats, protein sources)

  • Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia, and hemp seeds (protein, fiber, healthy fats, and antioxidant sources)

  • Healthy fats: seed and nuts, coconut, avocados, olive oil

  • Proteins: beans, tempeh, tofu, seitan, natto, eggs, dairy products

Bibliography:

Link, Rachael. "The Vegetarian Diet: A Beginner's Guide and Meal Plan."

     Healthline, healthline.com, 17 Oct. 2018, www.healthline.com/nutrition/vegetarian-diet-plan. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021. 

 

Atitwa, Sundra Chelsea. “What Is A Vegetarian Diet?” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 9 Feb. 2020, www.worldatlas.com/what-is-a-vegetarian-diet.html. Accessed 18 Jan. 2021. 

 

“Vegetarian Diet: How to Get the Best Nutrition.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 20 Aug. 2020,www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/vegetarian-diet/art-20046446.  Accessed 18 Jan. 2021. 

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