Practically vegetarian!
Being a vegetarian remains something of a conversation killer even in today’s health conscious society. “What do you eat then?” whispers under his breath as images of gourmet meat pies are discarded for green salads at the next dinner party.
In reality, vegetarianism has shown a slight decline over the last decade, although statistics have shown that many people have been vegetarian in a period of their life. But overall, the vegetarian lifestyle remains as popular as ever, as evidenced by the ever-growing range of vegetarian products and meat substitutes entering the market.
While the vegetarian terms may seem confusing at first, the concept behind the terms is fairly easy to follow.
Lacto-Ovo: Most people when they hear the term vegetarian would think of a lacto-ovo. The term refers to people who do not eat fish or meat, but do eat dairy products and eggs.
Ovo: This term refers to vegetarians who will eat eggs but will not consume any dairy products in their diet.
Lacto: refers to a person who will not eat meat or eggs in their diet but will eat dairy products.
Vegan: Vegans are the strictest form of vegetarians, as they do not eat any type of animal product or by-product.
Semi – The term semi-vegetarian has become increasingly popular with the emergence of the so-called “fad diet”. This category is reserved for people who want to try the vegetarian lifestyle but still enjoy the occasional burger.
Many vegetarians choose this lifestyle not only because of the health benefits associated with it, but also because of their belief against cruelty to animals and associations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) now stand up for the rights. of the animals.
Before the advantages of the vegetarian lifestyle were well documented, we assumed that vegetarians were bland, thin and pale creatures, but with the number of famous celebrities such as Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney and Alicia Silverstone touting the benefits, the attitude has become given a more positive attitude. makeover.
Vegetarians can be at risk of iron, protein, B vitamins, and calcium deficiencies if they don’t balance their diets. But a little education and knowledge of vegetarian sources should ensure that this doesn’t happen. Protein can easily be found by eating nuts, seeds, tofu, veggie burgers, and grains. Vitamin B2 can be found by eating green leafy vegetables, almonds, and mushrooms, and many vegetarian products are now fortified with vitamin B12 and vitamin D to help against any deficiencies that may occur. Calcium can be found in tofu, green leafy vegetables, dried fruits, watercress, and many of the soy milks found in markets are fortified with calcium.
Dining out can also pose a problem, as many restaurants still have few vegetarian options, and some vegetarian items can be more expensive than their meat counterparts.
The advantage of being a vegetarian is that you don’t have to worry about raising your cholesterol levels by eating too much red meat. Research has also shown that many vegetarians suffer less from obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, type II diabetes, diet-related cancers, constipation, and gallstones.
Even if you don’t embrace the vegetarian lifestyle wholeheartedly, trying a vegetarian meal every now and then certainly can’t do you any harm.